Some are fried with a piece of salt cod (baccala) inside, sort of a dumpling and served in place of bread at the traditional meatless meal of the pre-Vatican II Christmas Vigil. Tom Fusia, What about Liava Pinsirea my grandma always told me it meant get it off your head and I dont know how accurate it is but maybe someone else knows it. thats great . In Italian I would say, levati il pensiero ..lift the thought off of yourself.. Love it ! Also, reading this had made me inexplicably hungry. This will be the official hub of everything related to AmericanItalian. She didnt know that many of them werent standard English until she moved. For the ones performing professional translations from Italian to English, the specialized terms found in our dictionary are very helpful. I am in full agreement with you. In Italian: Dove sei andato? The meaning of ITALIAN is a native or inhabitant of Italy. Which is to say what do you have to say ?. I have discussed this scacciabong with the owners of the restaurant we visit. Once you've started feeling a bit comfortable in your language learning journey, it might be time to switch from an English-Italian Dictionary to an Italian-Italian one. Have yet to make the trip,but on my bucket list. . Get English translations of thousands of Italian words and example sentences from both the Global ItalianEnglish Dictionary and the Password ItalianEnglish Dictionary. Or if you cannot stand something. Linguistically, a language is a complete form of communication, but American Italianis actually an incomplete language (a pidgin language) thatneedsto be supplemented with Italian (or English or both) in order to function. That guy you speak of [that sold ga-vell] dont forget, in dialect cha is pronounced as a G, & they usually dropped the last letter(s) of the word too. Congratulations ! The term i morti di fame (those who die from hunger) is very interesting in the context of understanding our 19th and early 20th century Italian immigrant ancestors concept of social welfare. Hello Karen, I guess some of these words and phrases are just ways that Italian Americans used to hang on to their heritage. Centanni is the right spelling in Italian and it meanshundred years . Mi fa cagare literally translates to "it makes me poop.". All four grandparents from Lentini/Catania area. iPhone. She would say mr. Shpillabeek. Tuto fa-shad all messed up My grandparents were Napolitan and Calabrese. Thats how it sounded when she said it you probably have the spelling right.she would say it playfully not really sure what it means. I heard these a lot from my adoptive mom, actually my paternal grandmother, while I was growing up in the 1950s-1960s. In Boston there were Polish and Yiddish words in the mix. My opinion is that it is all beautiful!! American Italianis an Italian-American pidgin languagedeveloped in the early 20th century by Italian immigrants settling in American cities and metropolitanareas, especially in New York and New Jersey. Italian sausage n (salami) salame nm Im glad you mentioned Staten Island. shit! It was pronounced beet-ah-bahn-ya. Thanks. Sounded something like parc-a ma-zel-ea usually said after someone was being stupid. They knew nothing (other than hearsay) of what was ahead, but were convinced a better life for their family kids was across the ocean. Great job. Used in anger, it translated, Death to your family! Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2023, 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ? Anyone know anything about that? English doesnt have the gli sound, per se, but has some characteristics of English y and l, true. So we can observe frequent vowel shifting over time from [o] to [u] My mother was 100% Sicilian and she used many of these words. My mom, dad, and friends rarely spoke proper Italian, but spoke a combination of slang, dialect, corrupted []. ammazzari. http://www.localsyr.com/news/new-york-state-fair/pizze-fritte-54-year-old-new-york-state-fair-tradition. This is the official dictionary and hub of American Italian (containing the approximate spellings, meanings, etymology, and pronunciations), so it is not lost forever. Means: Where did you go? scadol. The Collins Italian Dictionary. Wouldnt know any other way. American Italian is an Italian-American pidgin language developed in the early 20th century by Italian immigrants settling in American cities and metropolitan areas, especially in New York and New Jersey. I was told many early Italian immigrants worked as laborers for contractors. But I said it in front of my mother in law once and she laughed so hard she couldnt even tell me what it really meant. This site I would rate excelllent! The