The Alternative Italian Dictionary
The Alternative Italian Dictionary
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- b
- bagascia
- ++
bitch, whore
- baldracca
- +
whore ?, bitch ?
Insult used towards a woman.
- bocchinara
- ++
promiscuous woman
lett. "woman who likes to give blow-jobs"
- Bocchino
- +
to suck a dickhead
- boiata
a worthless or useless thing
- brinka
- +
pussy
- c
- cacca
- -
poo, doo-doo
- cagare
- +
to shit, to defecate
- cagna
- +
bitch, cow
Insult towards a woman. Literal meaning: "bitch" (female dog).
- carita: per carita!
for pity's sake!
- cazzata
- +
(in plural) nonsense
eg "Sono cazzate" ("That's bullshit")
- +
a worthless or useless thing
- cazzo
- +
(figurative sense) prick, dickhead, etc.
The figurative sense is a pejorative term used as an insult.
- +
(literal sense) cock, prick;
- che/dove/chi (etc) cazzo...
- ++
what/where/who (etc) the fuck...
A euphemistic form is "che (etc) cavolo..." ("what (etc) the heck...")
- checca
(adj) camp, effeminate
Applied to gay men.
(n) fairy, queen
An effeminate gay man.
- chiappa
cheek
- chiavare
to screw
Refers to heterosexual sex only.
- chiavata
- +
a lay, a screw (ie a woman considered as a sexual object or sexual conquest)
Generally used by heterosexuals only.
- ciucciami il cazzo
- +
suck my dick
- coglioni
- +
bollocks, balls (ie the testicles)
See also "palle".
- cornuto
- +
bastard, shit
Being branded a cuckold is very insulting to the Italian male ego. An alternative and equivalent insult is the gesture of pointing one's hand towards the intended target with the forefinger and little finger extended, like a pair of horns.
a man whose wife has been unfaithful to him
Literally "horned", "having horns".
- culo
arse (US: ass, fanny)
- d
- di merda
- +
fucking (adj), shit- (modifier)
Used after a noun as an intensifier; eg "macchina di merda!" ("fucking machine!"), "stronzo di merda!" ("fucking bastard!", "shithead!")
- ditalino
a wank (ie an act of masturbation)
Applied to women only. From "dito" meaning "finger".
- f
- femminuccia
sissy
Applied to effeminate boys or men, irrespective of actual sexuality.
- figa
- +
a woman, especially as a sexual object
- +
pussy;
This sense refers to the female genitalia.
- figlio di puttana
- +
sonofabitch
- finocchio
- +
homosexual, queer
lett. "fennel"
- +
queer, faggot
Derogatory term for a gay man not usually used by gay men themselves. Literal meaning: "fennel".
- fottere
- ++
to fuck
Also used in "va a farti fottere!" ("fuck off!", "fuck you!";
- fottersi
- ++
not to care
to fuck oneself. Me ne fotto di te -> I don't giva a fuck about you
- fregna - noun, fem.
- ++
cunt, vagina
- frocio
gay
Once quite offensive, now is also used by gay people to refer to themselves
- froscio
queer
A milder form of "frocio" used by gay men themselves. Literally "fennel".
- g
- grilletto
- ++
clitoris
lett. "trigger" of a gun
- guanto
condom
lett. "glove"
- i
- incazzarsi
- +
to get pissed off (ie angry)
Based on "cazzo" (qv). A euphemistic form is "incavolarsi" (to get steamed up, to get worked up).
- incoglionirsi
- +
to get pissed off
From "coglioni" (qv).
- l
- leccaculo
- ++
ass-kisser
lett. "one who licks ass"
- loffa
- +
fart
- m
- mannaggia!
damn!, for goodness sake!
Commonly heard in Rome to express impatience or disappointment.
- merda
shit
Used as a noun to refer to excrement, something or someone offensive or disliked or as an interjection.
- merdata
- +
(in plural) nonsense
- +
a worthless or useless thing
From "merda" (qv).
