2 Parola del Giorno Words (2) (Checked & Verified) Flashcards

Question

Scusarsi (2) (verbo riflessivo)

Answer 1

→ to apologise, to say sorry Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb “scusarsi”, which means “to apologise” or “to say sorry”. The past participle is “scusato”. As a reflexive verb, “essere” is used in compound tenses. Remember that past participles agree in gender and number with the subject when “essere” is helping verb. With this useful verb, take note of how prepositions follow it are used: 3 Scusarsi di aver fatto, scusarsi per aver fatto → to apologise for doing something a. Mamma, mi scuso DI non aver sistemato la mia stanza da letto. o Mamma, mi scuso PER non aver sistemato la mia stanza da letto. → Mom, I apologise for not tidying up my bedroom.

Answer 2

→ to nip [something] in the bud Today’s Parole del giorno is the expression “stroncare sul nascere [qualcosa]”, which means “to nip [something] in the bud”. “To nip something in the bud” means to stop something as soon as it starts, typically something unwanted or problematic. a. Dopo tutte le denunce dai cittadini in zona, la polizia ha subito stroncato sul nascere la criminalità che sviluppava. → After all the complaints from citizen’s in the neighbourhood, the police immediately nipped the crime in the bud that was developing.

Answer 3

→ Maybe; Perhaps Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, “Può darsi”, which means “maybe” or “perhaps”. a. Marco: Scusami, voglio accompagnare i bambini a scuola. Ti trovo quando ritorno a casa? Cara: Può darsi. → Marco: Excuse me, I want to accompany the children to school. Will I find you when I return home? → Cara: Maybe.

Answer 4

→ bystander, passerby; passing shot (in the context of tennis) Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun “il/la passante”, which can mean “bystander” or “passerby”. The English plural for “passerby” is “passersby”. It can also mean “passing shot” in the context of tennis. a. Marco è un giornalista e lavora per La Repubblica. Qualche volta va in giro, intervista i passanti e spesso registra i loro commenti per i suoi articoli. → Marco is a journalist and works for La Repubblica. Sometimes he goes around, interviews passersby, and often records their comments for his articles.

Answer 5

→ to pay one's dues; to cut one's teeth Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression, “fare la gavetta”, which means “to pay one's dues” or “to cut one's teeth”. This expression is used to describe how a person must slog it out at the bottom of the ladder first before progressing to bigger and better things. Literally, the “gavetta” is the mess tin that soldiers would eat their mess rations from. My guess is making this tin was one of the lowest forms of work that was likely doled out to the newest arrivals who had the least amount of training or were not suitable for more prestigious combat roles. a. Per molti giovani laureati, il primo passo nel mondo del lavoro consiste nel fare la gavetta: si comincia dal basso per imparare il lavoro e fare conoscenze utili per il futuro. → For many young graduates, the first step in the working world is paying one's dues: it starts from the bottom by learning the job and acquiring useful knowledge for the future.

Answer 6

→ kitten Today’s Parola del giorno is the noun “il gattino”, which means “kitten”. I’m sure many of you know the word for kitten, but I wanted to share a picture of a little kitten I adopted by chance recently. While staying with family, we discovered her living under my car. When we’d go to find her, she seemed to mysteriously disappear. Being so small, we weren’t sure how she could get away from us so quickly. We discovered she was living under the hood next to some of the engine components. We couldn’t get our hand inside to get her out, so she had to come out of her own accord. We bought a humane trap, put some food in it, and less than an hour after setting it up, she came out of the car to eat…and the trap was sprung. We moved her into the house, gave her a bath, and she had her first visit (la visita¹) at the veterinarian’s (dal/dalla) veterinario/a) yesterday. She’s doing well, she’s very playful, and she purrs (fare le fusa) a lot. We thought the cat was male (maschio), but the veterinarian said it is a female (femmina).² We named her Eggbert(ine) (it’s a long story). 1 Italian uses the noun "la visita" to describe visits or appointments with doctors/medical professionals. To say you are visiting someone, use "andare/venire a trovare qualcuno". 2 "Maschio" and "femmina" refer to the sex of animals. "Maschile" and "femminile" means masculine and feminine, respectively, when talking about grammar. If you are talking about general qualities typical of men or women, use "masculino", which means "masculine", or "femminile", which means "feminine".

Answer 7

→ to reproach, to rebuke someone Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb “apostrofare”, which means "to reproach" or "to rebuke someone". The past participle is “apostrofato”. “Avere” is used in compound tenses. When conjugated in the Present Tense, the stress is on the first “o”: apostrofo, apostrofi, apostrofa…apostrofano. a. Ieri alla conferenza stampa il ministro Brunetta ha apostrofato i dipendenti pubblici come "fannulloni". È stata davvero un'uscita poco felice! → Yesterday at the press conference Minister Brunetta rebuked public employees as "slouches". It was really an ill-chosen remark!

Answer 8

→ bulletin board Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun “la bacheca”, which means “bulletin board”. When Facebook first debuted, the place where people shared photos and updates was a called a wall, a virtual bulletin board where users posted updates to their status along with pictures and later videos. a. Odio la bacheca di Marco perché usa Facebook solo per giocare: Farmville, Cafe World, Cityville. La sua pagina non è molto interessante e non mi piace vedere questi aggiornamenti fra gli stati. → I hate Marco's wall because he uses Facebook only for playing games: Farmville, Cafe World, Cityville. His page is not very interesting, and I don't like to see these updates among the statuses. Of course, Facebook has changed a lot over the last decade!

Answer 9

→ a token Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun, “il gettone”, which can mean “a token”. A token often resembles a coin and is purchased to use in games (at the arcade (la sala giochi) or funfairs/amusement parks (i luna park), public transport, etc. a. Alla sala giochi ho cambiato 4 euro in gettoni e ora possiamo fare otto partite a biliardino! Le vincerò tutte!! → At the arcade I changed 4 euro for tokens, and now we can play eight games of pinball! I will win them all!

Answer 10

→ to listen to reason Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression “sentire ragioni”, which means “to listen to reason”. a. Simona non vuole sentire ragioni. Ha deciso di andare in vacanza in Sardegna e non vuole ascoltare le proposte degli altri. Non so però se gli altri l’accontenteranno. → Simona doesn't want to listen to reason. She decided to go on vacation in Sardinia and doesn't want to listen to anyone else's proposals. But I don't know if the others will be pleased.

Answer 11

→ to be hard up (for money), to be penniless. Today's Parola del giorno is the verb expression “essere/stare al verde”, which means “to be hard up (for money)” or “to be penniless”. “Essere” and “stare” both take “essere” in compound tenses. “Stato” is the past participle for both. a. Non ho potuto fare alcun regalo a Giovanni perché ultimamente sto al verde. → I wasn't able to give Giovanni any gift because lately I'm hard up for money.

Answer 12

→ according to Today's Parola del Giorno is the prepositional phrase “a detta di”, which means “according to”. a. A detta di Giorgio il suo insegnante d'inglese non è così preparato come sembra. → According to Giorgio, his English teacher is not as prepared as he seems. You can also use the possessive adjectives with “a detta”, as well: a. A detta sua il suo insegnate d’inglese non non è così preparato come sembra. → According to him,¹ his English teacher is not as prepared as he seems. 1 Whether it is “him” or “her” depends on the context and the person in question. In this case, we are referring to Giorgio from the first example.

Answer 13

→ cluttered (with), piled (with) Today's Parola del Giorno is the adjective, “ingombro (di)”, which means “cluttered (with)” or “piled (with)”. a. Madonna! Questa strada è orribile! È ingombra di buche e mi preoccupo che la macchina si possa danneggiare. → Good heavens! This street is horrible! It is cluttered with pot holes, and I am worried that the car could become damaged.

Answer 14

→ to be a great cook Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, “cucinare da Dio”, which means “to be a great cook”. You can also use the expression “da Dio” as a modifier with other verbs to say that you or someone else does something in an exceptional or “divine” manner. a. Mamma Luisa cucina da Dio -- ogni piatto che prepara mi lascia soddisfatto. → Mamma Luisa is a great cook - every plate that she prepares leaves me satisfied.

Answer 15

→ rude or ill-mannered Today's Parola del Giorno is the adjective “screanzato”, which means “rude” or “ill-mannered”. “Screanzato” is derived from the Italian noun “la creanza”, which means “good manners” or “politeness”. a. C’è un ragazzo screanzato che si ubriaca e prende sempre a male parole le persone nel parcheggio del centro commerciale, prima o poi troverà qualcuno che si arrabbia seriamente! → There's a rude kid who gets drunk and always insults people in the parking lot of the mall, and sooner or later he will come across someone who will get seriously angry!

Answer 16

→ to scream, to screech, to yell. Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb, “strillare”, which means “to scream”, “to screech” or to “yell”. The verb takes “avere” in compound tenses; the past participle is “strillato”. Like many Italian words (but not all), “strillare” comes from the Latin word “stridulare”. a. Ogni week end i vicini organizzano una festa e non fanno altro che strillare fino a tarda notte. Non ne posso più! Vorrei poter dormire in santa pace. → Every weekend the neighbours organise a party, and they don't do anything other than yell until late into the night. I've had it! I would like to be able to sleep in peace and quiet.

Answer 17

→ to come into force; to come into effect Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression “entrare in vigore”, which means “to come into force” or “to come into effect”. It is usually used to describe a new law or proclamation that has come into force. a. Ieri è entrata in vigore una legge che vieta a chi ha meno di 14 anni di entrare nei locali dopo una certa ora. Penso che sia una buona legge, ci voleva proprio. → Yesterday a law came into effect that prohibits those under 14 years old from entering clubs after a certain hour. I think this is a good law that was really needed.

Answer 18

→ smart Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression, “in gamba”, which can mean “smart”. a. Mario è davvero un tipo in gamba! Riesce sempre a trovare le giuste soluzioni per ogni problema che ha! → Mario is a really smart guy. He is always able to find the right solutions for every problem that he has!

Answer 19

→ to have no obligations, (more colloquially) to not be chained/tied down Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression “non avere vincoli”, which means “to have no obligations” or, more colloquially, “to not be chained/tied down”. You'll hear it a lot in the negative when people say that they do not like having obligations (non mi piace avere vincoli). These obligations can be personal or professional. You may often hear this expression regarding subscriptions and offers, which this article discusses. a. Dopo cinque tristi anni passati insieme a Lucio, adesso sono molto felice della mia nuova vita da single. Che bello uscire senza dare spiegazioni e fare come voglio! Non ho vincoli, faccio come voglio io! → After five sad years spent together with Lucio, I am now very happy with my new single life. How wonderful is it that I can go out without explaining myself and doing as I please! I am not chained down, and I do what I want!

Answer 20

→ a legend, a mythical person Today’s Parola del giorno is the noun expression “il mostro sacro”, which means “legend” or “mythical person”. It is usually used to described someone who has accomplished monumental things in their career or lifetime. I stumbled upon this expression while reading Il Messaggero and saw the expression used in announcing the passing of the French cinema icon Jean-Louis Trintignant. You can also see it used to describe the tennis player Novak Djokovic, which discusses the upcoming grass court season in tennis.