official Collins English-Italian Dictionary online. Never found what that place was all about back then, but now? I remember a lot of these. I am a 1st. Thanks. Shun-gad .. a real low life I studied French, Italian and Spanish. Hmmph. Some of my grandmothers favorite phrases I am guessing at the spellings (her people came from Venice, but be different and dont be hatin just cause we come from the north-lol): Colo roto sczifoso comparable to son-of-a-bitch, literally dirty, stinking, broken, smelly ass.. You got it 100+% right, Manage a zutagil = Darn the mouse. (guarda la ciunca!) Italians from Rhode island baby. Thats the spatter that happens when youre frying bacon. Not Italian at all. Where did your fathers family come from? (They also know nothing about loyalty. One I havent been able to find is something that sounds like ma che di in modern italian. Of course I do not know the true spellings so I will try my best. As a child while eating I would be asked did you eat your chicche? Or eat your chicche!. A lot of thought and heart have gone into this website congratulations . Anyone know what that was? It offers you quick access to synonyms, pronunciation and conjugation of a word, By adding words or expressions to the online dictionaries you can position yourself as a language expert, If you don`t know a word meaning you can start a discussion on it, or ask for its Italian English translation. Each word has a history and there is no reason why a word in 2017 should have a counterpart in two dialects, especially if those words evolved from a different source. Hoping someone can help figure out what nonni was saying! Id definitely change it. ventra? Plus, you have the Chicago influence of other Italians so I think a lot of these words and phrases were influenced by the city in which these people lived. Also sha-woo-dad meant all messed up and sloppy or falling apart. Audio and video pronunciations. When searching for a word, you get as results translations from the general dictionary, and words and expressions added by users. They seemed to speak the same or similar dialects. This is the official dictionary and hub of American Italian (containing the approximate spellings, meanings, etymology, and pronunciations), so it is not lost forever. I too can confirm that in the southern or Calabrian dialect I heard the pronunciation that you described as cooloo. In many southern Italian dialects the traditional vowel o has been replaced by u, and the consonant sounds [p] [t] and [k] I used to get called ma-jah-gul-loop. [maa-ROAWN-aa-MEE-uh], menzamenz half and half (mezza mezza) [mehnz-AA-mehnz], mezzamort half-dead (mezzo morto) [METZA-moart], mortadell Italian sausage/loser (mortadella) [moart-aa-DELL], mortadafam really hungy/starving (morta da fame) [moart-aa-daa-faam], muccatori tissue (fazzoletto) [moo-kaa-TOE-ree], musciad mushy (musciata/ammosciato) [moo-SHYAAD], moosh-miauw very mushy (musciata miau) [moosh-meow], muzzarell/muzzadell Italian cheese (mozzarella) [mootz-aa-DELL], medigan non-Italian american/Italian who has lost his roots (americano) [meh-dee-GAAN], napoleedan/napuletan Neapolitan (napolitano) [naa-paa-lee-DAAN], numu fai shcumbari! Ralphie. The clearness in your post is just great and i could assume mmm maybe li surici (Italian i sorci. You pretty much summed it up but correct some of those spellings. Or as Grandma would say Whatcha want eggs in your beer?- lol sweetheart she was! I have a few questions: the only word I heard for female genitals was culiI assume they were just saying the holes down there, like culo. Anyone else grew up with that? Funny to see how similar the American Italian I heard growing up is to the Northeast version! My mother taught me to say sca shod when something was screwed up or a mess. Polish sometimes. Free word lists and quizzes to create, download and share! Marva = a plant used for a tea that cured stomach aches (do you) understand? example: official Italian scopa (broom) becomes scupa Never heard ming-ya-roll but a phrase we still use in my family is meeng-ya-moda, this refers to someone who tends to do things in a sloppy, lazy way. This was very helpful in researching words and phrases that my grandparents used. The spelling looks nothing like the pronounceation.. the spelling is correct italian 100%. First is something like ahge [AHJH] use to describe the feeling of being full (especially in your chest and throat) after eating greasy food. It offers you quick access to synonyms, pronunciation and conjugation of a word, By adding words or expressions to the online dictionaries you can position yourself as a language expert, If you don`t know a word meaning