Italian American Slang
(Broccolinese)
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back
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WARNING
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Let's
start at the beginning. Come stai? Molto bene.
Bon giorno
Ciao. Arrivederci. Every Italian from
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IT buon giorno = good day |
But what
about the
goomba? Those words and phrases that are a little Italian, a little American, and a little slang. Words every paesano and Bacciagaloop has heard, words we hear throughout our Little |
IT compare
= buddy Fellow townsman. From paese = town Bacigaluppo a common last name from |
This form of language, the "Goomba-Italiano" has been used for generations. It's not gangster slang terms like "whack" or "vig", if that's what you are thinking---nope, this is real Guido tawk ! | I strongly object to the use of the term "Guido." I think it is racist and derogatory. I object even more strongly when Italian Americans use it |
The goomba says ciao when he arrives or leaves. He says Madonna Mia anytime emotion is needed in any given situation. Mannaggia | IT male ne abbia, in dialect male ne aggia = may he have evil or may evil have him |
meengya | From Sicilian minchia = the male genital organ. Equivalent to a four-letter word to express anything from surprise to anger to admiration. (Curiously, it is a FEMININE word.) |
oofah, | Uffa = sigh. when you are bored, exasperated or annoyed |
and of course, va fongool can also be used. | From IT "vai a fare in culo," or, in the spelling of Pier Paolo Pasolini "vaffanculo" = go get f…. in the ass. |
Capeesh? | IT capisci = do you understand, or "you know what I mean?" |
He uses a mopeen to wipe his hands in the cuchina, gets agita from the gravy (SAUCE to the NJ gang) |
moppina
= from mop, towel IT cucina =, kitchen IT acidita' = acidity. It also suggests a state of "agitation, restlessness" that comes from an upset stomach - maybe with psychological implications. |
and will shkeeve ( meatballs unless they are homemade from the famiglia. ) |
IT schifo = disgust, here used as a verb, to shkeeve. |
Always
foonah
(
your bread
in the pot of gravy (sauce ) or you will be considered a real coogootz or a Mezzo-finookio. |
foonah:
IT "affondare"= to sink, to dunk. In dialect it becomes 'affunnah',
further shortened into 'foonah' IT cucuzza = pumpkin, polysemic word indicating a blockhead, or in other contexts money etc. IT finocchio = fennel. Derogatory for homosexual. Mezzo finocchio = half fennel, sissy
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There are usually plenty of mamalukes
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IT
Mamalucco, originally Arabic
for "slave" then the name of a Northern African militia that fought the
Crusaders. In Italian it stands
for dumb and dumber. Probably it
entered Italian lexicon during the Middle Ages. |
and the girl from the neighborhood with the reputation is a facia-bruta, puttana or a skifosa. |
IT faccia
brutta = ugly face Puttana = whore IT schifosa= disgusting one, i.e. whore. |
If you are
called
gattiv,
cabbadost,
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IT cattivo = mean |
sfatcheem, stupido or | sfatcheem: dialect word that literally means "sperm." To call someone a sfatcheem is actually a compliment as it means slick, smart, cunning individual (son of a gun.) |
strunz , you are usually a pain in the ass. |
IT
stronzo = turd, i.e. asshole, jerk. |
A crazy diavlo can give you the malokya but that red horn (contra malokya) will protect you if you use it right. |
IT diavolo, = devil from malocchio = evil eye |
Don't forget to always say per favore (please) and grazia and prego |
IT grazie = thank you IT prego = you are welcome, lit. "I pray you" |
If you are feeling mooshadd, stoonad or mezzo-morto (half dead), |
IT ammosciato
= groggy, slumpy or deflated like a flat tire. Stonato: this must be originally from STONED, whose sound suggested the Italian STONATO. In IT stonato means, tone deaf, and more precisely someone who sings off key = the mixture of the two indicates someone who's not totally there. |
always head to Nonna's and she will fix you up with a little homemade manicott' , cavadell' (cavatelli, homemade type of pasta), or calamar ' (calamari = squid), or some ricotta cheesecake. |
manicotti,
in IT cannelloni. "Manica" means sleave. IT cavatelli, a type of homemade pasta |
Mangia (eat) some zeppoles, canollis, torrone, struffoli, | correct spelling is "cannoli" |
shfoolyadell', pignoli cookies, | IT sfogliatelle: philo dough pastries with cheese |
or a little nutella on pannetone . |
Nutella
was launched in
IT panettone, typical Christmas cake from Milano. How did it get in here? |
Delizioso! I think I will fix myself a sangweech of cabagol ' with some |
sandwich
IT
capocollo,
salami typical of
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proshoot | IT prosciutto |
and moozarell' or maybe just a hot slice of peetza (no way, pizza is pizza.) |
mozzarella peetza?????? No way, pizza is pizza |
So salud ' if you have any Italian blood in you and you understood anything written here! . | IT salute = health, i.e. cheers. |
Then, you are numero uno (number one) and a professore of the goombas | |
If you
don't get any of this, then
fa Nabola
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It
literally
means "do the Neapolitan way" i.e. the same as
va fongool (go get
fucked in the ass)
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with the whole thing and you are a disgraziato. | Etymologically: "outside the grace of god", irresponsible, good for nothing. |
Scuzi, mia dispiachay. I didn't mean that....... !....... |
Scusi = sorry IT mi dispiace = sorry |
Just...... fugheddaboudit | ... and you should know what this means. |