by DHales | Jun 3, 2010 | Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
furbocunning or crafty personOnly after years of visiting Italy did I realize that Italians admire rather than disdain a furbo, someone who can pull off a clever deception. “Che furbetto!” a young mother exclaimed rather proudly when her son shifted the blame for a...
by DHales | Jun 3, 2009 | Books, Current Affairs, Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
spazzatura sweepings, trash, refuse At one of my first formal Italian classes, I entered the room with an empty paper coffee cup in hand. “Spazzatura?” the amiable young teacher asked. “Sì,” I responded, certain that I wanted whatever this spray of sibilant syllables...