Discreto: Adjective to
describe a good-looking person.
Example: ‘Certo che i’ su ragazzo lè proprio discreto! Beata
lei!‘ (‘Her boyfriend sure is good looking! Lucky girl!’)
Biscotto della salute: Literally,
‘health biscuit.’ This is what Florentines call the ubiquitous fetta biscottata, most likely because
the crispy Melba toasts are served in the hospital with morning tea or
caffelatte.
Example: ‘Un mi sento bene
stasera e ceno con tè e biscotti della salute.’ (‘I’m not feeling
great tonight, so I think I’ll have tea and Melba toast for dinner.’)
Pappina: To beat an opponent in a game, in this case it means
goal scoring.
Example: ‘Grande Viola! Du’ pappine a i’ Catania e zitti a casa!’ (‘Nice
work, Viola! Two goals against Catania and we sent them home silent!’)
[This article was published on September 27, 2012 and has been corrected online for a typographical error.]
