My mother still says that to me when she wants me to shut upmisbris wrote:Hi,
We pronounced it something like "stata zitta"
Has anyone ever heard this expression?
- blissiorio
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?
Researching surnames:
[In Teramo area] - Core / Fani / Venanzi / Secone / di Luca / Vannoni / Leteo / Bianchini / Cistola / Felicione / di Marco / Casalena / Romantini / Cintioli / di Francesco / Caponi / Foschi / Traini / d'Ascenzo / Ciare / Ciavattini
[In Campagna and Eboli] - Iorio / Adelizzi
[In Teramo area] - Core / Fani / Venanzi / Secone / di Luca / Vannoni / Leteo / Bianchini / Cistola / Felicione / di Marco / Casalena / Romantini / Cintioli / di Francesco / Caponi / Foschi / Traini / d'Ascenzo / Ciare / Ciavattini
[In Campagna and Eboli] - Iorio / Adelizzi
Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?
This is incredible! I never imagined that asking a question about an expression would lead to 7 pages in this thread! Fantastic!!
I love hearing everyone share their expressions and memories.
AND...to top it all off I got the answer to my question, one that's puzzled me for years! (Thanks, Suanj)
I love hearing everyone share their expressions and memories.
AND...to top it all off I got the answer to my question, one that's puzzled me for years! (Thanks, Suanj)
- montclaire
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?
blissiorio wrote:My mother still says that to me when she wants me to shut upmisbris wrote:Hi,
We pronounced it something like "stata zitta"
My wife's family is from Sicily and they pronouce it STET-SA ZEET
Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?
I'm just reading this interesting discussion.
I hope I can explain some expression, or at least I suppose to:
I hope you could understand me.
As to
cicci camana calla
callla camana cicci
I've never heard it, but it sounds to me like:
Ciccio ca mana calla,
cala ca mana, Ciccio!
Ciccio con la mano calda,
cala con la mano, Ciccio!
Ciccio, who have a hot hand,
put your hand down, Ciccio!
But it wouldn't have the meaning Aliza explained.
I hope I can explain some expression, or at least I suppose to:
I think it should be "mannaggia!", a typical popular expression of all southern Italy, deriving from a dialectal corruption of "male ne abbia" ("may it have damage"). It is generally used alone or in conjunction with other words to lighten or strengthen the effect (for instance "mannaggia la miseria" o "mannaggia a capa tua", or in some hard blasphemy)My great grandmother was from Sicily. She used to always say something like: mangiadigabba!
It was kinda like "mamma mia!," usually said in response to something really frustrating happens. She'd throw her hands up in the air while saying it.
This should be "manc' p''a capa" (southern dialect, expecially neapolitan; in Italian it wouls be "nemmeno per la testa") and means something like "it doesn't even cross my mind"; for instance, if you are asked to do something you absolutely don't want to, you answer "manc' p''a capa" to say you never will. Or, if you told someone to do something, when you state he/she has not done it yet, you say the same.The phrase I remember was "manga pa gab" which means something like without thinking or not using you head.
I hope you could understand me.
As to
cicci camana calla
callla camana cicci
I've never heard it, but it sounds to me like:
Ciccio ca mana calla,
cala ca mana, Ciccio!
Ciccio con la mano calda,
cala con la mano, Ciccio!
Ciccio, who have a hot hand,
put your hand down, Ciccio!
But it wouldn't have the meaning Aliza explained.
Giuseppe "Pippo" Moccaldi
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?
I don't think this saying has nothing to do with pots and kettles.aliza24 wrote:My family's been in the US for a few generations. We still have some old expressions that have been passed down that we say and there's one that I've always been curious about.
I don't know how you would spell it- or even if it's been changed over the years- so I'm curious if anyone else has ever heard something similar.
It goes something like this (written as it would sound it in English):
Cheech kah-mah-nah kah-lah
Kah-lah kah-mah-nah cheech
Or an approximate Italian spelling:
cicci camana calla
callla camana cicci
It's supposed to be the equivalent of "the pot calling the kettle black"
As in- if someone who is short calls someone else short you say "cicci camana calla, calla camana cicci!"
FYI- My people were from the Alife area in Caserta. A little NE of Naples.
If anyone's ever heard something like this I'd love to hear from you.
It may simply mean:
Ciccio comanda Carlo
Carlo comanda a Ciccio
Which translates to:
Frank gives orders to Carl
Carl gives orders to Frank
It's basically a saying that describes delegating someone else to do your work.
Happy Easter to all !