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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Abbaglio’

Don't be dazzled by this Italian word.

Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/<a href=Nicolas Raymond" srcset="https://apiwp.thelocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/abbaglio-1-631x431.jpg 631w, https://apiwp.thelocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/abbaglio-1-300x205.jpg 300w, https://apiwp.thelocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/abbaglio-1-80x55.jpg 80w, https://apiwp.thelocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/abbaglio-1-108x74.jpg 108w, https://apiwp.thelocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/abbaglio-1.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px"/>
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

It comes for us all sooner or later, no matter how hard you try: at some point you’re going to make a mistake, a humiliating blunder – in Italian, an abbaglio.

Si tratta di un clamoroso abbaglio.
It’s a major blunder.

Stiamo provando di spacciarlo per un abbaglio loro, prima che incolpino noi.
We’re trying to pass it off as their mistake before they blame us.

(Hear abbaglio pronounced here.)

Abbagliare as a verb means to dazzle with a bright light, and an abbaglio can also (rarely) mean a glare or a blinding light. 

A metaphorical abbaglio occurs, then, when you’re dazzled into wrongness.

And in fact abbagliarsi – literally, to be blinded – can also mean to fall for something, to allow yourself to be deceived.

Ti sei lasciata abbagliare dalle sue false promesse.
You let yourself be tricked by her false promises.

I suoi discorsi appassionati ed eloquenti hanno abbagliato il popolo.
His impassioned and eloquent speeches blinded the public.

The noun abbaglio is often paired with the verb prendere to form prendere un abbaglio: to misunderstand, get the wrong idea, or get the wrong end of the stick.

Si vede che ha preso un abbaglio.
You can see he got the wrong end of the stick.

Prima che tu prenda un abbaglio, ti devo dire che non è interessata.
Before you go barking up the wrong tree, I have to tell you she’s not interested.

Hopefully, now you at least won’t get the wrong end of the stick when it comes to abbaglio.

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

Make sure you 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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For members

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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