you can start a discussion on it, or ask for its English Italian translation. Live Well, Laugh Often, and Love with all your heart. Some of these are funny! I am happily married retired these days and my husband has soothed and smoothed out my worriies and my emotions now about my Mother for over 43 years God Bless Him! If you find mistakes in the spelling it is because every city in Southern Italy has its own dialect, so each person would bring a different dialect on their way to the US. (vedi la ciunca?) Only i have to say that a fess e soreta doesnt mean in your sisters face it is a bit more offensive (it means your sisters vagina to say it politely!) u Zi. CIAO e. TUTTO POSTO. So, when you say that to someone, it would mean their brain is full of water or watered down. My grandmother was 2nd generation Sicilian-American. The list and comments just made my day! Tido un cowchoelintu cooloh Standard Italian: Ti do un calcio in tuo culo. American - definition, audio pronunciation and more for American: 1. of or from America 2. a person from the United States: See more in the Cambridge English-Italian Dictionary - Cambridge Dictionary One with salami pepperoni and cheese inside (like calzone) and one with no filling, just fried with tomato sauce on top. Thanks so much and buon natale! (a fa Napoli!) Does anyone recognize this word and description, or something like it? Ming ya is Managgia in Napolidans something akin to GD it!!! I love this so much! Apparently, much of this has to do with the dialect for certain parts of the country. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. When they used to watch me when i was little, i didnt alwyas understnad them. Anyone ever hear the word spusada? Over 230,000 translations of current Italian and English. Oo vidi?. I am an Italian living in the US and this is truly fascinating! The two words are different in pronuncation and meaning in both official Italian and in southern Italian dialects. I try to always utilizethe Tuscan Italian (the official dialect on which the modern Italian language is based) as a guide to spelling, using commas for dropped vowels. no, she meant maron! Thanks so much! Back to cornuto, although it could mean unfaithful husband, in English it is Cuckhold or a man who watches his wife have sex with other men either by his own or the wifes demands. Thanks for compiling these phrases to preserve our Italian-American cultural heritage. I grew up with my grandmother and grandfather- she was from Sorrento and he was from Naples. And often very comical. It is like I want to preserve this language. [goo-yaa-ZAA-boo], gidrul stupid person (cetriolo) [jih-DROOL], haicapid do you understand? ; Note: Popularized in the 1970s by The Godfather character Santino Corleone, biangolin bleach (bianco lino) [byaan-GO-leen], bicciuridu my little boy/my little baby (piccolo bambino) [BEECH-oo-REE-doo], bisgott cookie (biscotti) [beesh-GAWT], boombots nickname for an idiot (u pazzo); Note: As in Vinnie Boombots [boom-BAATS], boxugeddu box (box per oggetti) [baax-oo-JED-oo], braggiol meat and sauce/male anatomy (bracciole) [BRAAJH-oel], brosciutt/prosciutt italian ham (prosciutto) [BRAAJH-oot]/[PRAAJH-oot], buttagots/butta gazz annoying idiot (buttana u cazzo) [boo-taa-GAATS], buttann/puttann b_tch/whore (putanna); Note: more mild than sciaquadell [boo-TAAN], calabres Calabrian (calabrese); Note: can refer to people, objects, customs, etc. Im gonna try to spell it out like you did. Oh, MaDonna! For example, a champagne brunch with fingertip sandwiches would be a mangia-cake party. Mascalzone!!! Upper class italian It means mate. I believe it meant ditzy or stupid. We grew up in Jersey, Italian American. I love this story. I know Puerto Rican, Cuban, and South American dialects. You ma-jah-gul-loop., I asked that too, lol. [d] sound. And, hey, the British make fun of us..along with the Welch, Irish, Scottish) Oh, and everyone corrected the Hebrew I was learning. (I have heard French mocking French Canadian speech. In Italy no man with honor would pimp out his wife so calling someone a cornuto or cornude is like calling a man a cunt. and i know all of those words plus others..its wonderful knowing that all those words are not getting lost.. My mom and grandparents always used to say what sounded like Yamma Jane whenever it was time to get going. Hi Ro My mother whose parents came from Sicily in the 1920s used to say aspetta (could sound like ashpeta) minuta. leave him alone! faccia tosta = brazen (literally: hard faced), My grandmother used to say faccia brut,meaning bad or ugly face .so makes sense faccia dos means 2 faced. See my website, mrsdrinkwater.com; also my article in wetheitalians.com. That there was a distinctive L sound in there. [gaa-PEESH], gaguzz muscles/idiot/money/squash (cucuzza) [gaa-GOOTS], gaguzzalonga big muscles (cucuzza lunga) [ga-GOOTS-aa-LOWN-gaa], gambarell/gambanell (door)bell (campanello) [GAMBA-rell], gavadeel italian pasta (cavatelli) [gaa-vaa-DEEL], gavone gluttonous eater (cafone) [gaa-VOAN], gettuzang/gett u sang work hard/bleed (gettare il sangue) [get-oo-ZAANG], ghiacchieron blabbermouth (chiacchierone) [gyaa-kyaa-ROAN], giambott Italian stew (giambotta) [jaam-BAUWT], giamoke/giamocc/jamoke idiot (giamope) [jaam-OAK], gomesegiam?