Answer 21

→ a gulf, a bay Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun “il golfo”, which means “gulf” or “bay”. One of the most striking things about Napoli is the beautiful gulf of Naples. When I was in Naples, I stayed at a small bed and breakfast that looked right out onto the bay. I suggest staying as close to the water as you can so that you can wake up to that amazing view! a. Se ti trovi a Napoli, vai a Castel Sant'Elmo: da lì puoi godere della bellezza mozzafiato del Golfo di Napoli. È stupendo! → If you find yourself in Naples, go to the Castel Sant'Elmo: from there you can enjoy the breathtakingly beautiful Bay of Naples. It is splendid!

Answer 22

→ a fried rice croquette that can have a variety of ingredients and is a typical Roman street food Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun “il supplì”. A “supplì” is a fried rice croquette that can have a variety of ingredients and is a typical Roman street food. You can find these delicious treats all over Rome, and they are a great snack for a quick lunch while you are visiting the eternal city! Note that this noun is invariable (i supplì). a. Il piatto romano preferito dei miei cugini canadesi sono i supplì. Impazziscono per quelle polpette fritte e ripiene di riso al pomodoro e mozzarella filante! → Supplì are my Canadian cousins' favorite Roman dish. They go crazy for those fried balls filled with rice, tomato and stringy mozzarella!

Answer 23

→ to take up a collection (as if often done in churches and by charities in order to help those in need) Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression “fare la colletta, which means “to take up a collection”, as if often done in churches and by charities in order to help those in need. The word comes from the Latin “collecta”, which means “collection”. a. L'altra sera i parrocchiani hanno fatto la colletta per un barbone che non mangiava da diversi giorni. → The other evening the congregation took up a collection for a homeless man who had not been eating for several days.

Answer 24

→ to stand (someone), to tolerate/to put up with [someone] Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb “sopportare (qualcuno)”, which means to stand (someone), as in to tolerate/to put up with [someone]. You can also use this verb to talk about things, too, such as the heat. Don't confuse this verb with “supportare”, which means “to support” or “to back”. What a difference a single letter can make! a. Non siamo sicuri di volere andare alla festa di fine anno perché ci saranno anche quei colleghi antipatici che non sopportiamo. → We are not sure that we want to go to the end of the year party because there will also be some unpleasant colleagues that we can't stand.

Answer 25

→ to (not) be for someone. Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression “(non) fare per + qualcuno”, which means “to (not) be for someone”. When someone is or is not for something, what we are really saying is that someone is not suited for a particular thing. For example, if you get stressed out easily when flying (like me), you might say "Long flights to far-away destinations are not for me." a. La mia ragazza parla sempre di andare a vivere in campagna fra gli animali e la natura una volta sposati, ma vivere fuori città proprio non fa per me . → My girlfriend always talk about going to live in the country among the animals and nature once married, but living outside the city really is not for me .

Answer 26

→ to make oneself see things Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression “fare venire le traveggole”, which means “to make oneself see things”. “Le traveggole” is only used in verb expressions and almost never on its own. It comes from the verb “travedere”, which means “to deceive oneself by seeing something that is not there”. “Le traveggole”, then, would be those things we think we see but are not really there. The expression “avere le traveggole” means “to be seeing things”. a. Ieri notte mia nonna si è svegliata e ha gridato all'improvviso come se qualcuno la stesse accoltellando! Ha svegliato tutta la casa e, quando le abbiamo chiesto perché gridasse, ha risposto che pensava di aver visto un fantasma. “Quel film dell’orrore ti ha fatto venire le traveggole ! I fantasmi non esistono!” l'ha sgridata mio padre. “Torna a letto, mamma!" → Yesterday night my grandmother woke up and suddenly screamed as if someone were stabbing her! She woke up the entire house, and, when we asked her why she was yelling, she said she thought she had seen a ghost. "That horror movie made you see things! Ghosts don't exist!" my father yelled at her. "Return to bed, mom!"

Answer 27

→ a report card Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun “la pagella”, which means “report card”. A report card lists your final grades for each of your classes. In many schools in Italy, report cards are published online, and parents are able to log on and see their child's grades. a. Teresa aveva paura per la sua amica Annalisa che ha ricevuto tre voti bassi! Quando i suoi vedranno la pagella …! Purtroppo non è più possibile nascondere la pagella ai genitori. Adesso la segreteria del liceo mette tutte le pagelle online e i genitori si collegano ad internet per vederle. → Teresa was scared for her friend Annalisa who got three low grades! When her parents see her report card ...! Unfortunately, it is not possible anymore to hide the report card from your parents. Now the school's secretary puts all of the report cards online, and parents log on to see them.

Answer 28

→ to get/grow dark(er) Today's Parola del Giorno is the weather verb “imbrunire”, which means “to get/grow dark(er)”. This “-ire” verb is also an “-isc-“ verb. Remember that verbs that describe the weather are used only in the third person (la terza persona )! a. Dopo l'estate, le giornate si accorciano velocemente e ogni giorno imbrunisce sempre prima del precedente. Che tristezza! → After the summer is over, the days get shorter quickly, and every day always gets darker than the one before it. How sad!

Answer 29

→ to paint the town red; to have a good time. Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression “fare baldòria”, which means “to paint the town red” or “to have a good time”. La baldòria - for those who like to know where Italian words originate - is from the old French word “baud” or “baudoire”, which means “joyous.” It usually refers to lots of revelry and merrymaking! a. Ieri notte non ho dormito molto: gli inquilini del piano di sopra hanno fatto baldoria fino alle tre. Non lo sanno che la gente lavora durante la settimana? → Yesterday night I didn't sleep much: the tenants upstairs painted the town red until three in the morning. Don't they know that people work during the week?

Answer 30

→ to boil Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb, “lessare”, which means “to boil”. You will often see this verb used in recipe instructions! Its past participle is “lessato”. a. Nella ricetta della pasta al forno, la pasta non deve essere lessata per tutto il tempo di cottura indicato sulla confezione, ma solo per metà del tempo. Finirà di cuocersi nel forno. → In the recipe for pasta al forno, the pasta should not be boiled for the entire cooking time indicated on the package but only for half the time. It will finish cooking in the oven.

Answer 31

→ to indulge oneself, to satisfy one's whims Today's Parola del Giorno is the pronominal verb “sbizzarrirsi”, which means “to indulge oneself” or “to satisfy one's whims”. With the preposition “a + infinito”, the expression can mean to have a great time doing something.¹ “Sbizzarrirsi” is also an “-isc-“ verb. The past participle is “sbizzarrito”. “Essere” is used in compound tenses. a. Via Condotti è piena di negozi d'alta moda e gioiellerie in cui è possibile sbizzarrirsi alla ricerca del capo o del gioiello più elegante e sofisticato. Ovviamente bisogna avere ingenti disponibilità economiche per potervi fare acquisti! → Via Condotti is full of high end shops and jewelry stores where it is possible to indulge oneself in search of the most elegant and sophisticated item or piece of jewelry. Obviously, one needs to have huge financial means to be able to go shopping there. 1 In our example, we might also say that “tante persone si sbizzarriscono a fare shopping in Via Condotti!” (“many people have a great time shopping in Via Condotti!”).

Answer 32

→ Like father, like son Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression “Tale padre, tale figlio”, which means “Like father, like son”. You can also substitute “father” for “mother”, and “son” for “daughter”, too! a. Io adoro il calcio, proprio come mio padre. Proprio come faceva lui, vado allo stadio tutte le domeniche e, quando posso, vado pure alle trasferte. Tale padre, tale figlio! → I adore soccer, just like my father. Just like he used to do, I go to the stadium each and every Sunday, and, when I can, I even go to the away games. Like father, like son!

Answer 33

→ preview Today's Parola del Giorno is the feminine noun, “l'anteprima”, which means “preview”. This refers to the kind of preview at the movies or perhaps an upcoming book. a. Il mio amico, Davide, ha visto l'anteprima del nuovo film di James Cameron e non n'è rimasto soddisfatto! → My friend, David, saw the preview of the new James Cameron film, and he didn't like it.

Answer 34

→ watery, thin Today's Parola del Giorno is the adjective “brodoso”, which means “watery” or “thin”. It is used to describe something that is too liquid. a. Non mi è piaciuto il risotto di Franco: era troppo brodoso, sembrava più una minestra che un risotto! → I didn't like Franco's risotto: it was too watery, and it seemed more like a soup than a risotto!

Answer 35

→ interfering, nosy, intrusive Today’s Parola del giorno is the adjective “invadente”, which can mean “interfering”, “nosy”, or “intrusive”. a. "Se la suocera è invadente il matrimonio può essere annullato. Era stata dichiarata la nullità del matrimonio celebrato nel 1998 tra un uomo di Ravello ed una giovane di Amalfi. Motivo del divorzio: la madre della sposa non avrebbe dovuto interferire nella vita coniugale."¹ → "If the mother-in-law is intrusive, the marriage can be annulled. In 1989, a marriage conducted in 1998 between a man from Ravello and a young woman from Amalfi was declared invalid. The reason for the divorce? The mother of the bride should not have interfered in their married life.” 1 See this news story from 2008 about just such a case: https://www.positanonews.it/2008/11/ravello-suocera-invadente-matrimonio-annullato-caso-nazionale-il-video/94841/

Answer 36

→ a scarecrow Today's Parola del Giorno is the invariable noun “lo spaventapasseri”, which means “scarecrow”. a. Povero Fabio! Ogni mattina alle 5:30 un uccello cinguetta e non lo lascia dormire!! Gli ho proposto, scherzando, di comprarsi una pistola. Lui però ha scelto un modo più pacifico e meno sanguinolento per porre fine al problema: usare uno spaventapasseri. → Poor Fabio! Every morning at 5:30 a bird chirps and doesn't let him sleep!! I jokingly proposed to him that he should get himself a gun. But he chose a more pacifist and less bloody way of putting an end to the problem: using a scarecrow.

Answer 37

→ to tell someone off Today's Parola del Giorno is the idiomatic expression “dirne quattro [a qualcuno]”, which means “to tell someone off”. I love this expression for a number of reasons! Most of all, there’s a lot of grammar happening in just these four words. First, pay attention to the word “ne” (I’ll have some grammar on this little particle the week after next, too)! Second, in the compound past tenses, “detto” is used in its plural form because of the “ne” and “quattro” (see below). a. L’altro giorno ho visto mia zia in un negozio di scarpe e la commessa urlarle contro perché mia zia non riusciva a decidere quale scarpe comprare. Sono entrato al negozio e ne ho dette quattro alla commessa. Non sopporto quel tipo di comportamento! → The other day I saw my aunt in a show store and saw the saleswoman shouting at her because my aunt wasn't able to decide which shoes to buy. I entered the store and told off the saleswoman. I cannot stand that kind of behaviour!

Answer 38

→ blind Today's Parola del Giorno is the adjective “daltonico”, which means “colour blind”. a. Mio padre è daltonico, non riesce a distinguere i colori delle calze senza chiedere a mia madre prima. Una volta è uscito da casa con le calze di due colori diversi. → My father is color blind and is not able to distinguish the colors of his socks without asking my mother first. One time he went out with two different colored socks.

