The Family Corleone

GLOSSARY OF ITALIAN EXCLAMATIONS, CURSES, WORDS, AND PHRASES USED IN THE FAMILY CORLEONE

agita (AH jita)—indigestion; southern dialect pronunciation of aciditá

andate (ahn DAHT ay)—go

andiamo (ahn dee AM oh)—let’s go

animale (ahn ee MAL eh)—animal

aspett’ (AHS pet)—wait

attendere (ah TEN dar eh)—wait

avanti (A VAHN tee)—go ahead

bambino (BAM bean oh)—baby

basta (BAH sta)—enough

bastardo / bastardi (bahs TAR doh / bahs TAR dee)—bastard / bastards

bella (BEL lah)—beautiful

bestia (BEST ee ah)—beast

braciole, braciol’ (brah JOL)—thin slices of beef filled with grated cheese, parsley, and bacon that are rolled, tied, pan-fried, and cooked in tomato sauce

buffóne (bu PHONE eh)—buffoon

cafon’ (CAH vone)—a jerk; “a rude person”

cannoli (cah NOHL ee)—Italian pastry filled with sweetened ricotta cheese

capicol’ (CAH ba gool)—a cold-cut meat; a cross between salami and ham

capisce, capisc’ (cop EESH)—understand?

capo / caporegime (CAP oh reg eem)—a high-ranking made member of a crime family, with his own soldiers under him

capozzell’ / capozzell’ d’angell’ (CAH poh zell d’an GEL)—a lamb’s head cleaved in half

cazzo (KAHTZ soh)—exclamatory obscenity, literally “penis” or “dick”

cent’anni (CHENT ahnee)—a traditional toast: “may you live a hundred years”

cetriol’ (JIH druhl)—literally “cucumber”; used to describe or call someone a “dope” or “stupid”

che cazzo (cay KAHTZ soh)—exclamatory obscenity, literally “what dick”; the Italian equivalent of “what the fuck?”

che minchia (cay meenkyah)—roughly the same as che cazzo, southern dialect

ciuccio / ciucc’ (CHOO ch)—literally “donkey” or “ass,” used to describe or call someone a stupid person

consiglieri (cohn seel YEAR ree)—counselor

demone (deh MOHN eh)—demon

diavolo (dee AH voloh)—devil

disgrazia (dees GRAZ ee ah)—disgrace

esattament’ (ez AHTA ment)—yes; exactly

finocchio / finocch’ (fin NOKE yo / fin NOKE)—literally “fennel”; derogatory slang for a homosexual male

giamoke (JAH moke) / giamope (JAH mope)—southern dialect for a “sucker” or “loser”

grazie (GRATZ ee ah)—thanks

grazie mille (GRATZ ee ah MEEL eh)—thanks very much

guerra (GWHERE ah)—war

idiota (eed ee OH ta)—idiot

il mio diavolo (eel meeoh dee AH voloh)—my devil

infamitá (IN fam ee TAH)—infamy

imbecille (EEM beh CHEE leh)—imbecile

infezione (een FETZ ee own ee)—infection

la nostra famiglia (la nohstrah fa MEEL ya)—our family

lupara (LOOP ara)—shotgun

Madon’ (mah DOHN)—Madonna; Mother

Madonna mia (mah DOHN na MEE ah)—literally “my Madonna”; used as an exclamation

Madre ’Dio (MAH dreh DEE oh)—Mother of God

mammalucc’ (mama LUKE)—a friendly way of saying “stupid,” often followed by a gentle slap

mannaggia / mannagg’ (mahn NAH juh / mahn NAHJ)—southern dialect exclamation; the Italian equivalent of “damn”

mannaggia la miseria (mahn NAH juh la mee ZER eeah)—my horrible luck

mezzofinocch’ (MEHT zo fin ook)—half-homosexual; sissy

mi’ amico (MEE ah MEE coh)—my friend

mi dispiace (MEE disp YAH chay)—I’m sorry

mi dispiace davvero (MEE disp YAH chay dah vairoh)—I’m truly sorry

minchia (MEEN kee ah)—exclamatory obscenity, literally “dick”

mi vergogno (mee ver GOHN yo)—I’m ashamed

mortadell’ (mort ah DELL)—literally, a type of lunch meat; used to refer to someone as a “loser”

mostro (MOH stroh)—monster

non forzare (non FORT zahr eh)—don’t force

non piú (NON PEW)—no more

non so perché (nohn so per CEH)—I don’t know why

paisan’ (PIE zahn)—a fellow countryman

parli (PAR lee)—speak

pazzo (PAHT zoh)—crazy; mentally ill

per caritá (per car ee TAH)—for pity’s sake

per favore (PER fav OR eh)—please

per piacere (PER pee ah CHEH reh)—please

pezzonovante (PETZO novant eh)—big shot

salute (SAH loot)—roughly “cheers,” a toast

sciupafemmine (SHOOP ah FEM een eh)—womanizer

scucciameen / scucc’ (SCUTCH ah meen / SCUTCH)—someone who is a pain the neck, a bother

scungilli (skoon GEE lee)—a large mollusk with spiral shells, found along the coast of Italy.

sfaccim (sfa CHEEM)—southern dialectic vulgarity, literally “sperm”

sfogliatella (SFOO ya tell ah)—a triangular-shaped Italian pastry

sì (CEE)—yes

signora (seen YOR ah)—missus

splendido (SPLEN deed oh)—splendid

sta’zitt’ (STAH zeet)—shut up

stronz’ / stronzo, pl. stronzi (STROHNZ / STROHZ oh)—piece of shit, idiot

stugots / sticazz’ (STU ghatz)—from the Italian (qu)esto cazzo, which means “this dick” and a southern dialect cursing someone as a jerk

stupido (STU pee doh)—stupid

suicidi (soo ee CHEE dee)—suicides

va fa’ Napule! (VAH fah NAH poh lah)—exclamation; hell, damn—literally, “Go to Naples”

v’fancul’ / ’fancul’ (VAH fahn gool / FAHN gool)—literally something like “go do it in the ass”; generally means “fuck” or “what the fuck?” according to how it’s said.