Italian Italy

baccalà

Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(noun) • (salted codfish) • It's an insult used to address an incompetent and stupid person.

"È un baccalà, non è buono a niente!"

"He is a salted codfish, a good-for-nothing!"

Italian | Sicilian Sicily, Italy

arancino coi piedi

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(footed arancino) • You can say this to someone very fat or who eats a lot, because an arancino is a very big fried food.

"Hai mangiato tutto ciò che avevo cucinato! Sei proprio un arancino coi piedi!"

"You ate everything I cooked! You are really a footed arancino!"

Italian Italy

testa di rapa

Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

It means something like "idiot" or "stupid" and it's used when someone doesn't understand something.

"Hai sbagliato tutto, sei una testa di rapa!"

"You did everything wrong, you turnip head!"

Italian Italy

provolone

Slang USED Very frequently BY People Over 20

(n.) • The first meaning is a type of cheese typically produced in Southern Italy. It's also a term used to address a guy keen on flirting with any woman around him.

"Marco è un provolone, ci prova con tutte."

"Marco is a provolone, he flirts with every single woman."

Italian Italy

testa di rapa

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(turnip head) • A mild way of telling someone they are not very bright, intelligent, or otherwise capable of understanding or doing. Similar to calling someone an idiot, just less offensive.

"Andrea è proprio una testa di rapa, si è di nuovo dimenticato i compiti!"

"Andrea really is a turnip head, he forgot his homework again!"

Italian Italy

abbiocco

Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(noun) • The sudden drowsiness and tiredness one feels soon after lunch.

"Ho mangiato troppo e mi viene da dormire perché ho l'abbiocco."

"I've eaten too much and now I'm feeling like sleeping because I'm having abbiocco."

Italian | Veneto Veneto, Italy

pesare i peri

Slang USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(weighing pears) • It is a dialectal form to describe when you are sleepy, with half-closed eyelids and cheeks hanging like pears.

"Come sta andando la conferenza? È interessante?" "No, è veramente noiosa, sono qui a pesare i peri!"

"How's the conference going? Is it interesting?" "No, it's really boring, I'm here weighing pears!"

Italian | Salentino Apulia, Italy

papagna

Word USED Very frequently BY Everyone

(noun) • That sleepy feeling that you get after eating a good and abundant meal. The origin of the word comes from a infuse made of poppy, the flower, that gives you this sensation.

"Mamma mia che mangiata!" "Sì, me sta cala la papagna!"

"What a meal!" "Yeah, I can feel the papagna!"

Italian Italy

mettere una mano sul fuoco

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(to put the hand on the fire) • It's used when you are absolutely certain of what you are saying. On the contrary, when you are not that sure, you can use it in the negative form.

"Sei sicuro che sia la strada giusta?" (+)"Certo, ci metterei la mano sul fuoco" (-) "Credo di si, ma non ci metterei la mano sul fuoco"

"Are you sure this is the right way to go?" (+)"Sure, I would put my hand on the fire" (-) "I think so, but I wouldn't put my hand on the fire"

Italian Italy

cadere dal pero

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(to fall from the pear tree) • This expression is used when somebody has a sudden realisation of a fact or a negative aspect of their reality.

"È caduto dal pero quando ha saputo del loro divorzio!"

"He's fallen from the pear tree when he heard about their divorce!"

Italian Italy

piantagrane

Name USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

Troublemaker. Someone annoying, who is always objecting.

“Lui è proprio un piantagrane.” “Sì, odio lavorare con lui, crea solo problemi.”

“He really is a piantagrane.” “Yes, I hate working with him, he’s always causing problems.”

Sardinian | Sardu Logudoresu Sardinia, Italy

Colore de cane fuende

Idiom USED Frequently BY Everyone

(Running/escaping dog's colour) • Used to describe the colour of something you don't really know. Something like "sky-blue pink" in english.

-"Sa kore de sa camisa sua est?" -"Mmmh.. Colore de cane fuende!"

-"What was the color of her shirt?" -"Her shirt was the same color of a dog running. "

Italian Italy and Switzerland

per carità!

Interjection USED Very frequently BY Everyone

(for charity!) • Generally at the end of the sentence to stress that something is negative. Equivalent to "God forbid" or "hell no".

"Giovanna, ma ti piace Marco o no?" "Ma per carità!"

"Giovanna, do you or do you not like Marco?" "For God‘s sake, no!"

Latin Italy

coram populo

Expression USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Adults

(in front of the people) • Publicly, in front of a group of people.

"Non ho intenzione di parlarti così, coram populo."

"I won't talk to you like this, in front of the people."

Latin Italy

de gustibus

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(about tastes) • From the Latin phrase "de gustibus non disputandum est", meaning that tastes and preferences aren't to argue about because they're personal and not objective. It's used in Italian as a polite answer to someone liking something we don't.

"Titanic è il mio film preferito in assoluto!" "De gustibus."

"Titanic is my absolute favorite movie!" "About tastes."

Latin Italy

in vino veritas

Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Adults

(in wine (is) truth) • Used to mean that someone under the effect of alcohol is likely to voice their hidden thoughts.

"Mi dispiace per quello che ho detto. Ero ubriaco." "In vino veritas."

"I'm sorry for what I said. I was drunk." "In wine is truth."

Italian Italy

alla fin della fiera

Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone

(at the end of the fair) • It means "after all".

"Beh, alla fin della fiera oggi non ho concluso nulla."

"Well, at the end of the fair today I accomplished nothing."

Sardinian | Ogliastran Sardinia, Italy

minch'e cuaddu

Expression USED Very frequently BY Most People

(penis of a horse) • Exclamation used after receiving a surprising information.

"Oi appu comporau su pani, e m'esti costau dexi eurus." "Minch'e cuaddu!"

"Today I bought some bread and it cost me ten euros." "Penis of a horse!"

Italian Italy

madonna

Interjection USED Frequently BY Everyone

(interj.) • Interjection to express emphasis, surprise, shock, anger, excitement, etc. It can mean anything depending on the context.

"Guarda come si è vestita sexy stasera." "Madonna!" "Si è mangiato tre kebab." "Madonna!"

"Look how sexy she's dressed tonight!" "Madonna!" "He has eaten 3 kebabs!" "Madonna!"

Italian | Veneto dialects Veneto, Italy

franco

Word USED Frequently BY Everyone

(n.) • Money with a general and vague meaning. It comes from an Austrian coin on top of which was written "Franc.", which was the abbreviation of "Francesco Giuseppe".

"I m'ha ciavà do franchi."

"They have stolen money from me."