Answer 39

→ A trouble shared is a trouble halved Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “Mal comune mezzo gaudi, which means “A trouble shared is a trouble halved”. It is used to refer to situations that are a bit difficult but can better endured together rather than on one’s own. a. Mio fratello era disperato perché non riusciva a montare il mobile nuovo che aveva comprato, io combattevo con il tagliaerba che non si voleva accendere. “Sai che c’è? Lasciamo tutto e andiamocene a cena! Mal comune mezzo gaudio, ci occuperemo di questi problemi domani!” mi disse. → My brother was desperate because he couldn’t put the new furniture together he had bought, and I was fighting with the mower that wouldn’t turn on. “You know what? Let’s drop everything and let’s head out to dinner! A trouble shared is a trouble halved, we’ll deal with all these problems tomorrow!” he said.

Answer 40

→ all at once, altogether Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “in una volta”, which means “all at once” or “altogether”. a. La mia ragazza non è organizzata per niente! Stiamo per cambiare casa e vuole fare tutto in una volta invece di pianificare questo trasloco. Le ho detto di avere pazienza: non possiamo mettere tutto dentro il camion allo stesso tempo senza un piano! → My girlfriend is not organized at all! We are about to move, and she wants to do everything all at once instead of planning this move. I told her to be patient: we can’t put everything inside the truck at the same time without a plan!

Answer 41

→ holly Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun “l’agrifoglio”, which means “holly”. Holly is a traditional Christmas decoration. Its green, prickly leaves and red berries complement the “colours” of Christmas quite well! Where can you find holly? You’ll often see it in wreaths or on Christmas trees or attached to doors and bannisters! a. Quest’anno abbiamo decorato l’albero inserendo alcuni rami di agrifoglio: sono molto belli, con quelle foglie verde intenso e quelle bacche rosse. → This year we decorated the tree by inserting some springs of holly: they are very beautiful with those intense green leaves and those red berries.

Answer 42

→ a kiss under the mistletoe Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “un bacio sotto il vischi, which means “a kiss under the mistletoe”. It is a Christmas tradition in many Western cultures (if it is a tradition elsewhere, please leave a comment – I’d love to learn more about it) that when someone is under the mistletoe, they are due for a kiss. The plant is highly poisonous and usually you only find plastic or acrylic varieties, but you can sometimes find fresh sprigs of mistletoe available online and from some florists! a. La coppia di innamorati si fermò sotto la decorazione natalizia e si baciò sotto il vischio, per rafforzare il proprio amore. → The loverbirds stopped under the Christmas decoration and kissed each other under the mistletoe to strengthen their love.

Answer 43

→ countdown Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “il conto alla rovescia”, which means “countdown”. a. La cosa che mi piace di più del Capodanno è il conto alla rovescia: ogni secondo che ci avvicina alla mezzanotte mi mette di buonumore e mi riempie il cuore di speranza per il nuovo anno! → The thing I like most about New Year’s is the countdown: every second that brings us closer to midnight puts me in a good mood, and it fills my heart with hope for the new year!

Answer 44

→ lentils (sing. la lenticchia) Today’s Parola del Giorno is the plural noun “le lenticchie” (sing. la lenticchia), which means “lentils”. Did you know that eating lentils on New Year’s Eve is meant to bring you money and riches in the new year? This is presumably because the small little lentils look like coins! a. In Italia, per il cenone del 31 dicembre è tradizione mangiare lenticchie: la loro forma ricorda simbolicamente delle monete. Le mangiamo come augurio che l’anno che sta per arrivare ci porti soldi e ricchezza. → In Italy for New Year’s Eve dinner it is tradition to eat lentils: their form symbolically resembles coins. We eat them to herald in the year that is about to arrive to bring us money and riches.

Answer 45

→ New Year’s resolutions Buon Anno a tutti! I hope that everyone had a pleasant and enjoyable New Year’s Eve! Today’s Parola del Giorno completes our theme for the week and is the expression “i buoni propositi”, which means “New Year’s resolutions”. a. Ogni anno, per Capodanno, faccio sempre gli stessi buoni propositi: mangiare in maniera più sana, andare in palestra, essere più disponibile con gli altri ma alla fine non li rispetto mai. Che fallimento! → Every year at New Years I always make the same resolutions: to eat healthy, to go to the gym, to be more available to others, but in the end I never honor them. What a failure!

Answer 46

→ to get the flu Ciao a tutti e Buon Anno! Hi everyone and Happy New Year! Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “beccarsi l’influenza”, which means “to get the flu”. a. Ti ricordi quando l’anno scorso Luigi si beccò l’influenza il 31 dicembre e dovette annullare il suo viaggio in Thailandia? Poverino! → Do you remember when Luigi got the flu last year on December 31st, and you had to cancel your trip to Thailand? You poor thing!

Answer 47

→ chilled, numb Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective “intirizzito”, which means “chilled” or “numb”. This is a useful adjective for people who live in the Northern Hemisphere where winter is in full swing: a. Brrr! Che freddo! Ho le mani e i piedi completamente intirizziti! → Brrr! It’s cold out! My hands and feet are totally numb!

Answer 48

→ to work hard, to toil away Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “sgobbare”, which means “to work hard” or “to toil away”. When referring to studying, it can mean “to cram” to refer to someone who is always hitting the books. This verb is derived from the Italian noun “la gobba”, which means “hunchback” and alludes to the way that one might feel or be physically are toiling hard at a difficult job or task. a. Questo nuovo lavoro è davvero duro: sgobbo dalla mattina alla sera per pochi soldi e in più devo anche subire le cattiverie dei colleghi. Non durerò molto. → This new job is really difficult: I work hard from the morning to the evenings for little money, and more importantly I also have to put up with my coworker’s nastiness. I will not last long.

Answer 49

→ to be subject to a delay; to be delayed Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “subire un ritardo”, which means “to be subject to a delay” or “to be delayed”. a. A causa della forte nevicata, il treno Milano-Roma ha subito un ritardo di un’ora. Non arriveremo mai in tempo con questo ritardo! → Because of the heavy snow, the Milano-Roma train has been delayed an hour. We will probably never arrive in time with this delay!

Answer 50

→ to restore or to refresh (when talking about computers and electronic devices) Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “ripristinare”, which means “to restore” or “to refresh” when talking about computers and electronic devices. You will also see this verb used when a train or metro line stops working and, after an hour or two or more, the service is restored. a. Ieri un virus mi ha mandato in tilt il computer. Stamattina ho dovuto portarlo dal tecnico, il quale fortunatamente me lo ha ripristinato in meno di un’ora. → Yesterday, a virus broke my computer. This morning I had to bring it to the technician who luckily restored it for me in less than an hour.

Answer 51

→ a drop, a fall, a decrease Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun “il calo”, which means “a drop”, “a fall” or “a decrease”. You will often see this noun used in newspapers and hear it on the nightly TV news shows when describing the economy (l’economia) or the stock market (la Borsa). a. Da quando il nostro manager si è licenziato, c’è stato un calo nelle vendite della nostra compagnia. Il capo è disperato perché non riesce a trovare nessuno che sia bravo come lui in quel lavoro. → Since our manager resigned, there has been a drop in our company’s sales. The boss is desperate because he can’t find anyone who is as capable as he was in that job.

Answer 52

→ to untangle, to disentangle Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “sbrogliare”, which means “to untangle” or “to disentangle”. a. Perché devo passare dieci minuti a sbrogliare le corde dei miei auricolari! Quando finisco di farlo, ho perso la voglia di ascoltare la mia musica. → Why do I have to spend ten minutes untangling the cords of my earbuds! When I finish doing it, I lost the desire to listen to my music.

Answer 53

→ cigarette butt Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun “il mozzicone” (or “la cicca”), which means "cigarette butt". Rome recently passed a law making it illegal to toss your cigarette butts on the ground. We will have to see what kind of enforcement this new law will receive. In the meantime, see the noun used below: a. Sapevi che dal 2 febbraio sono in arrivo multe per chi butta a terra i mozziconi (le cicche) di sigaretta a Roma? Forse adesso vedremo una città più rispettata e pulita! → Did you know that from February 2 there will be fines for those who toss their cigarette butts on the ground in Rome? Perhaps now we will see a city that is more respected and cleaner!

Answer 54

→ an election poll Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun “il sondaggio”, which means “poll”. Election and primary season is here in the United States, and you will see this word in Italian papers and news program as they report on the political happenings in the United States! It is a useful word to know for Italian politics, too! a. Chi vincerà le elezioni? Trump? La Clinton? È impossible fidarsi dei sondaggi quando arrivano a conclusioni diverse! → Who will win the election? Trump? Clinton? It is impossible to trust some polls when they come to different conclusions!

Answer 55

→ to fall (in)to temptation Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression “cadére in tentazione”, which means “to fall (in)to temptation”. a. Maria è ossessiva con la sua dieta e evita a cenare fuori e pure non andrà più a prendere un caffè. Ha paura di cadere in tentazione se vede un cornetto o sente odore di pizza o degli altri fritti! → Maria is obsessed with her diet and avoids eating out and even will not go anymore to get a coffee. She is afraid of falling into temptation if she sees a croissant or smells pizza or some other fried foods!

Answer 56

→ to address, to turn to Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “rivolgersi”, which means to address or to turn to. a. Alla radio ieri ho ascoltato una trasmissione che parlava del virus Zika! Ho paura dato che in Italia le zanzare sono un grande problema. Ma la dottoressa che discuteva il virus ha detto che se avessi domande è meglio che si rivolga a un medico. → On the radio yesterday I listened to a program that spoke about the Zika virus! I am afraid since mosquitoes are a big problem in Italy. But the doctor who was discussing the virus said that if you have questions it is better to turn to a doctor.

Answer 57

→ to not go wrong; to be dead certain about something “a colpo sicuro” → without hesitation, without uncertainty Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “andare a colpo sicuro, which has a variety of meanings depending on the context. The expression “a colpo sicuro” means “without hesitation” or “without uncertainty”. In some contexts, it can mean "to not go wrong" (as seen in our example below) or "to be dead certain about something". a. Se per San Valentino vuoi fare un bel regalo alla tua ragazza, regalale quel viaggio a Praga che lei desidera da tanto tempo. Andrai a colpo sicuro! → If you want to give a great gift to your girlfriend for Saint Valentine’s Day, give her that trip to Prague she has wanted for a while. You can’t go wrong!

Answer 58

→ below zero Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “sotto zero”, which means “below zero”. When the temperature gets below 0 °C/°F, we say that the temperature is below zero. a. Questo fine settimana andiamo a pattinare sul ghiaccio. Ho letto sul giornale che le temperature andranno sotto zero, quindi il lago sarà ghiacciato. Ci porto i bambini, sarà bellissimo per loro! → This weekend we are going ice skating. I read in the paper the temperatures will go below zero, therefore the lake will be frozen. I am taking the children there, it will be wonderful for them!

Answer 59

→ to freeze Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “congelarsi”, which means “to freeze”. a. Ma non vedi quanto freddo fa oggi? Ci sono -10 gradi fuori! Copriti bene e non stare in giro per troppo tempo o ti congelerai! → But can’t you see how cold it is today? It is -10 degrees outside! Cover up well and don’t hang around for too long or you will freeze!

Answer 60

→ to take something out of something else Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “tirare fuori (da)”, which means “to take something out of something else”. a. Quando il mago tirò fuori dal cappello un mazzo di fiori e una colomba, i bambini erano stupefatti ed emozionati. → When the magician pulled a bouquet of flowers and a dove from his hat, the children were amazed and thrilled.