- merdoso
- +
crap(py), shit(ty) (adjs)
- mignotta
- ++
whore, slut
Used pejoratively of sexually dissolute women or gay men
- minchia
- ++
cock, dick
Expression used especially at the South of Italy, but very common everywhere. Note that the gender is feminine!
- minchione
- +
a stupid person
lett. "big dick"
- mona
- +
pussy
Expression used especially in the North-East part of Italy, but well known everywhere.
- p
- palle
- +
balls, bollocks, bullshit
In the figurative sense of "nonsense". Often heard as "che palle!" ("bullshit!", "bollocks!").
balls
In the literal sense of "testicles".
guts, balls, nerve
- palle: rompere le palle a qualcuno
- +
to piss someone off, to get on someone's tits
Literally "to break someone's balls".
- patacca
- +
pussy
- pesce
willy, peter
Literal meaning: "fish".
- pipa
- +
masturbation
lett. "pipe". Farsi una pipa -> to jerk off (lett. to smoke a pipe)
- pipi`
- -
wee-wee, pee
- pisciare
to piss
- piscio
piss (noun)
- pisello
- -
willy (UK), peter (US)
Also as "pisellino" ("peepee", "winkle")
- pompa
blowjob (ie fellatio)
- porca madonna
- +
Christ!
Considered blasphemous.
- porca miseria
- +
bloody hell
- porca puttana
- ++
fucking hell!
- porca
- +
bloody, fucking (adj)
Used in combinations such as "porca miseria!", "porca puttana!", "porca madonna!" (qqv)
- puttana
- +
(whore, pro, hooker
Used in the literal sense of "prostitute" and figuratively to refer to a sexually dissolute person (male or female).
- q
- quaglia
- +
girl, pussy
- r
- recchione (ricchione)
- +
homosexual
lett. "big ear"
- regina
queen
Term for a gay man, especially one who is effeminate.
- rincoglionire
- +
to became stupid
Especially referred to old people.
- rizzarsi
- +
erection
Mi si e' rizzato il cazzo -> I had an erection
- rompiballe
- +
nuisance, bothersome person
lett. "ball-breaker"
- s
- sbattere
- +
to fuck
lett. "to beat"
- sbattersi
- +
not to care
lett. "to beat oneself". Me ne sbatto il cazzo -> I don't give a shit.
- sborra
- +
cum (ie semen)
- sbrodolata
- +
faster than a sveltina
etymology: brodo = consomme ; sbrodolata = a staining with consomme (outcome) ; Word used in Calabria and Sicily for a fuck through the trousers' fly
- scopare
- +
to screw, to fuck
Generic term for "to copulate". Not as strong as "fottere". "Scopa" means a broom.
- scopata
- +
a screw, a lay
A woman or gay man as a sexual partner.
- scorreggiare
- +
to fart
- sega
a wank, an act of masturbation
Literally "saw". Applied to men only. See also "ditalino".
- sticchio
- ++
pussy
Expression used only in the South of Italy. Note that the gender is masculine!
- stronza
- +
cunt, cow, bitch
Female form of "stronzo" (sense (ii)) (qv).
- stronzata
- +
bullshit (ie nonsense)
Formed from "stronzo" (qv)
- stronzo
- +
bastard, shit
Refers to someone one does not like or finds offensive. Female form: "stronza".
turd
Literal sense.
- sveltina
- +
faster than a chiavata
etymology: svelto = in hurry ; sveltina = a fast action without any importance
- t
- terrone
South italian people
So call with contempt north italian people south italian people.
- testa di cazzo
- +
Cockhead
Used to insult someone, without a really specific reason, just because you disagree with him/her
- tette
- +
tits
- troia
- +
(UK) tart, slag, slut
A sexually dissolute person (male or female). Used especially among gay men, its literal meaning is "sow" (female pig).
- u
- uccello
willy, peter
Literal meaning: "bird".
- v
- vaffanculo
- +
fuck off
Also the standard expression for disagreeing strongly with another
- venire
to come (in the sexual sense)

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