Favorite Italian saying?
Mar 1st, 2007, 07:09 PM
#42
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,258
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Last summer in Italy, we took a 2 hour course with an Italian linguistics professor.
He told us that the Italian culture is based on poetry and art and their language was created based on similar ideals.
America's culture is based on business and efficiency, so our language tends to be direct and to the point.
This insight makes perfect sense to me and explains why I find the Italian language to be so beautiful.
He told us that the Italian culture is based on poetry and art and their language was created based on similar ideals.
America's culture is based on business and efficiency, so our language tends to be direct and to the point.
This insight makes perfect sense to me and explains why I find the Italian language to be so beautiful.
Mar 2nd, 2007, 10:18 AM
#47
In our family, my mom bounces a baby on her knee singing:
Nin-ga Nin-ga Na, pesce fritte bacala!
No sure on the spelling, but fun.
My mom also likes to say: No better than a dog. Not sure on the Italian, something with cane. She uses it when people treat others badly.
MY
Nin-ga Nin-ga Na, pesce fritte bacala!
No sure on the spelling, but fun.
My mom also likes to say: No better than a dog. Not sure on the Italian, something with cane. She uses it when people treat others badly.
MY
Mar 2nd, 2007, 11:16 AM
#48
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,513
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"cin, cin" reminds me of a story told by an Italian colleague. He was in Japan with business colleagues. When they said “Kampai” he said that in his country the term used was cin cin – this was met with dead silence – it was only later in the evening that he was told that “cin cin” in Japanese is referring to a certain part of the anatomy of a baby boy. Love that story.
Mar 2nd, 2007, 11:46 AM
#50
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Marrone, if I'm not mistaken, is not to be confused with Madonna. It's the equivalent of "marron" in French, which essentially means nuts, crazy, funny....like pazzo, but with an element of humor
sandi: prendere due pigioni con una fava is the Italian equivalent of kill two birds with one stone
sandi: prendere due pigioni con una fava is the Italian equivalent of kill two birds with one stone
Mar 2nd, 2007, 02:46 PM
#52
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,510
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just a guess but marrone could also be a euphemism for something stronger, such as madonna.
Euphemism is as prevalent in Italian as in English, I believe.
EG: "Che cavalo fai?" for "Che cazzo fai?" (NOTE: Cavalo, not cavallo, which means horse)
In other words, "What the heck are you doing?" for "What the f--- are you doing?"
Euphemism is as prevalent in Italian as in English, I believe.
EG: "Che cavalo fai?" for "Che cazzo fai?" (NOTE: Cavalo, not cavallo, which means horse)
In other words, "What the heck are you doing?" for "What the f--- are you doing?"
Mar 2nd, 2007, 03:00 PM
#53
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,040
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My southern Italian family always used the expression "marron," however, it was spoken in their dialect.
The person speaking would usually accompany the spoken word with a hand slap to their own forehead or one of their arms flung out from their body, as in an exasperated gesture.
No one in our family EVER thought it was said in humour. As kids, I think we all ran!
The person speaking would usually accompany the spoken word with a hand slap to their own forehead or one of their arms flung out from their body, as in an exasperated gesture.
No one in our family EVER thought it was said in humour. As kids, I think we all ran!
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
longboatkey
Europe
4
Mar 3rd, 2008 08:45 PM