Answer 61

→ acidic/sour taste/smell (used to describe someone with a sour disposition) Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun “l’acidume”, which can have two meanings. The first is the literal mean: acidic/sour taste/smell. The second is more metaphorical and can be used to describe someone with a sour disposition. a. Non lasciare per troppo tempo il pesce nel frigo o la puzza di acidume sarà insopportabile. → Don’t leave the fish in the fridge for too long, or the sour smell will be unbearable. or a. Non sopporto più il comportamento di Gianfranco! Perché deve sempre far vedere a tutti il suo acidume? Non riesce proprio ad essere simpatico? → I can’t stand Gianfranco’s behaviour anymore. Why does he always have make everyone see his sour disposition? He really is unable to be nice?

Answer 62

→ to cause, to provoke, to excite Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “suscitare”, which means “to cause”, “to provoke” or “to excite”. The past participle is “suscitato”, and “avere” is used in compound tenses. a. Le immagini di quel film sono proprio emozionanti! Hanno suscitato commozione in tutta la sala cinematografica! → The images in that film are really moving. They provoked an emotional response in the entire movie theatre!

Answer 63

→ to eye or to have one’s eye on something Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “adocchiare”, which means “to eye” or “to have one’s eye on something”. a. Nostro figlio sta entrando nell’adolescenza: lo capiamo da come adocchia le ragazze, non è più il bambino innocente di un tempo! → Our son is entering adolescence: we understand the reason he is eyeing the girls, he is no longer the innocent kid he used to be.

Answer 64

→ to clutch, to claw (at), or to grab something with one’s claws/talons Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “ghermire”, which means “to clutch”, “to claw (at)”, or “to grab something with one’s claws/talons”. The verb is usually used to describe animals that grab their prey with claws, like an eagle, for example. Ghermire is also an "-isc-" verb. a. La scena che abbiamo visto l’altro giorno in montagna è stata impressionante: un’aquila ha ghermito un cerbiatto e l’ha portato in volo verso il suo nido. Non sapevamo che le aquile fossero così forti! → The scene we saw in the mountains the other day was impressive: an eagle grabbed a fawn with its talons and carried it into the air towards its nest. We didn’t know eagles could be so strong!

Answer 65

→ The party’s over; The fun has ended Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “La pacchia è finita”, which means “The party’s over” or “The fun has ended”. a. Eh, caro mio, adesso che ti sei laureato devi iniziare a lavorare! La pacchia è finita, meglio che ti abitui! → Eh, my dear, now that you have graduated, you have to start working! The party is over, and it’s best you get used to it! Other useful expressions: Che pacchia : What a blast!

Answer 66

→ to blame someone Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “dare colpa a qualcuno”, which means “to blame someone”. a. I miei nipoti sono davvero terribili: si danno sempre la colpa a vicenda ogni volta che uno dei due rompe qualcosa in casa. → My nephews are really terrible: they blame each other every time one of them breaks something in the house.

Answer 67

→ a duckling Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun “l’anatroccolo”, which means “a duckling”. a. Quando ero piccolo avevo quattro anatroccoli gialli, erano bellissimi. In famiglia gli eravamo tutti affezionati, mio nonno gli aveva perfino costruito un laghetto per farli nuotare. → When I was little, I had four yellow ducklings, they were very beautiful. In family we were all fond of them, and my grandfather had even built them a pond in order to get them to swim. Other useful words: l’anatra : → duck il brutto anatroccolo : → ugly duckling

Answer 68

→ to sit on (an egg); to incubate Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb “covare”, which means “to sit on (an egg)” or “to incubate”. a. Quanta pazienza hanno le galline! Rimangono immobili a covare le proprie uova per ore intere, niente le distrae. → These chickens have a lot of patience! They stay immobile sitting on their eggs for entire hours, nothing distract them.

Answer 69

→ impeccable Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective “ineccepibile”, which means “impeccable”. a. Nella scorsa riunione lavorativa, il direttore ci ha fatto molti complimenti e ci ha detto che stiamo svolgendo un lavoro ineccepibile. Finalmente tutto l’impegno che abbiamo messo in questo progetto sta dando i suoi frutti! → At the last work meeting, the director paid us a lot of compliments and told us we were doing impeccable work. All the effort we finally put into this project is bearing fruit!

Answer 70

→ to be nice (to someone) Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression “essere gentile (con)”, which means “to be nice (to someone)”. It is important to remember that it is not always translated with the preposition “a” but also with the preposition “con”. The verb “sposare” (con qualcuno), which means to be married (to someone), also follows this pattern along with the adjective “arrabbiato (con qualcuno)”, “to be angry (at/with someone)”. a. L’impiegato dell’ufficio postale è stato davvero gentile con me: ha risposto a tutte le domande che avevo riguardo alla spedizione della mia lettera in Giappone. → The postal employee was really nice to me: he responded to all of my questions I had regarding mailing my letter to Japan.

Answer 71

→ to meet halfway Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression "venire incontro", which means "to meet halfway". a. Ai miei genitori non piace venire da me perché vivo un po' lontano. Invece di litigare abbiamo deciso di venirci incontro. Passano meno tempo in macchina e ci litighiamo di meno! → My parents do not like to come to my house because I live a bit far. Instead of arguing, we decided to meet each other halfway. They spend less time in the car and we argue with each other less!

Answer 72

→ blind Today's Parola del Giorno is the adjective, "orbo", which means "blind". It is a synonym for "cieco". It is, however, more poetic (and archaic) and is more often found in older works of Italian literature: a. Capitan Uncino è uno dei pirati più famosi. Indossa un elegante vestito rosso, ha un uncino al posto di una mano ed è orbo da un occhio. → Captain Hook is one of the most famous pirates. He wears an elegant red suit, has a hook for a hand, and is blind in one eye.

Answer 73

→ to give someone a good thrashing; → to beat the daylights out of someone "Orbo" (meaning "blind") is more commonly used in the expression "dare botte da orbi a qualcuno", which means "to give someone a good thrashing" or "to beat the daylights out of someone": a. L'altro giorno c'è stata una rissa al supermercato perché un cliente ha saltato la fila. La cassiera mi ha raccontato che le persone che aspettavano davanti a lui si sono arrabbiate e, dopo i primi insulti, si sono picchiati e gli hanno dato botte da orbi! → The other day there was a fight at the supermarket because a customer cut the line. The cashier told me people waiting in front of him got angry, and, after the first insults, they fought and beat the daylights out of him.

Answer 74

→ to fit like a glove; to be a good fit Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, "calzare a pennello", which means "to fit like a glove" or "to be a good fit". a. Ho girato dieci negozi alla ricerca di un abito da sposa che fosse come lo voglio io ma niente. O era troppo stretto, o troppo largo, o troppo ricamato, o troppo poco ricamato. Ieri, quando stavo perdendo le speranze, ho trovato l'abito perfetto. È elegante, bianco, con il velo: simile a quello di Angelina Jolie e mi sta molto bene, anzi mi calza a pennello! → I went to ten stores searching for a wedding dress would be like I want but nothing. It was either too tight, too big, too embroidered or not embroidered enough. Yesterday, when I was losing all hope, I found the perfect dress. It is elegant and white with a veil: similar to Angelina Jolie's, and it suits me, and it rather fits me like a glove.

Answer 75

→ a strong dislike; an aversion to something Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun "l'idiosincrasía", which means "strong dislike" or "aversion to something". It is often used with the preposition "per" and the verb "avere": Avere un’idiosincrasia per qualcosa → to have an aversion to/dislike for something. Note that in English, the word "idiosyncrasy" refers to a peculiar characteristic, trait or eccentricity and is often translated as "la mania", "la peculiarità", or "la particolarità". a. La più grande idiosincrasia di mio fratello sono gli insetti: proprio non riesce a stare vicino a un ragno o a una vespa. Si spaventa e comincia a correre come un matto. → My brother really, really dislikes bugs: he really can't be near a spider or a wasp. He gets scared and starts to run like crazy.

Answer 76

→ to collapse, to wilt, to sag Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb "afflosciarsi", which means "to collapse", "to wilt" or "to sag". a. Mia madre preparava un soufflé ma purtroppo si è afflosciato appena ha aperto il forno: adesso deve prepararne un altro. → My mom was preparing a soufflé, but, unfortunately, it collapsed as soon as she opened the oven: now she has to make another one.

Answer 77

→ to crash Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb, "sfracellarsi", which means "to crash". a. Ieri c'è stato un incidente terribile qui vicino: una macchina che correva ad alta velocità si è sfracellata contro la scogliera. Fortunatamente il guidatore è rimasto illeso ma la macchina è distrutta. → Yesterday there was a terrible accident near here: a car that was speeding crashed against the cliff. Fortunately, the driver was unharmed, but the car was totaled.

Answer 78

→ once in a blue moon (literally, it means at every Pope's death) Buon venerdì a tutti! Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression "ad ogni morte di papa", which means "once in a blue moon" (literally, it means at every Pope's death). You might also see the expression "ad ogni morte di vescovo", too.¹ Since popes are generally known to have long reigns and live long lives, choosing new ones doesn't happen with much frequency. The expression describes something that happens quite infrequently. a. Ho finalmente capito che Marina non è interessata alla nostra amicizia. Non si fa mai sentire, mi telefona ad ogni morte di papa e spesso non risponde ai miei inviti. Smetto di chiamarla. → I finally understand that Marina wasn't interested in our friendship. She never gets in touch, phones me once in a blue moon and often does not respond to my calls. I will stop calling her.

Answer 79

→ it is raining cats and dogs; It is raining buckets. (It literally means to rain like God is sending it.) Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression "piovere come Dio la manda", which means "it is raining cats and dogs" or "it is raining buckets". It literally means "to rain like God is sending it". a. Domani meglio che non andiamo al mare, secondo le previsioni meteo, pioverà come Dio la manda, dovremo rimandare. → Tomorrow it is better if we don't go to the beach because, according to the weather report, it will be raining buckets so we should postpone it.

Answer 80

→ to thicken Today's Parola del Giorno is transitive verb "addensare", which means "to thicken". The past participle is "addensato"; "avere" is used in compound tenses. a. Per preparare la besciamella bisogna cuocere gli ingredienti a fuoco basso di modo che il composto possa addensarsi. → In order to prepare the béchamel, one needs to cook the ingredients on a low heat so that the mixture can thicken.

Answer 81

→ to sell like hot cakes Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression, "andare a ruba", which means "to sell like hot cakes". a. Quando il nuovo iPhone è uscito, è andato a ruba! Ho dovuto aspettare quasi un mese prima di ricevere il mio. → When the new iPhone came out, it sold like hot cakes! I had to wait almost a month before getting mine.

Answer 82

→ to shoot a film Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, "girare un film", which means "to shoot a film" and can be used to describe both the actions of the director and actors. a. Nessun regista ha il permesso di girare un film nel Vaticano. Così molti sono costretti a recarsi in palazzi simili. Lo ha fatto anche Moretti in “Habemus Papam” e ha girato parte del film nel consolato francese a Roma. → No director has permission to shoot a film in the Vatican. So many are forced to go to similar buildings. Moretti also did it in "Habemus Papam", and he film a part of the film in the French consolate in Rome.

