Has anyone ever heard this expression?

As a nation state, Italy has emerged only in 1871. Until then the country was politically divided into a large number of independant cities, provinces and islands. The currently available evidences point out to a dominant Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultural influence on today's Italians.
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Julo
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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alifano76 wrote:TO ALYZA... I know very well the meaning of the tongue-twister you said (Cheech kah-mah-nah kah-lah - Kah-lah kah-mah-nah cheech). The correct version is (in the dialect of Alife): Cicciu cumànn'a Còla e Cola cumànn'a Cicciu. Its translation into Italian is: Francesco comanda a Nicola e Nicola comanda a Francesco. In english is: Frank orders (do something) to Nick and Nick orders (do something) to Frank. We use this proverb to indicate when someone wants to do something and asking someone else to do, so as to "bounce" the thing to do ... I hope you understand my explanation... GAETANO
You are right !
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Julo
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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MaryMena wrote:As to the word "Scustumata".

I am from Calabria and that word is a dialect word still widely used among my relatives. It simply means bad mannered, rude, or not showing the proper respect.

Mary
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Julo
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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donnawright wrote:I hesitate because I don't know what the heck these things say, but this one has never been in a complimentary manner either. Here goes.

ed nah gaddita da mammita

The first emphasis was on the Ed

Sorry if it's bad.

Donna
de mammata means: your mothers'
ed nah gaddita ??? never heard it before, but it sounds like she was cursing the mother
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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Julo,

Perhaps you know the phrase "booch nas kah tah" or something like that. I am told it means I hope you burst/bust.
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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LOL. Italians are so colorful and / or creative with their language. It just cracks me up.
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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aliza24 wrote:LOL. Italians are so colorful and / or creative with their language. It just cracks me up.
Yes, that phrase makes me laugh every time I hear it. My great grandmother would bite her hand while she said it.
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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Biting her hand- ha ha! That's another thing- how animated they are.

I saw Martin Scorsese on a talk show once and he was telling a funny story about shooting the film Gangs of New York in Italy and what a challenge it was at times. He needed a lot of extras for this one scene but needed light-haired / eyed Italians.

They advertised and got the extras. He said they had to tell them to just PRETEND that they were having a conversation in the background without saying anything. Well, they DID keep quiet but they were all moving their hands and making gestures. LOL.

They had to keep telling them "don't move your hands!" Even a FAKE conversation couldn't come without the appropriate gestures! That just cracks me up.
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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aliza24 wrote:Biting her hand- ha ha! That's another thing- how animated they are.

I saw Martin Scorsese on a talk show once and he was telling a funny story about shooting the film Gangs of New York in Italy and what a challenge it was at times. He needed a lot of extras for this one scene but needed light-haired / eyed Italians.

They advertised and got the extras. He said they had to tell them to just PRETEND that they were having a conversation in the background without saying anything. Well, they DID keep quiet but they were all moving their hands and making gestures. LOL.

They had to keep telling them "don't move your hands!" Even a FAKE conversation couldn't come without the appropriate gestures! That just cracks me up.
:lol: I've been told several times that I talk with my hands.
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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My husband and best friend claim if you tied my hands together
I couldn't talk...... :lol:
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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wldspirit wrote:My husband and best friend claim if you tied my hands together
I couldn't talk...... :lol:
:lol:

Well, to me it just feels unnatural talking without moving my hands.
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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It is unnatural......I've tried and it just doesn't work!! :wink:
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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My family originally came from Reggio Calabria, my uncle Frank & any cousins were always called Cheech. I also was told that a "chooch" meant that you were a jackass. Just my .02 cents...Johnnie.... P.S. Someone tied my hands together. so im typing this with my nose...lol
Researching IEMMA, From Cittanova, Reggio Calabria, also YEMMA & AMIE from Syracuse NY
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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Ciccio (Cheech) is a popular nickname
Ciuccio (chooch) means indeed a jackass
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Julo
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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Squigy wrote:Julo,

Perhaps you know the phrase "booch nas kah tah" or something like that. I am told it means I hope you burst/bust.
booch ???never heard

The closest thing that comes to mind is the neapolitan: "puozzano schiattá "
which indeed means: May they burst

it sure sounds like what you wrote in pig italian :roll:
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Re: Has anyone ever heard this expression?

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Julo wrote:
Squigy wrote:Julo,

Perhaps you know the phrase "booch nas kah tah" or something like that. I am told it means I hope you burst/bust.
booch ???never heard

The closest thing that comes to mind is the neapolitan: "puozzano schiattá "
which indeed means: May they burst

it sure sounds like what you wrote in pig italian :roll:
I was thinking maybe it was one of those sayings that got muddled in America. Like Sophia Petrillo's "Botchagaloop".
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