/comesegiam?/gome se chiam how do you say?/whatchamacallit? btw my Italian Father (God Bless My Parents stayed and argued and yelled at each other for over 50 years!) Lol I didnt even know the real name till i was way too old. I grew up this Italian Way and I sing it from my Italian Heart everytime i perform at my Shows. The language of those in power is always seen as standard. You have done a fabulous job in translation of all the Italian Slang ! My grandmothers were from Sicily and Calabria. zudiccie? dissapita> sapit(a) > sabida > sabid. Its nice to hear someone speak New York again as well as Italian slang! Your questions relate to a spoken Italian dialect. Of course, none of my medigan teachers knew what I was saying! paes. I am inclined to agree with Karen. Best Italian-Italian Dictionary: Treccani. Im still not convinced that some of them arent. It is based on the Italian language,butit contains a mixture of Sicilian- and Neapolitan-inspired dialect words and phrases as well as English . Indisputably they were hard workers as a rule and the vast majority usually looked to no one to pick up the burden of feeding themselves and their families. Goocutz or googats lterally meaning small cucumber also moron. ): stinking breath. ): an owl. Eegats may derive from this, picked up because it sounded vaguely like a euphemism for the Italian, e cazzo?, as in, WTF? (Although, it sounds like Nonna was saying more like GTFOH!). There were so many English words incorporated into not only the Italian language of early immigrants but into the dialects as well. I have spent many hours thru the years trying to find the words and phrases I heard as a kid . I recently ran across an Italian whose last name is Stucatz. Shake-oo shekoo? I married into a Sicilian family in CT and recognize lots of words on the list. [vee-dee-kaa-CHOON-kaa], walyun/wayo/guaglion/guaglio young man (guaglione) [waal-YOON], uarda/warda look! It is easy to see how compare in official Italian gets repeated as goomba, the [k] sound becomes [g] and the vowel [o] becomes prounced as a [u] (written here as oo). year. My own theory is that previous generations of Calabrese speakers did not learn the word from the written form basilico. I believe the post that I was responding to originally suggested that it was a death wish, something which I believe is not correct. alzare il gomito exp. and he would swallow the pits. I stand Proud when I say that The Real italian Family way is and will always be very very Strong in my Tight Knit Family, We eat sleep and breathe Our culture still to this very day. My mom used to sing this to me when I was very little. I am now retired in lower Alabama and never hear it here. Thank you! Dont forget, the bottles had CORK stoppers in em & he would leave em @ the side door if my Grandmother would miss him. Do you see? In my house,(and being a 3rd generation Napolidan/Sicilian-American) I had always understood the word Y E O as pronounced like while-yo. I feel your pain. Thank you for your list and for all the Italian-American people who continue to utilize this way of speaking. shame on you! usually shouted as she waved a wooden spoon at us. Shuncad lol! (che peccato!) I also write travel stories. Im looking for one other phrase, something my grandfather said when he was given food that he thought lacked salt or was too bland. It made my day, as did this list! I would deffinately buy it when its ready. Im gonna make a guess on this one. I am 2nd generation Italian born in America. or the particular way you. Meaning wait some of us say Aspett for short (ahh-spet-ah/ahh-spet). Ugh.). She always said: It was the American Dream for immigrants and the American Nightmare for others. My Mothers family was from Sicily, and my Father used to tell her she was a real Sciacca Don (in reference to the part of Sicily her family came from). At school they taught us Castillan Spanish, which my teacher informed us nobody in Spain even uses anymore. Has anyone else heard this tune or did my grandfather just make up some words just to entertain