Answer 83

Girare (verbo transitivo) The verb "girare" can also mean: 1 to turn something, such as: "girare una chiava" = "to turn a key"; 2 to stir, such as: "girare la salsa" = "to stir the sauce"; 3 to tour, such as: "girare gli Stati Uniti" = "to tour the United States".

Answer 84

→ nowadays; for the time being Today's Parola del Giorno is the adverbial expression, "oggi come oggi", which means "nowadays" or "for the time being". a. Oggi come oggi è molto difficile trovare un lavoro stabile che permetta di fare progetti per il futuro. → For the time being it is very difficult to find a stable job that allows for making plans for the future.

Answer 85

→ a colander Today's Parola del Giorno is the invariable noun, "lo scolapasta" (or il colapasta), which means "a colander". A colander is used to strain the water from the cooked pasta (pictured). a. La madre di Mario si è lamentata perché suo figlio ha sprecato la pasta. Mario, infatti, essendo un po' pigro, ha tentato di scolarla senza usare lo scolapasta e così la maggior parte della pasta è andata persa. → Mario's mother complained because her son wasted the pasta. Sure enough Mario, being a bit lazy, tried to drain it without using the colander, and so the majority of the pasta went down the drain.

Answer 86

→ mountainous Today's Parola del Giorno is the adjective, "montuoso", which means "mountainous". a. Che bella la nostra vacanza in Tibet! Abbiamo visitato i bellissimi templi buddisti, che sono resi ancora più spettacolari dal paesaggio montuoso dell'Himalaya. → What a wonderful vacation in Tibet! We saw beautiful Buddhist temples that were made even more spectacular by the mountainous landscape of the Himalayas.

Answer 87

→ "Wow!"; "Gosh!" Besides reading, another way to learn new words and expressions is through conversation. Today’s Parola del giorno is the interjection "Urca!", which means "Wow!" or "Gosh!". As many of you know, I went to a conference the other day in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. The conference took place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center, an immense complex of gardens, waterfalls, waterparks and other attractions. The resort I stayed at for my conference the other day I shared the photograph with a friend in Italy, who replied: a. “Urca! È come abitare in una serra!” → “Wow! It’s like living in a greenhouse!”

Answer 88

→ to spend the night Today's Parola del Giorno is the intransitive verb, "pernottare", which means "to spend the night". The past participle is "pernottato"; "avere" is used in compound tenses. a. Mia moglie non vuole pernottare in questo albergo! Crede che sia un posto orribile e sporco, ma che cosa possiamo mai trovare adesso a mezzanotte!?! Che palle! → My wife doesn't want to spend the night in this hotel! She thinks it's a horrible and dirty place, but what can we ever find now at midnight!?! What a drag!

Answer 89

→ later on Today's Parola del Giorno is the adverbial expression, "più in là", which means "later on". a. Marco, non posso aiutarti adesso! Forse più in là, quando non sono occupato, potrò farlo. → Marco, I can't help you now! Perhaps later on, when I am not busy, I will be able to do it.

Answer 90

→ an armchair; an easy chair. Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun, "la poltrona", which can mean "armchair" or "easy chair". It can also be used to refer to a seat of power, such as those occupied by politicians. In Italy, it is not uncommon for politicians to be described as wanting to keep their seats of power in government at the expense of voters. a. Oggi sono stato all'Ikea e ho comprato una nuova poltrona di pelle nera: è molto confortevole. → Today, I was at Ikea and bought a new black leather armchair: it is very comfortable.

Answer 91

→ to complain Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb, "lamentarsi", which means "to complain". Here are some usage notes on the verb: Use the preposition "di" (or "per") when you want to complain about something or someone. Use the preposition "con" when you want to complain to someone. See our example below: a. La mia amica si lamenta tutto il giorno del suo ragazzo e dice che non lo sopporta più. Si sfoga con me tutti i giorni però le ho detto che dovrebbe lamentarsi con lui, non con me. → My friend complains about her boyfriend all day, and she says she cannot stand him anymore. She pours her heart out to me every day, but I told her she should complain to him, not to me.

Answer 92

→ to scrimp and save; to tighten one's belt. Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, "tirare la cìnghia", which means "to scrimp and save" or "to tighten one's belt". a. Devo comprare un sacco di regali per Natale ma quest'anno dovrò un po' tirare la cinghia per poter rientrare nelle spese. → I have to buy a ton of presents for Christmas, but this year I will have to scrimp and save so I can recover my expenses.

Answer 93

→ to f*ck up Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, "fare una cazzata", which means "to f*ck up". You will hear this word a lot when someone is saying something foolish or inane, as seen below: a. Oggi ho fatto una gran cazzata! Mi sono dimenticato le chiavi dentro casa e ho aspettato fuori la porta per più di due ore! → Today I f*cked up majorly! I forgot my keys inside the house and waited outside the door for more than two hours.

Answer 94

→ bold; in boldface. Today's Parola del Giorno is the adjectival expression, "in grassetto", which means in bold or in boldface. You will often see this expression to describe text which has been emphasised by making it darker. a. I titoli dei paragrafi della tesi vanno messi sempre in grassetto. → The titles of the thesis' paragraphs should always be in bold.

Answer 95

→ to be crazy; to be out of one's mind Today's Parola del giorno is the expression, "essere proprio fuori (di testa)", which means "to be crazy" or "to be out of one's mind". This is more idiomatic way of calling someone "nuts" without literally meaning it. It is often shortened (leaving out the di testa part), as in the context below: a. Al mio amico piace essere lo streaker! Gli ho detto: "Ascanio, sei proprio fuori!" → My friend likes to streak. I told him: "Ascanio, you are crazy!"

Answer 96

→ to date or to go out with; to frequent, to go to, to patronise (like a bar or restaurant) Today's Parola del Giorno is the transitive verb "frequentare", which can mean "to date" or "to go out with". It can also mean "to frequent" or "to go to", like a bar or restaurant. a. Marta e Mario si frequentano1 da due mesi. I genitori di Marta sperano che si sposino presto! → Marta and Mario have been dating for two months. Marta's parents hope that they marry soon! 1 Note the use of the reciprocal pronoun "si", which is used to convey an action that two or more people do with/to each other. This construction is common in Italian.

Answer 97

→ to have a flat tyre; to have a puncture Today's Parola del Giorno is the transitive verb, "forare", which means "to have a flat tyre" or "to have a puncture". The past participle is "forato". "Avere" is used in compound tenses. a. Mentre andava in macchina a Firenze, Rebecca, la cui macchina è proprio un rottame, ha forato tre volte. Presa dalla disperazione ha chiamato il meccanico che è giunto sul posto dopo ben due ore! → While driving to Florence, Rebecca, whose car is just a wreck, had a puncture three times. Overcome with desperation, she called the mechanic who arrived on the scene after well over two hours!

Answer 98

→ to have a clear conscience Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression "avere la coscienza a posto", which means "to have a clear conscience". a. Madre: Giulia, hai invitato la zia Maria alla tua comunione? → Mother: Giulia, did you invite Aunt Maria to the communion? Figlia: Sì, mamma, ma ancora non mi ha fatto sapere se verrà. → Daughter: Yes, mom, but she still hasn't let me know if she will come. Madre: Beh, anche se decide di non venire per motivi suoi, almeno tu hai la coscienza a posto, hai fatto la tua parte. → Mother: Well, even if she decides not to come for whatever reason, at least you have a clear conscience, you did your part.

Answer 99

→ a garret, an attic Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun, "la piccionaia", which means "a garret" or "an attic". It can also mean "pigeon loft" or "dovecote". In country homes, this is often the upper most floor of a home where pigeons, in the past, were kept. The word can be used figuratively, especially when those pigeons are unwanted guests! The noun can also be used to refer to the uppermost floors of seating in a theatre. a. Due piccioni hanno costruito un nido sotto il tetto di casa mia e il mio terrazzo è diventato il loro bagno. Trovo sempre escrementi o cibo che cade dalla piccionaia. → Two pigeons have made a nest under the roof of my house, and my terrace has become their bathroom. I am always finding excrement and food falling from the dovecote.

Answer 100

→ thick as thieves; hand in glove (literally, it means bum and shirt) Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression, "culo e camicia" (literally, it means bum and shirt; which means "thick as thieves" or "hand in glove". It is used to describe a really close connection/rapport between two people, such as two close friends. I wouldn't use this expression in a business meeting, but among friends and family it should be permissible: a. Con un mio collega ormai siamo diventati culo e camicia, praticamente stiamo assieme 19 ore al giorno per via del lavoro e andiamo pure a fare sport assieme. Siamo molto affiatati. → With a colleague of mine we have now become thick as thieves, and we are practically together 19 hours a day through work, and we even do sport together. We are very close.

Answer 101

→ to get back on one's feet Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, "rimettersi in sesto", which means "to get back on one's feet". "Il sesto" is the ancient word for "il compasso" or "compass", which is used by architects, for example, to draw circles (not to be confused with "la bussola", which is a compass used for navigation and directions). The logic is that the curvature of an arch, for example, must be correct to support the weight above it. Thus, the expression refers to find that “correct angle” again to support oneself after a long illness. a. Non pratico sport da due mesi per via dell’influenza. Adesso però ho ripreso e mi sto rimettendo in sesto con gli allenamenti. → I haven't been playing sports for two months due to the flu. But now I have recovered and am getting back on my feet with my workouts.

Answer 102

→ age-old, something that has existed for a long time. Today's Parola del Giorno is the adjective, "annoso", which means "age-old", in other words, something that has existed for a long time. a. A Roma i mezzi pubblici sono a volte un problema. Non sembrano esserci soluzioni utili a risolvere i treni guasti e gli autobus che rimangono sempre bloccati nel traffico. Come risolverà il sindaco questo problema annoso? Secondo me, non ci riesce! → In Rome the public transport is at times a problem. There do not seem to be any useful solutions for resolving the broken trains and the buses that are always stuck in traffic. How will the mayor resolve this age-old problem? Secondo me, he won't be able to.

Answer 103

→ Come on! Today's Parola del Giorno is the interjection, "Su!", which means "Come on!". a. Mio padre si lamentava del fatto che la bolletta del gas fosse troppo alta. “Su!” dissi, “È normale durante i mesi invernali!" → My dad was complaining about the fact that the gas bill was perhaps too high. → "Come on!" I said, "It is normal during the winter months!"

Answer 104

→ to scrap; to wreck Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, "mandare a monte", which means "to scrap" or "to wreck". The noun "il monte" can mean "mountain" or "mount", but it can also be used to refer to "a pile" or "a heap". This expression is usually used to describe projects or plans that you are scrapping because they unfeasible. This noun can also be used to quiet a rumour when you want to shut it down for good. a. Volevo laurearmi quest’anno, ma ho ancora due esami da fare. Adesso manderò a monte i miei piani: purtroppo la materia è troppo difficile e non credo di essere abbastanza preparato. → I wanted to graduate this year, but I still have two exams to take. Now I will scrap my plans: unfortunately, the material is too difficult, and I don't believe I will be prepared enough.

