November 2006

Return to Bormio Part 2

November 29, 2006

ceiling of a small chapel – this must have been recently restored, as we did not see it on our previous trips to Bormio, and there was no explanation anywhere in the room, though there were display cases seemingly ready to hold text of some sort In the evening we went out again for snacks [...]

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A Whole New Me

November 23, 2006

Look at the upper left right corner of any page on my site, you’ll see something new: I’m a cartoon! I’m not quite sure where I got the idea (although, admittedly, a number of bloggers are doing it). Since the unifying theme of this site is me, it makes sense to use myself as a [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Azzurro

November 22, 2006

A version sung last summer by the victorious Azzurri (Italian national football team), apparently as a fundraiser for charity. The guy in the blue shirt is Gianni Morandi (not a football player). Azzurro – Sky Blue by Paolo Conte, made famous by Adriano Celentano Cerco l’estate tutto l’anno I look for summer all year long [...]

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Hot Water

November 14, 2006

While in the UK a couple of weekends ago, I bought a hot water bottle at Boots, and packed it into my only luggage (carry-on) to bring back to Italy. The x-ray technician at security was momentarily confused: “Is that a hot water bottle?” “Yes, they’re surprisingly hard to find in Italy,” I replied. A [...]

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News and Fiction

November 8, 2006

I just got back from a visit to my dad in the UK. Because he is essentially bedridden, he watches a lot of TV, so I saw a great deal more of it than I usually do. The big news in Britain on Monday was the trial of Dhiren Barot, accused of being a top [...]

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Italian Slang: B

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Balle [BAHL-lay] Balls. Usually synonymous with “Bullshit!” Mi ha raccontato un sacco di balle – “He/she told me a whole bunch of lies” (literally, “a bag of balls”). Can also [...]

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Italian Slang: C

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Caca [ca-ca] Means poop, of course. Used with/by children, or ironically. Cacchio [KAHK-yo] A mild replacement for cazzo. Cagare [cah-GAR-ay] To shit. Si stanno cagando sotto – “They’re shitting themselves [...]

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Italian Slang: E

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Erba [AIR-ba] Grass, as in your lawn, but also used for marijuana, exactly as in English.

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Italian Slang: F

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Fancazzista [fahn-cahz-ZEES-tah] Someone who doesn’t do shit; derived from cazzo. Farabutto [FAR-a-boot-toe] Sly person. Farsi [FAR-see] Reflexive form of fare, “to do”, in slang used as “to make out with” [...]

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Italian Slang: I

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Incazzato/a [in-caht-ZAH-toh / ah] Derived from cazzo, used to mean extremely pissed off (masculine/feminine). Incazzato nero / incazzata nera – “Pissed off black” (masc./fem.). (No, this has nothing to do [...]

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Italian Slang: G

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Gesú [jeh-ZOO] Jesus, sometimes used as an exclamation of shock. Gnocca [NYOCK-ah] Cute slang for vagina, but also used to indicate a hot female. Laila sei la + gnocca + [...]

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Italian Slang: L

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Leccaculo [LEK-ah-COOL-oh] leccare “to lick” + culo = “Ass licker”, what Americans would call a brown-noser. A variant is leccachiappe [LEK-ah-KYAHP-pay] – butt cheeks licker. Lumare [loo-MAR-ray] To ogle. (Northern/Lombard/Milanese.)

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Italian Slang: M

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Maccheronico [makh-kair-RON-ikko] “Maccaroni-ish”. This is the term Italians themselves use for heavily Italianized and very poor English. Not rude, except to the person/discourse to whom you are applying it. Madonna, [...]

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Italian Slang: N

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Noia [NOY-ah] Boredom or irritation. Che noia – “What a bore”, “what a pain”. Can be used in polite company.

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Italian Slang: P

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Pacco [pahk-ko] Literally “package,” but also used in the sense shown here (“Your package is in good hands”), just as it is in English. Palle [PALL-lay] Balls. Che palle! – [...]

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Italian Slang: R

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Rimorchiare [ri-mor-KYA-ray] Literally, to pull a trailer (rimorchio), but used to mean to go hunting for someone to seduce. “Da giovane, ho imparato l’inglese rimorchiando le turiste Americane.” – “When [...]

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Italian Slang: S

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Sacco, Un “A bag, a sackful” – used for “a lot.” Slangy but not rude. Mi piace un sacco – “I like him/her/it a lot.” Carlo Verdone made a film [...]

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Italian Slang: T

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Tacchinare [TAHK-kee-NA-ray] To hit on, attempt to seduce. What the young people use today instead of rimorchiare. Tette [TET-tay] Tits. Not to be confused with tetto, roof. Tirare un Pacco [...]

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Italian Slang: V

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Vaccona [vahk-CONE-ah] Big cow. Used similarly to porcona. Vaffa’nbagno [vah-fahn-BAHN-yo] “Go do it in the bathroom” – polite paraphrase for vaffanculo. Vaffanculo or ‘ffanculo [vah-fahng-COOL-oh] Va a far[lo] in culo [...]

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Italian Slang: Z

November 6, 2006

Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z Zinne [TZIN-neh] Tits. Zittire, Zitto [zit-TEAR-ay, ZEET-toh] To shut (someone else) up, adjective for shut up. Fairly rude when used as a command.

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