his grandchildren?. [] ancestry, thanks to my beloved maternal grandmother, but most of my day to day life was filled with Italian-American words and traditions.) It would be said as a greeting while pinching someones cheek. is like = chimu ti jett u sangu = we are going to suck your blood malanova mu ti vene = bad things will happen to you! I think Im only either 3rd or 4th gen (great grandparents came over in their 20s and had my grandpa), but still hear (as well as use) these from all my family. Gumba.. like family But, I do enjoy learning more and more about Italian people and their languages and traditions. You omitted FART which I believe is: I can go on but you obviously understand what Im saying. (Sounds like madangeen). . where? It was never used a compliment. Hi Ralph, Im no longer certain whether this post is written by way of I dont know if this thread/site is still active or open, but if so, can anyone shed some light on this for me? It remains the default birthday dish in my family. My family always used pizza frit for fried dough or zeppoli or st joes cake. Its all shaquad! (At which point, one of her studentsa recent transfer from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrinasaid, Hey! My parents were laughing at how many they used to hear. [laa-SA-dih-daa], la vesa gazi swear word [laa-VAY-zaa-gaa-ZEE], ma che cozzu fai?! [gaa-PEESH], gaguzz muscles/idiot/money/squash (cucuzza) [gaa-GOOTS], gaguzzalonga big muscles (cucuzza lunga) [ga-GOOTS-aa-LOWN-gaa], gambarell/gambanell (door)bell (campanello) [GAMBA-rell], gavadeel italian pasta (cavatelli) [gaa-vaa-DEEL], gavone gluttonous eater (cafone) [gaa-VOAN], gettuzang/gett u sang work hard/bleed (gettare il sangue) [get-oo-ZAANG], ghiacchieron blabbermouth (chiacchierone) [gyaa-kyaa-ROAN], giambott Italian stew (giambotta) [jaam-BAUWT], giamoke/giamocc/jamoke idiot (giamope) [jaam-OAK], gomesegiam?/comesegiam?/gome se chiam how do you say?/whatchamacallit? Pirito: fart in the Sicilian dialect, You are all welcome. melodic. Reverso offers you the best tool for learning English, the Italian English dictionary containing commonly used words and expressions, along with thousands of Italian entries and their English translation, added in the dictionary by our users. [laa-shaa-LOO-ee], lasordida!/asodida! I used to hear as well: e chimu ti jett u sangu. Thanks for the site! My father, god rest his soul, would say gabbagul and supra sabut he was Naballidon. I havent yet read every word in the comments but I will, when I have time. watch out, youre gonna get hurt! It is common in southern Italy for the vowel o to be replaced by u and for the consonant t to be replaced by a d. In Californias 1970s San Francisco Bay Area, a lot of us, who grew up with Sicilian in the home and among our family and friends, did not know until our high school Italian class teacher informed us, that what we knew, was not Italian: for example, idda and iddu were not Italian for he (Lui) and she (Lei); piccirriddu and piccirridda were not Italian for little boy (Ragazzino) and little girl (Ragazzina); and, areri was not Italian for again (di nuovo). Unfortunately much of what I know in Italian is just curse words, lol. She didnt make it up. NO, Im not a snob, just a Bronx street guy who grew up with it and takes great pride in our Heritage. Tell me, has anyone heard the (phonetically spelled, of course) Im gonna give you beata bania! (with the n sounding like the Spanish sound) which was playfully said by my grandma, great-grandma and others (not unique to my family) when jokingly threatening a spanking or whack if we were misbehaving? Im not sure what it meant, but I know it was not a compliment! This is the Italian I grew up with! . The Street Italian was, Napuletana, Siciliana, Baresa, Calabresa dialects and slang. In some southern Italian dialects it is pronounced sudice. Hey a great fun to read. No such word as MARON. Anthony in New Jersey, Please state clearly that this is the language spoken by Italian immigrants, not Italian. Imagine a whole state where everyone appreciates pasta vazool in gravy and the joys of ravioli night, where bakeries dont close Sundays but on Mondays, where most people understand these words even with Lois Griffin accents And the office assistants pronounced your name right when you get called to the office in high school. (LogOut/ Example Clean your room, its all Brishca brolia. You are right on the money with those definitions. The first part of meen-gya-roll sounds like minchione (minchia means dick in Sicily), which is basically the same as coglione. There is no J in Italian thus the G can be either hard or soft. Its so cool that were keeping some bit of this language alive. Sorry to write so much but the phrases still echo in my head after all these years ! I know the real translation is bottle (bottiglia). go to hell! [laa-shaa-LOO-ee], lasordida!