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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Spendaccione’

Spend a little time with this Italian word.

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

Chances are you know someone who today’s word would describe perfectly.

Helpfully enough for English speakers, the Italian verb spendere means what it sounds like: ‘to spend’.

And the noun spendaccione (hear it pronounced here) is used to describe a person who does just that, with reckless abandon.

The term could be literally translated as ‘big spender’, as the Italian suffix –one (pronounced oh-neh) makes any noun into a bigger version of itself.

But spendaccione isn’t a word you’d use to describe lavish displays of generosity from someone wealthy enough to afford it.

It’s more fitting for the flatmate who can never pay their share of the rent on time, but has no shortage of cash for new clothes and nights out. It’s the family member who always seems to be struggling to pay their credit card bill despite earning a decent salary.

Where does all their money go? Boh.

– Non posso permettermi di essere uno spendaccione come il mio amico Marco, che spende soldi senza pensarci due volte per cose frivole e inutili.

– I can’t let myself be a spendthrift like my friend Marco, who spends money without a second thought on frivolous and useless things.

As you can see, the term carries connotations of financial recklessness and irresponsibility – this person definitely isn’t spending within their means.

Italians might even say this person has le mani bucate, or ‘holes in their hands’. The money just seems to slip right through.

For the most hopeless spendthrifts of all, the harsher description of scialacquatore might apply, which literally sounds like ‘water spiller’ but means something like “waster” or “squanderer”.

– ha scialacquato tutto il suo

– he squandered everything he had

The person who’s the polar opposite of a spendaccione meanwhile could be described as being tirchio (tight-fisted) or having le braccine corte: literally ‘short arms’.

Like the English phrase “short arms and deep pockets”, it’s used to describe those people who are seemingly physically unable to reach their wallets when it’s time to pay for anything.

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

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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘Al volo’

We’re sure you’ll learn this Italian phrase in no time.

Italian expression of the day: ‘Al volo’

If you’ve ever found yourself at an Italian airport and looked up at the departure board, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with the word volo, which is the Italian equivalent of ‘flight’ – but also the first person singular of the verb volare (to fly) in the present tense.

And if you’re a fan of classical music, you may of course have heard of Italy’s famous opera trio Il Volo (‘The Flight’).

But what do Italians mean when they say they’re going to do something al volo (hear it pronounced here)? 

Much like its closest English equivalent, ‘on the fly’, al volo has very little to do with aircraft or flying as it’s one of the most common Italian phrases to say that you’re doing something ‘quickly’ or ‘readily’, often without having prepared it or thought about it much beforehand.

Facciamoci una pasta al volo e poi usciamo.

Let’s cook some pasta on the fly and then get out.

Ho dovuto preparare la presentazione al volo perché non mi avevano avvisato della riunione.

I had to put the presentation together on the fly as I’d not been notified of the meeting. 

But usage of al volo is not limited to practical actions or tasks you may do quickly and without much thought. 

In fact, you can also pair it with the verb capire (understand), comprendere (comprehend) or imparare (learn) to say that you grasped something ‘immediately’ or ‘in no time’, meaning you won’t need any further explanation. 

Tuo figlio capisce tutto al volo. Ha un grande futuro davanti a lui, a mio parere.

Your son understands everything in no time. He’s got a great future ahead of him, in my opinion.

And if you haven’t fully understood or grasped something on your first try (which is painfully likely when dealing with Italy’s infamous red tape, even for locals), don’t worry: you’ll always have the option to ask a domanda al volo, or a ‘quick question’, to clear up your doubts. 

Another popular way to use the phrase is in relation to big opportunities, whether that be in life, in education or at work. So an opportunity that va presa al volo must be seized immediately as it’s too good to be missed. 

Finally, if you’re planning on watching Euro 2024 matches on Italian TV over the next month, you may hear football commentators use al volo multiple times while analysing a match as colpire la palla al volo means to strike it while it’s in the air, or ‘volley’ it.

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

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