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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Attaccabottoni’

This Italian word would really like a few minutes of your time.

Italian word of the day: 'Attaccabottoni'
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

That chatty nonno at the bottom of your road who’s determined to stop you for a half-hour lecture about his zinnias each time you pass by? He’s an attaccabottoni.

This word could literally be translated to mean someone who “attaches your buttons”: the image it conjures up is of someone keeping you a little too close for a little too long, as if they were repairing the jacket you’re wearing. Or, as we might say in English, buttonholing you.

In other words, they’ll talk your ear off, whether you want them to or not.

È un tremendo attaccabottoni.
He’s such a windbag.

The nice thing, for those of us who sometimes struggle to remember which ending to use, is that attaccabottoni is invariable: whether you’re talking about a man or a women, one windbag or – heaven forbid – a whole crowd of them, the word doesn’t change.

Camminava rapida per scoraggiare gli attaccabottoni.
She walked quickly to discourage buttonholers. 

The term is sort of a pun in Italian, because attaccare discorso con qualcuno means ‘to strike up conversation with someone’.

And you’ll sometimes see the phrase attaccare bottone used to mean ‘strike up a conversation’ or ‘make an approach’, especially with someone new. 

In fact there are even self-help guides on how to attaccare bottone with an attractive stranger; but please, please, read the signals and take the hint when you’re pinning anybody – or their buttons – down.

Do you have an Italian word you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

Don’t miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day: download our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then select the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Rimorchiare’

Here's an Italian word you'll want to pick up.

Italian word of the day: 'Rimorchiare'

If you’ve ever studied for your foglio rosa (provisional driver’s licence) exam in Italy, you’re sure to have come across the word rimorchio (trailer).

Theory test T/F question: ‘The width of the trailer must never exceed that of the vehicle pulling it.’

Credo che dovremo noleggiare un rimorchio per trasportare tutta la merce.
I think we might need to rent a trailer to transport all the goods.

And rimorchiare, along with the more formal trainare, means to haul or tow.

La barca è stata rimorchiata a riva.
The boat was towed to shore.

But rimorchiare isn’t just used to talk about vehicles. It also means to pick or chat someone up, or hook up with them.

Sono usciti per rimorchiare.
They’ve gone out on the pull.

Se n’è appena andata con un tipo che ha rimorchiato.
She just left with some guy she picked up.

A rimorchiatore is a tugboat, but can also mean a player/persistent flirt, and rimorchione/a also describes someone who’s constantly chatting people up.

got talent nina GIF by Italia's Got Talent

In some parts of the country, meanwhile, you might hear someone described as a provolone – a big tryhard or wannabe player.

That’s a wordplay based on the reflexive verb provarci, meaning ‘to try it on with’, and the famous Italian cheese. 

È un gran provolone ma non riesce mai a rimorchiare.
He’s a real tryhard but he never manages to pull.

Do you have a favourite Italian word or expression you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

Don’t miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day: download our app (available on Apple and Android) and then select the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

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