Answer 105

→ to have the patience of Job Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression "avere la pazienza di Giobbe", which means "to have the patience of Job". Given the presence of the Catholic Church throughout Italy, it is no surprise that a lot of Italian expressions are connected to the Church. a. Per quanto tempo ancora dovremo sopportare le tue mancanze di rispetto? Siamo stufi del tuo comportamento, guarda che non abbiamo la pazienza di Giobbe! → How much longer will we still have to put up with your lack of respect? We are fed up with your behavior, mind that we do not have the patience of Job!

Answer 106

→ off the top of one's head; at a guess Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression "a naso", which means "off the top of one's head" or at "a guess". a. Non siamo sicuri di quanti soldi abbiamo raccolto con la vendita dei dolci per beneficenza ma, a naso, direi che ne abbiamo raccolti parecchi, per fortuna! → We are not sure how much money we collected selling candy for charity, but, off the top of my head, I would say that we luckily collected quite a bit.

Answer 107

→ to visit; to tour Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb, “visitare”, which means “to visit” or “to tour”. Take note that this verb is used when visiting or touring cities, places, museums, sites, or going to visit your doctor, etc. To talk about visiting a person, such as family members or friends, the expression “andare” (or “venire”, depending on the context) “a trovare qualcuno” is more commonly used. a. Io e la mia famiglia siamo andati a Venezia a trovare mia nonna. Lei ha una bella casa non lontano da Piazza San Marco. Non vediamo l’ora di visitare tutti i musei e luoghi di interesse! → My family and I went to Venice to visit my grandmother. She has a beautiful house not far from the Piazza San Marco. We can't wait to tour all the museums and sites.

Answer 108

→ a short cut Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun, "la scorciatoia", which means "a short cut". Literally, it is a route one takes to get to a destination faster. It can also be used figuratively, such as finding an easier to way to get a task done. a. Non prendere la tangenziale per arrivare a casa di Roberto: conosco una scorciatoia che ci farà arrivare lì in meno di dieci minuti. → Don't take the bypass to get to Robert's house: I know a short cut that will get us there in less than ten minutes.

Answer 109

→ bloodletting Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun, "il salasso", which means "bloodletting". For most of us, bloodletting (I hope) is not a common word, but it is used figuratively to mean a drain, such as a financial drain when you get slammed with one too many bills. a. Questo mese pagare le bollette è stato un vero e proprio salasso! Abbiamo speso 500 euro solo per il riscaldamento, più 200 euro solo per la luce. E viviamo solo in due in casa! Se il prossimo mese arrivano nuove bollette così alte, non so dove prenderemo i soldi. → This month the bills were a real drain! We spent 500 euro just for the heating, plus 200 euros alone for the electricity. And there are only two of us at home! If the new bills coming next month are so high, I don't know where we will get the money.

Answer 110

→ that is to say; namely Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression,"vale a dire", which means "that is to say" or "namely". a. A partire dal prossimo mese, tutti i pagamenti dovranno essere fatti in via telematica, vale a dire che non potremo più accettare contanti per questo tipo di transazione. → Starting next month, all payments should be done electronically, that it to say that we will no longer accept cash for this type of transaction.

Answer 111

→ to peck at Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb, "beccare", which literally means "to peck at": a. La gallina è un animale da cortile: in passato in molte case di campagna in Italia era comune avere un pollaio e vedere le galline che beccavano il mangime nell'aia. → The chicken is an farm animal: in the past in many homes in the countryside in Italy it was common to have a chicken coop and to see the hens pecking at the birdseed in the farmyard.

Answer 112

→ to catch up; to meet up "Beccare" can also be used figuratively to mean "to catch up" or "to meet up": a. A che ora e dove ci becchiamo domani? → What time and where are we catching up tomorrow? Becchiamoci alle 18 all'uscita della fermata metro di Piazza di Spagna. Da lì è facile raggiungere Via del Corso a piedi. → Let's meet up at 6pm at the exit of the Piazza di Spagna metro stop. From there it is easy to get to the Via del Corso on foot.

Answer 113

→ a heron Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun, "l'airone", which means "a heron". a. L’anno scorso, lungo le coste norvegesi ho visto un airone bellissimo che volava sopra il mare. Aveva un becco molto lungo, ho fatto una foto per ricordo. → Last year along the Norwegian coasts I saw a beautiful heron that was above the water. He had a very long beak, and I took a photo as a keepsake!

Answer 114

→ rush hour Today’s Parola del giorno is the noun expression “l’ora di punta”, which means “rush hour”. “L’ora di punta” is that period of time in the morning when everyone is going to work or that period of time in the evening as everyone heads home: usually between 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm. a. Marco odia l’ora di punta quando la metro è troppo affollata; preferisce andare al lavoro verso le 6.30 per evitare la folla e le interruzioni di servizio. → Marco hates rush hour when the metro is too crowded; he prefers to go to work around 6:30 AM to avoid the crowd and breakdowns.

Answer 115

→ to pluck; to strum Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb, “strimpellare”, which means “to pluck” or “to strum”. When used with the piano (il pianoforte), it means “to tickle the ivories” (“strimpellare il pianoforte”). a. Capisco che devi esercitarti con la chitarra, ma non puoi strimpellare quello strumento a tutte le ore del giorno. Adesso sono le dieci di sera e la gente sta riposando, smettila! → I understand that you have to practice the guitar, but you can't strum that instrument at all hours of the day. Now it is 10:00 PM, people are resting, stop it!

Answer 116

→ alive and kicking Today's Parola del Giorno is the expression, “vivo e vegeto”, which means “alive and kicking”. It is often used to describe an older person who has a lot of life still left in him/her. a. Mio padre ha 88 anni ma è ancora vivo e vegeto: non si ferma mai e ogni giorno ha qualcosa di nuovo da fare! → My dad is 88 years old, but he is still alive and kicking: he never stops and every day has something new to do!

Answer 117

→ to tempt fate Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression “sfidare la sorte”, which means “to tempt fate”. In English, "to tempt fate" means to do something with involves a risk and might possibly cause something unpleasant to happen or bring bad luck on yourself by talking too confidently about a situation. a. Mi sono svegliato stamattina e la mia ragazza mi ha detto: "Non dimenticare l'ombrello...pioverà!" Ma ho sfidato la sorte e l’ho lasciato a casa. Sono stato uno stupido! Quando sono arrivato al lavoro, ero tutto bagnato!! → I woke up this morning, and my girlfriend told me: "Don't forget the umbrella...it will rain!" But I tempted fate and left it at home. I was an idiot! When I got to work, I was all wet!

Answer 118

→ on the lam, on the run Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression "in fug"a, which means "on the run", like when you are escaping the long arm of the law! a. Accendi la TV, stanno trasmettendo l’inseguimento di alcuni banditi in fuga sull’autostrada, lo voglio vedere! → Turn on the TV, they are showing the highway chase of some gunmen on the run, I want to see it!

Answer 119

→ to pocket sth. Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb "intascare", which means "to pocket something". The past participle is "intascato"; "avere" is used in compound tenses. a. Dopo mesi di preparazione, l’operazione clandestina contro l’amministratore comunale corrotto si stava per concludere! Non appena l’amministratore avesse intascato la tangente datagli dall’agente segreto, sarebbe stato arrestato. → After months of preparation, the undercover operation against the corrupt administrator for the comune was about to wrap up! As soon as he pocketed the bribe given to him by the undercover agent, he would be arrested.

Answer 120

Strizzacervelli (aggettivo) (gergale) (spregiativo) (di) opera narrativa, teatrale o cinematografica che tratta di famiglie problematiche. → (slang) (derogatory) (of) a narrative, theatrical or cinematographic work that deals with problematic families.

Answer 121

Strizzacervelli (nom maschile e femminile) Lo / La Strizzacervelli (gergale) (spregiativo) psicologo; (slang) (derogatory) psychologist Etimologia / Derivazione: 1 Da “strizzare” (= to wring (out), to squeeze (out)) e “cervello” (= brain, head, mind), sul modello dell'inglese “headshrinker” 2 (pr. strizzacervèlli) (n. m. e f.) [comp. di strizza(re) e “cervelli”, pl. di “cervello”, per calco approssimativo dell’ingl. “headshrinker”, propr. «colui che riduce le teste»], invar. In tono scherzoso = psicanalista, psicoterapeuta.

Answer 122

→ a shrink Today’s Parola del giorno is the noun “lo strizzacervelli,” which means “a shrink”. It is an unflattering word meant to describe a psychologist/psychiatrist that helps people deal with the emotional problems and psychological illnesses. a. Stamattina sono andato in ufficio postale con la mia fidanzdata e ho litigato con altri clienti e l’impiegato allo sportello. La mia fidanzata mi ha suggerito di vedere subito uno strizzacervelli per curare la mia rabbia. → I went to the post office this morning with my girlfriend, and I argued with other customers and the clerk at the window. My girlfriend suggested I immediately see a shrink to deal with my anger.

Answer 123

→ to pluck; to strum Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb, “strimpellare”, which means “to pluck” or “to strum”. When used with the piano (il pianoforte), it means “to tickle the ivories” (strimpellare il pianoforte). a. Capisco che devi esercitarti con la chitarra, ma non puoi strimpellare quello strumento a tutte le ore del giorno. Adesso sono le dieci di sera e la gente sta riposando, smettila! → I understand that you have to practice the guitar, but you can't strum that instrument at all hours of the day. Now it is 10:00 PM, people are resting, stop it!

Answer 124

→ cat door, cat flap Today’s Parola del giorno is the noun "il gattaióla", which means "cat door" or "cat flap". A cat door or cat flap is a small door in a regular door through which a cat can enter and exit the house as needed without opening the entire door. a. Il micio grasso di Antonella è rimasto bloccato nella gattaiola e miagolava per tre ore finché Antonella non è tornata a casa dall’ufficio. → Antonella’s fat cat got stuck in the cat door and meowed for three hours until Antonella got home from the office.

Answer 125

→ to pay dearly for something Today’s Parola del giorno is the expression "pagare qualcosa a caro prezzo", which means "to pay dearly for something". This expression made the rounds today in Italian newspapers (see Il Corriere della Sera for one example). Note the placement of the direct object (the thing you are paying dearly for), which follows the verb in Italian.

Answer 126

→ tiger mosquito Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "la zanzara tigre" (plural: le zanzare tigre), which means "tiger mosquito". They are called this because of their unique white stripes. This species of mosquito was not present in Italy until the 1990s and have since spread throughout the continent. They are faster and smaller than your typical mosquito are quite difficult to control and kill. If you are in Italy in the summer, you are bound to run into them from time to time, especially during the day. a. Le zanzare tigre non sono indigene dell’Italia: sono arrivate durante gli anni 90 dall’Asia e adesso sono un grande problema per tutto il Paese. → Tiger mosquitoes are not indigenous to Italy: they arrived during the 1990’s from Asia and now are a huge problem for the entire country.

Answer 127

→ to bite Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb "azzannare", which means "to bite". a. Si trovano spesso cani randagi in giro per le città italiane. State attenti — ho letto sul giornale che azzannano le persone che gli si avvicinano troppo! → Stray dogs are often found around Italian cities. Be careful — I read in the paper that they bite people that get too close to them!