/asodida! In this dictionary, you will find tons of American Italianwords and theirItalian linguistic origins. I still pretty much remember how she said them. When Neapolitan grandfather was referring to a guy who had a high opinion of himself he would call him, Mastro Filippo ?????? May I suggest that an alternate pronunciation for provolone (especially auricchio) would be Bruva lune. It was known as a coolie in our family too, My grandmother was from Abbruza and also settled in Milford MA also yup its a coolie, could someone PLEASE help me with a saying my grandma used to say meaning ya right, ill believer it when I see it ( or tomorrow never comes) i know I am very very off on the spelling mo mo caw gaw . What the fk are you doing over there? gavone to cavone, statagitt to statazitt, etc.) There are also the zeppoli di San Giuseppe traditionally made for St Josephs Day (March 19th) which are a pastry puff filled with yellow cream and cherries, I was trying to find the spelling for cool-couli (cold ass), One that also comes to mind is Brishca brolia meaing a meal made from leftovers usually bound by eggs (sort of a garbage omlette) or to mean anythingb that was all mixed up. It would be la matriciana but They also drop the last vowel in a word thus a Beetz They also drop the g in a word with gu guaglione is waglio guapo becomes wapo thus the slur Wop Dont know why but it is. Send an e-mail my way! Alot of Gabbagul was taken from American and italianized. My father use to say to me there are two types of people in this world, Italians and those who want to be. ACIDOAH-CHEE-DOE=ACID STOMACH Somaterita Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. They would say to their friend, a faccia tu, or a fessa da sorida, which meant your face or your sisters face. Do you want to work for the United Nations or something? I did get into the class, but decided to drop it because my class was full of Snookis and I didnt want to have to deal with that. (ma che cosa questo?) Does anyone know? alot of the spelling is wrong. my mom and i were laughing about it macaroni stoppa water gawahead. used to say when he got updet was mannaggia dial .. Just Enjoy! (awundi ciunca?) One thing to keep in mind is that there are at least three origins of the Italian language; the proper Italian, dialect specific to each region/municipality, and the bastardization of dialect we usually call Italian-American; which is the subject of this thread. | Privacy Settings. Ciao Linda: Im originally for East Boston. i bebe mangia chicche chicchie (chicky chicky?) I love seeing these..i actually taught my kids and my relative from Italy said I wasnt teaching him the right way!!!!!! ), i-malano-miau! No he is not full blood Italian American 2nd generation like me he is Scotch Irish! I grew up in that ny nj area and speaka da gabagool italian! American: [noun] an American Indian of North America or South America. 1st Gen Italian from Providence, RI. If a word has unknown origins or a pronunciation that is difficult to spell in the Italian language, I willspell it phonetically using English as a guide. I try to always utilizethe Tuscan Italian (the official dialect on which the modern Italian language is based) as a guide to spelling, using commas for dropped vowels. However, spusada, which is what the first post was all about, evolves from official Italian sposata > spusata > spusada (Ital. testaduda, hard headed = my Northern Italian mom used to say capa tosta, which, in the Southern dialects, comes out as gabbadost. She also used another capa expressioncapa fresca, a cool head, only she meant it more as fresh (as in impudent) head. I heard Tony Soprano refer to someone on that show as being a gabbavrischia inma situation where my mother would have said her version of the expression, and so I assume thats a Southern pronunciation. It can refer to someone who is a hard working person, such as Father is working so hard that he is sweating blood (getta lo sangue) to support the family. You have words using the letter K in it. There are no standard or unique ways to spell, etc. She has also said rome-bo-TONE-oh a couple of times, but if Id repeat that one especially, shes get mad and say shut up, that is a really bad word, so seems she didnt use sexual terms, or did she? Standard Italian would have been fogasse or foccacia. Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2023, 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ?