What are your favorite Italian 'sayings'?

Question

My family is Italian-American, 3rd generation. My mother is always using random italian words around the house like...(forgive me for the spelling, I'm just going to sound them out) Manja, Putana...things like that. What other words do you use?

Answer 1

do you know what putana is? its a swear word used in the greek language too...lets just say its offensive to women...

what does manja mean??

Answer 2

My favorite saying is "fra I due litiganti il terzo gode"

means: between the two fighters the third enjoys,

you usually say it when 2 people are fighting over something and the third goes and take it.

hoe I helped

Answer 3

How about "ficcati un ficco nel figo della madre"

or "Il finocchio ficato non invidia la formica fonduta?" ok im just making these up.

I'm not translating or I'll get banned.

Answer 4

My 'sayings' (the ones that can be told):

- Oh Mamma Mia!    (Oh My Gosh!)

- Eh Che Cavolo!   - Accidenti!    (d**n!)

- Porco Cane!    (Holy Mackerel!)

- Ma Vaffanbagno!    (Go to h**l!)

- Allora? (or else Alura? in Milanese)    (So What?)

Answer 5

When I lived in Florence, I picked up say "Boh" and now use it all the time. It means I don't know, whatever, oh well, etc.

Answer 6

your mum is very nice with you calling you "puttana" actually....good woman isnt she?

Manja maybe you mean "mannaggia" which means d**n it...so actually your mum is sayng you "d**n you *****"? LOL

Answer 7

She probably says: "mannaggia la puttana!" (damned b*tch!), which although it is not referred to anybody in particular, is not a nice expression to hear anyway (at least not on a lady's lips).

In my family, women used to say "mannaggia la miseria!" (d**n misery!) or "maledetto il diavolo!" (curse the devil!) when they were angry with something or somebody. Men's expressions are better not to be known...

Answer 8

che c***o fai?! and the word ALLORA  

Answer 9

Mio tesoro

Cui pecura si fa, lu lupu si la mancia

Answer 10

Definitely Manja when we go out for all you can eat buffet!  My brother in law gets pissed if I eat rice!  And when my sister goes out and has a cigarette he says "Fumee"  haha

Answer 11

I'm Italian and I can confirm that, especially should your mother come to Italy, she should avoid using those words any time. Above all Puttana can be translated with *****, which is not nice at all.

Mannaggia is something much "lighter", it can be compared to another word that is Accidenti. It is not d**n it, but something closer to Gosh.

Answer 12

My family is Italian-American as well. It's funny when we all get together because our sentences will be half in English and half in Italian. We don't really pay attention to it until we have guests over and they get confused :)

I am always saying to my niece's and nephew's dammi un bacio.