Answer 128

→ a landslide Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "lo smottamento", which means "a landslide". This noun comes from the verb "smottare", which means "to slide down". a. Dopo tre settimane di piogge torrenziali in montagna, la paura di uno smottamento di terra diventa davvero reale. → After three weeks of torrential rains in the mountains, the fear of a landslide is becoming a real possibility. [Grammar Point: Don’t forget "lo" and "uno" are the Definite and Indefinite Articles for masculine nouns (like lo smottamento) that begin with "s + consonant", "ps–" (lo psicologo), "gn–" (lo gnomo), "y" (lo yogurt) and "z" (lo zaino).

Answer 129

→ to update or to renew something Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb "svecchiare", which means "to update" or "to renew something". a. Questo week end porto Marina al centro commerciale perché il suo guardaroba è fuori moda. Le dico sempre che deve svecchiare il suo look; si veste da donna degli anni ’40! → This weekend I am taking Marina to the mall because her wardrobe it out of date. I am always tell her that she has to update her look; she dresses like a woman from the 40s!

Answer 130

→ to have a screw loose Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb expression "essere svitato", which means "to have a screw loose". a. Marta è stufa di lavorare al contatto con il pubblico. Dice che le persone sono svitate e non sanno nemmeno loro quello che vogliono. Prima le chiedono un caffè e poco dopo cambiano idea e le chiedono un tè. Si è stufata di questi indecisi! → Marta is tired of working directly with the public. She says that people have a screw loose, and they don’t even know what they want. First, they ask her for a coffee, and then shortly after they change their minds and ask her for a tea. She is tired of these indecisive people!

Answer 131

→ to hit the nail on the head Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb "azzeccarci", which means "to hit the nail on the head". a. Avevi detto che la partita sarebbe finita 3-2 e ci hai azzeccato! → You had said the match would end 3 to 2, and you hit the nail on the end!

Answer 132

→ dressed up Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "azzimato", which means "dressed up". a. Guarda Marco! Che azzimato che è, tutto elegante!! Va al ballo a Buckingham Palace? → Look at Marco! Look how dressed up he is, all stylish! Is he going to a ball at Buckingham Palace?

Answer 133

→ to know (a fact) "Sapere" means "to know something", in the sense of knowing a fact. Be careful not to confuse "Sapere" with the verb "Conoscere", which means to know in the sense of being acquainted or familiar with a person or thing.

Answer 134

→ to know from experience Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression "sapere per esperienza", which means "to know from experience". a. Lo so per esperienza: non andare in Italia ad agosto! Il caldo è insopportabile, ci sono troppi turisti, e tutto costa di più! Vai prima di agosto o in autunno quando il tempo è meno caldo. → I know from experience: don’t go to Italy in August! The heat is unbearable, there are too many tourists, and everything costs more! Go before August or in the Fall when the weather is less hot.

Answer 135

→ to know how to handle (someone/something) Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb expression "Saperci fare (con)", which means" to know how to handle (someone/something)". a. Odio parlare con la Professoressa Mancini. La trovo difficile e insopportabile. La mia amica Elena ci sa fare con lei. Non so cosa ha detto alla professoressa ma ho una proroga di due settimana per il mio esame! → I hate talking with Professor Mancini. I find her difficult and unbearable. My friend Elena knows how to handle her. I don’t know what she said to the professor, but I have a two-week extension for my exam!

Answer 136

→ to taste like something Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression "Sapere di + qualcosa", which means "to taste like something". This is a useful expression to know: you will hear it often in Italian! a. Oddio…Mariachiara mi ha invitato a casa sua mercoledì sera per una cena. Purtroppo quando cucina lei tutti i piatti sanno sempre di cipolla o di aglio. Non so cosa faccia con gli ingredienti ma questi sapori finiscono anche nel tiramisù! → My God…Mariachiara invited me to her house Wednesday evening for dinner. Unfortunately, when she cooks all the dishes always taste like onions or garlic. I don’t know what she does with the ingredients, but the flavors also end up in the tiramisù!

Answer 137

→ to know how to do something Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb expression "Sapere fare", which means "to know how to do something". Sapere can be followed by any infinitive. For example: 1 Sapere cantare → to know how to sing 2 Sapere cucire → to know how to sew a. Se non sai fare qualcosa, chiedimi! Altrimenti devo rifare tutto e non ho né tempo né voglia di passare ore a correggere il tuo lavoro. È sempre meglio se fai domande quando hai dubbi! → If you do not know how to do something, ask me! I otherwise have to redo everything, and I have neither the time nor the desire to spend hours correcting your work. It is always better to ask questions when you are not sure!

Answer 138

→ to know a thing or two (about something) Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb expression "Saperla lunga (su qualcosa)", which means "to know a thing or two (about something)". a. Stamattina la mia macchina non parte. Forse perché fa molto freddo. Prima di andare dal meccanico, chiedo un consiglio a mio padre. Lui la sa lunga sulle macchine! → This morning my car didn’t start. Perhaps because it was too cold. Before going to the mechanic’s, I asked my dad for some advice. He knows a thing or two about cars!

Answer 139

→ to sound dodgy; to sound fishy Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression "sapere di fregatura", which means "to sound dodgy" or "to sound fishy". a. Oggi ho ricevuto una risposta dal mio curriculum. Purtroppo “l’offerta” di lavoro sa di fregatura: non sembra un’offerta reale e penso che vogliono ingannarmi. → Today, I received a response from my resume. Unfortunately, the “job offer” sounds fishy: it doesn’t seem like a real offer, and I think they want to scam me.

Answer 140

→ to know what’s what Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression "sapere il fatto proprio", which means "to know what’s what". Note that "proprio" changes to agree with the subject. In our example, "proprio" changes to "suo" because of the third person subject (Maria). If the subject of the sentence were "io", then the pronoun would change to "mio", etc. a. All’inizio credevamo che Maria fosse una tipa ingenua. Invece sa il fatto suo, non viene mai impreparata alle riunioni di lavoro. → In the beginning we used to think Maria was naive. Instead she knows what’s what and never comes to work meeting unprepared.

Answer 141

→ to be under indictment Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb expression "essere sotto accusa", which means "to be under indictment". a. Il politico è sotto accusa e rimane agli arresti domiciliari perché il procuratore crede che abbia accettato tangenti dai boss mafiosi. → The politician is under indictment and remains under house arrest because the prosecutor believes he accepted bribes from mafia bosses.

Answer 142

→ a wiretap; a phone tap Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "l’intercettazione" (f.), which means "a wiretap" or "a phone tap". a. Durante il processo, il procuratore ha fatto sentire le intercettazioni dell’imputato a tutti i presenti in sala. Le intercettazioni hanno rivelato la corruzione dell’imputato, che ha accettato molti soldi in cambio di favori. → During the trial, the prosecutor had the accused’s wiretaps played to everyone present in the room. The wiretaps revealed the accused’s corruption who accepted a lot of money in exchange for favours.

Answer 143

→ an inquiry; an investigation Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "l’indagine" (f.), which means "an inquiry" or "an investigation". a. La guardia di finanza conduce una grande indagine negli uffici del sindaco dopo che un importante giornale ha rivelato che gli amici del sindaco compravano favori dall’amministrazione comunale. → The finance police conducted a major investigation at the mayor’s offices after an important newspaper revealed that the mayor’s friends were buying favors from the town administration.

Answer 144

→ the seven deadly sins Ciao a tutti! This week we are going to profile adjectives that describe the seven deadly sins or "i vizi capitali". If you have ever been to Italy, you will often notice statues, paintings, and other works of art that ‘pay homage’ to these sins. You can see a chart below of the seven deadly sins in English and Italian along with the adjectives used to describe the behaviour associated with the sins: Sin (noun) Sin (adjective) lust la lussuria lustful lussorioso gluttony la gola glutunous goloso greed l’avarizia greedy avido sloth l’accidia slothful accidioso wrath l’ira wrathful, quick-tempered iroso envy l’invidia jealous invidioso/geloso pride la superbia proud, arrogant superbo

Answer 145

Ciao a tutti! I received an email this weekend about the differences between "peccato" and "vizio". While "vizio" is often translated as "vice" and both nouns refer to sins in English, the usage of these two words in Italian can vary. "Un vizio" is a negative aspect of human nature (the opposite being la virtù) and something that we all may suffer from (like greed, envy, or pride) with a focus not on individual acts but on a custom/habit of the human condition. The noun "vizio" can be combined with modifiers. For example, "il vizio di bere" refers to alcoholism while "il vizio del gioco" refers to a gambling addiction. "Un peccato" is something that is done of one’s own free will and breaks some kind of law, moral code, or societal norm. "Il peccato originale" refers in Christianity refers to sin committed by Adam and Eve of disobedience. This word is more common in religious and moral contexts.

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→ gluttonous Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "goloso", which means "gluttonous". "Gluttony", the sin, is "la gola", which is also the word for "throat" in Italian. a. Non ho mai conosciuto una persona più golosa di Riccardo! Se c’è un dolce sulla tavola, non importa quanto grande, lui lo deve finire, non riesce a controllarsi! → I have never met anyone more gluttonous than Riccardo! If there is a dessert on the table, no matter how big, he has to finish it, he cannot control himself!

Answer 147

→ lustful Today’s Parola del Giorno continues our theme on the deadly sins with the adjective "lussorioso", which means "lustful". This adjective is derived from the sin "la lussuria", which means "lust". a. Alcuni affreschi di Pompei raffigurano scene molto lussuriose. Secondo gli studiosi, rappresentano le pratiche sessuali che le prostitute dell’epoca offrivano in cambio di denaro. → Some Pompei frescoes show many lustful scenes. According to researchers, they represent sexual practices prostitutes of the time would offer in exchange for money.

Answer 148

→ proud; arrogant Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "superbo", which means "proud" or "arrogant". "Superbo" comes from the noun "la superbia", which means "pride" or "arrogance". a. Mio nonno ha un modo di fare molto aristocratico, nonostante non sia nobile. In particolare, è molto superbo: pensa di avere sempre ragione e non chiede mai scusa, anche se sa di essere in torto. → My grandfather a very arrogant way about him, even though he isn’t noble. Specifically, he is very arrogant: he thinks he is always right and never apologizes, even if he knows he is wrong.

Answer 149

What is the difference between "l’invidia" e "la gelosia"? In Italian, "l’invidia" (envy) is what you feel when someone has something that you do not have. For example, being jealous of your brother because he bought a new car and you couldn’t or because a friend of yours is smarter than you are; in these cases you would feel "invidioso". La "gelosia" is what you feel when you already have something (or someone) but you fear losing it. For example, you arrive late to the bar and see your girlfriend talking to another. You would be "geloso" because of your feeling of losing her to someone else.

Answer 150

→ jealous Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "invidioso", which means "jealous". a. Secondo la versione più famosa della fiaba, la Regina era talmente invidiosa del fatto che Biancaneve fosse la più bella del reame, che si trasformò in strega per ucciderla con una mela avvelenata. → According to the most famous version of the fable, the Queen was so jealous of the fact that Snow White was the most beautiful in the realm that she transformed into a witch in order to kill her with a poisoned apple.

Answer 151

→ greedy Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "avido", which means "greedy". The adjective "avido" is derived from the noun "l’avarizia", which means "greed". One can be greedy for things besides money, like power. a. Il re era sempre più avido di potere, voleva diventare il padrone di tutta la terra e non si sarebbe fermato finché non avesse annientato ogni nemico. → The king had always been more greedy for power, wanted to become ruler of the entire world, and wouldn’t stop until he had annihilated all enemies.

