Biancone: Local nickname for the giant marble Neptune fountain in
piazza della Signoria. Literally translated as the big white one’, the statue
has historically been mocked for its exaggerated size and girth. During the
winter of 1985, which was particularly harsh, you could hear moms telling their
kids, >Ciccio, corri in piazza della Signoria a vedere i’ Biancone tutto
congelato!’ ((Little one, run down to piazza della Signoria to see the
Biancone frozen over!’)
Special thanks to Vieri Wiechmann for sharing some of
his favorite Florentinisms:
prendere pesci in faccia: To be treated like dirt.
Example: Hai
visto ieri sera il dibattito in televisione? Si sono presi a pesci in faccia! (Did you see the debate on TV last night? They really treated each other like dirt!)
battere il culo: In old style Florentine, it means to go bankrupt. The
saying dates back to the Middle Ages. When a business failed, the owner was
taken to the Porcellino market for public humiliation:
while he was held by the arms and legs, the failed businessman’s backside was
beaten against the marble circle still visible in the center of the loggia
today. It is said that the number of whacks was in direct relation to how bad’
the bankruptcy was. Good thing this practice is out of use today-who knows how
many painful backsides there would be!
Example: Che lo sai perchh il
negozio di Mario sempre chiuso? (Do you know why Mario’s store is always
closed?) Eh, l’ha battuto i’cculo!
(Yeah, he went bankrupt!)
THIS COLUMN IS INTERACTIVE: What are your favorite
Florentinisms?
Write to redazione@theflorentine.net with
your top picks, including definitions. Be a co-author!
