Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines

Reader Stefano Tonti sent me this photo. The headline says "Doctor beaten with a shovel". ata is a suffix you can add to many nouns to create a word meaning "an application of [noun]". Badile = shovel or spade, so someone applied a shovel to this poor doctor (unfortunately, we didn't buy the newspaper so we don't know why). A more common construction is sassata, stoning - as in, throw rocks at - sasso = stone.

April, 2007 - from left to right:

Usury [loan sharking]: half of Lecco trembles / Motorcycle crash - 20 year old Lecchese without hopes [of living - in fact, she died]

Abusive construction [i.e., without proper building permits] - the beach of the "Bear" [a local disco, Orsa Maggiore - Ursa Major] impounded

Old people, new center at Germanedo

ICI [property tax] and TARSU [some other tax] - The municipality on the hunt for tax evaders: wants to recover two million euros

Forza Italia [political party] at war for the presidency of the "twinnings" [?]

Falls while on motorcycle: grave [seriously hurt] girl of Lecco

The mayor: "We're looking for the area for the new stadium."

The case - ALER claims that Bodega [a former mayor] has the right to public housing at 28 euros a month

Soccer: The Lecco [team] goes to Biella with victory in its sights

Mar, 2007 - (handwritten) Sunday [we're] always open

[formal complaint to the police] - Too lively: the janitor insults and threatens the children

Writing and drawings defame the principal of Grassi high school

Mar, 2007 - Exhibitionist terrorizes [female] cyclists - denounced [formal complaint made to police]

Fines "Auxiliary [traffic police] [should be] more tolerant with the citizens"

Lecco, March 2007

Bread baker fired without reason - Now he's full of debts

In Lecco a good 1,000 Alpini parade

Three climbers fall from the wall of the Medale and die

Girl raped near the Meridiana [local shopping center]

"They were absolved, but they are the murderers"

Raped in [town] center

The Sheikh in Lecco

The tragedy of San Martino [peak]: The truth in two nails [climbing pitons]

Post office: [office in] via Dante closes, but the ex-Piccolo [another location] does not open