Answer 152

→ slothful, lazy Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "accidioso", which means "slothful" (or lazy). The adjective "accidioso" comes from the noun "l’accidia", which means "sloth". A person who is "accidioso" is slothful or lazy. a. Proprio non sopporto mia sorella in questi mesi! Da quando ha perso il lavoro, non fa altro che passare le sue giornate sul divano a guardare film e mangiare cibo spazzatura. Come fa ad essere così accidiosa!? → I really haven’t been able to stand my sister in recent months! Since she lost her job, she does nothing except spend her time on the couch watching films and eating junk food. How can she be so lazy!?

Answer 153

→ wrathful; quick-tempered Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "iroso", which means "wrathful" or "quick-tempered". a. La moglie ha costretto il Signor Martini a iniziare un percorso di terapia psicologica. Dice che il Signor Martini è troppo iroso e i suoi scatti d’ira sono un pericolo per tutti quelli che gli stanno intorno. L’altro giorno, il Signor Martini si è arrabbiato così tanto che ha rotto la scrivania del suo ufficio! → The wife forced Signor Martini to start a round of therapy. She says Signor Martini is too quick-tempered and his outbursts are a danger to everyone who is around him. The other day Signor Martini got so angry he broke the office desk.

Answer 154

→ university Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "l’università", which means "university". The word "l’ateneo" also means "university". a. Dopo anni di studio all’università, Teresa si è laureata in medicina. I genitori erano molto orgogliosi della loro figlia che si era laureata con lode in uno dei migliori atenei d’Italia! Sua mamma non riusciva a smettere di piangere quando ricordava quel primo giorno di scuola all’asilo! → After years of study at university, Teresa graduated with a degree in medicine. Her parents were very proud of their daughter, who graduated with honours in one of the best universities in Italy! Her mother could not stop crying when she remembered that first day of school in kindergarten!

Answer 155

→ principal, headmaster, headmistress Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "il/la preside", which means "a headmaster" or "a principal". "Il preside" is in charge of running the school. a. Tutti gli studenti hanno paura del Professor Marconi! È il nostro preside, sempre serio e con poca pazienza! Quando un professore o una professoressa ti cacciano dalla lezione, una punizione è inevitabile! Teresa si considerava molto fortunata per non essere mai stata nel suo ufficio! → All the students are afraid of Professor Marconi! He is our headmaster, always serious and has little patience! When a teacher kicks you out of class, punishment is inevitable! Teresa considers herself lucky for never having been in his office!

Answer 156

→ a high school Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "il liceo", which means "a high school". In Italy, there are many types of liceo: classico, scientifico, linguistico, etc. The "liceo classico" focuses more on a “classical education” that stresses Latin and Ancient Greek, philosophy, Italian, history, and other humanist subjects. The "liceo scientifico" focuses more on science and math, while the liceo linguistico focuses on languages and cultural studies. a. Essendo una studentessa molto brava e capace, i genitori hanno deciso di iscrivere Teresa a un liceo scientifico. Teresa diceva sempre di voler fare il medico da grande. → Being a very good and capable student, her parents decided to enroll Teresa in a science high school. Teresa used to always say she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up.

Answer 157

→ elementary schoo Today’s Parola del Giorno continues our story of Teresa as she makes her way from "l’asilo" to "la scuola primaria", which translates as "elementary school". Primary school in Italy lasts for five years, which is more or less similar to school systems in the United States. a. A Teresa piaceva la scuola primaria perché imparava tante cose nuove: inglese, geografia e arte. Ma soprattutto: aveva tante nuove amiche. → Teresa likes elementary school because she is learning so many new things: English, geography, and art. But, most of all: she made so many new friends.

Answer 158

→ nursery school or kindergarten Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "l’asilo", which means "nursery school" or "kindergarten". a. Marta era triste quel giorno mentre portava per la prima volta la sua bambina all’asilo. La sua Teresa cresceva troppo in fretta! → Marta was sad that day while she was bringing her little girl to kindergarten for the first time. Her Teresa was growing up too quickly!

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→ to make oneself see things Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression "fare venire le traveggole", which means "to make oneself see things". "Le traveggole" is only used in verb expressions and never on its own. It comes from the verb "travedere", which means to deceive oneself by seeing something that is not there. "Le traveggole" (hallucinations), then, would be those things we think we see but are not really there. The expression "avere le traveggole" means "to be seeing things". a. Ieri notte mia nonna si è svegliata e ha gridato all’improvviso come se qualcuno la stesse accoltellando! Ha svegliato tutta la casa e, quando le abbiamo chiesto perché gridasse, ha risposto che pensava di aver visto un fantasma. “Quel film dell’orrore ti ha fatto venire le traveggole! I fantasmi non esistono!” l’ha sgridata mio padre. “Torna a letto, mamma!” → Yesterday night my grandmother woke up and suddenly screamed as if someone were stabbing her! She woke up the entire house, and, when we asked her why she was yelling, she said she thought she had seen a ghost. “That horror movie made you see things! Ghosts don’t exist!” my father yelled at her. “Return to bed, mom!”

Answer 160

→ to bite off more than one can chew Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression "fare il passo più lungo della gamba", which means "to bite off more than one can chew". The expression literally means to take a step longer than one’s leg. a. Quest’estate Mario ha organizzato una vacanza per sé e i suoi amici ma, come sempre, ha fatto il passo più lungo della gamba con le preparazioni e adesso la vacanza costa migliaia di Euro! Ha bisogno di aiuto per organizzarsi con il budget! → This summer Mario organized a vacation for himself and his friends, but, as always, he bit off more than he could chew with the preparations, and now the vacation is costing thousands of euro! He needs help getting the budget organised.

Answer 161

→ to nitpick Today’s Parola del Giorno is the expression "fare le pulci", which means "to nitpick". The word "le pulci" means "fleas". As you know, when fleas bite, they cause one to itch, and this feeling can be annoying and nagging. According to the dictionary, nitpicking is criticism that is often unjustified and minute (like fleas!). a. Che palle! Prima di andare al mare ho deciso di passare dai miei e subito mia madre ha cominciato a farmi le pulci: “Perché non mi chiami mai? Perché mi telefoni prima di venire a trovarci? Perché non sei sposato?” → What a drag! Before going to the beach, I decided to stop by parent’s place, and my mother immediately started nitpicking me: “Why don’t you ever call me? Why don’t you phone before coming to visit us? Why aren’t you married?”

Answer 162

→ exploitable; workable Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "sfruttabile", which means "exploitable" or "workable". a. Dopo anni di siccità nessuno credeva che questa terra fosse ancora sfruttabile ma, con pazienza e un po’ di determinazione, mio zio è riuscito a coltivare un bel raccolto di grano! → After years of drought, no one could believe this land was still workable, but, with patience and a bit of determination, my uncle was able to cultivate a good grain harvest!

Answer 163

→ to smash or to wreck something; something Today’s Parola del Giorno is the verb "sfasciare", which means "to smash something" or "to wreck something". The past participle is "sfasciato"; "avere" is used in compound tenses. a. Secondo la ricostruzione della polizia, i ladri hanno provato ad aprire la cassaforte del negozio ma non ci sono riusciti. Si saranno innervositi e per questo motivo hanno iniziato a sfasciare tutti i mobili del negozio fino all’arrivo della polizia. → According to the police reconstruction, the thieves tried to open the store safe, but they weren’t able to do it. They got upset, and, because of this, they started to smash all the store’s furniture until the police arrived.

Answer 164

→ a string of something Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "la sfilza", which means "a string of something". In the past, the word described a long line of something, say books on a shelf or a collection of something arranged together. Today, it is more often used in a figurative sense to refer to a long line of other things, such as errors, swear words during an argument, or insults, etc. a. Un politico molto importante ha perso le elezioni perché ha commesso una sfilza di errori gravi quando ha parlato male dei poveri e delle donne. → A very important politician lost the election because he made a string of serious errors when he spoke badly about poor people and women.

Answer 165

→ bewildered; disoriented Today’s Parola del Giorno is the adjective "sfasato", which means "bewildered" or "disoriented". a. Dopo l’incidente, Marina non era più in sé; quando sono arrivato in ospedale, sembrava un po’ sfasata. Spero che non abbia una commozione cerebrale! → After the accident, Marina was not herself; when she arrived at the hospital, she seemed a bit disoriented. I hope she does not have a concussion!

Answer 166

→ to fray; to unravel Today’s Parola del Giorno is the pronominal verb "sfilacciarsi", which means "to fray" or "to unravel". a. Mia madre pensava di aver fatto un bell’affare comprando quelle due camicie in sconto ma, dopo due o tre lavaggi, la cucitura delle maniche si è sfilacciata e le camicie non si possono più indossare! → My mother thought she made a good deal buying those two shirts on sale but, after two or three washes, the stitching of the sleeves unraveled, and the shirts cannot be worn anymore!

Answer 167

→ a bell tower; a belfry, a steeple Edificio a forma di torre per portare le campane. Per lo più sta vicino alla chiesa, ma può avere diversa ubicazione. Il più antico campanile risale al VII secolo. Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "il campanile", which means "a bell tower". Many Italian churches and buildings have these tall towers attached to them.

Answer 168

→ a cloister Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "il chiostro", which means "a cloister". According to Wikipedia, a cloister is “(from Latin claustrum, ‘enclosure’) is a covered walk, open gallery or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth.” →

Answer 169

→ a massive building Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "la mole", which means "a massive building". The most famous mole is the la Mole Antonelliana in Torino, which now houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema. If you get get to Torino, be sure to visit the museum. The building and museum are both worth a visit. More importantly, it is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city, and you can spot its distinctive dome almost anywhere.

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1 massa di notevoli dimensioni; a massive shape / (dimensioni) size a. Un animale di grossa mole

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2 (figurato) ingente quantità a. Avere una gran mole di lavoro b. Una mole di lavoro → masses (Brit fam) o loads of work

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c. Una mole di lavoro arretrato → a massive backlog of work d. è comparso sulla porta in tutta la sua mole → his massive shape appeared at the door

Answer 173

→ a façade Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun la facciata, which means "a facade" (also façade). The facade of a building is an exterior part of the building is typically the front of the building (but not always).

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→ a dome Today’s Parola del Giorno is the noun "la cupola", which means "a dome". Many Italian churches, basilicas, and cathedrals are known for their domes.

Answer 175

→ a backhand (tennis shot) Today’s Parola del Giorno concludes our tennis theme with the word "il rovescio", which means "a backhand". a. Nel tennis ci sono due modi principali di colpire la pallina: il diritto e il rovescio. Io preferisco il rovescio, cioè colpire la pallina muovendo verso l’alto la racchetta e spostando il peso del corpo sulla gamba sinistra. → In tennis there are two main ways to hit the ball: the forehand and the backhand. I prefer the backhand, in other words, hitting the ball moving toward to the top of the racquet and shifting the weight of the body to the left leg.

Answer 176

The world "rovescio" is also used in some non-tennis expressions, such as: 1 Mettersi qualcosa al rovescio → to put something on inside out 2 Capire qualcosa a rovescio → to get something backwards 3 A rovescio → inside out or upside down (depending on the context)

2 Parola del Giorno Words (2) (Checked & Verified) Flashcards

(200 cards)