Six Italian strange words

Italian boasts a good number of strange words like the linguistic gem spupazzare, a word that exemplifies the whimsical nature of the Italian language. In this article, I’ll delve into the intriguing world of spupazzare and explore some other weird and wonderful Italian words that add color to the linguistic tapestry of Italy.

Spupazzare

Among the list of Italian strange words, to me spupazzare is probably on the top five. The Italian word spupazzare comes from the word pupazzo, a figure, especially human, drawn, sculpted or made of various materials, it can be a puppet, a stuffed animal, etc.

Spupazzare has at least two different meanings in Italian:

a. to entertain, distract a small child by rocking him or bobbing him:

Dopo una settimana che non vedevo mio figlio, l’ho spupazzato tutto (After a week that I hadn’t seen my son, I cuddled him all over).

b. to pamper, to spoil a girl:

Ama essere spupazzata dal suo fidanzato (She loves to be cuddled by her boyfriend).

c. to entertain, take care of somebody despite not feeling like it = to pamper a guest for a week. It’s often used with a reflexive pronoun – mi, ti, ci, si, ci, vi, si:

Purtroppo, mi devo spupazzare i suoceri per una settimana intera! (Unfortunately, I’ve to take care of my in-laws for an entire week)

Scroccone

The Italian word scroccone comes from the verb scroccare which means to mooch something off someone else, especially with the intention of not returning the favor.

For example, scroccare una cena (to freeload a meal), scroccare un pacchetto di sigarette (to bum a cigarette pack), etc. And scroccone is the noun that refers to someone that mooches something off:

Mario è proprio uno scroccone! (Mario is really a moocher/freeloader!).

Gufare

On the list of Italian strange words there’s also gufare. Gufare comes from the word gufo (howl) and it’s used to describe the act of rooting against someone or wishing them bad luck.

Similar to the English expression “to jinx,” “gufare” reflects a superstitious belief in the power of negative thoughts to influence outcomes.

Fesso

This colloquial term can be used both as a noun and as an adjective. It describes someone who is gullible, naive, or easily fooled.

While not as harsh as some Italian insults, “fesso” conveys a sense of foolishness or simple-mindedness:

E’ proprio un fesso se ci ha creduto! (He’s really a fool if he believed it!).

Spocchia

This term refers to an attitude of arrogance or haughtiness, often accompanied by a sense of superiority or condescension.

Spocchia reflects a disdainful attitude towards others perceived as inferior:

Ma quanta spocchia! (What arrogance!).

Menefreghista

Finally, the last one in today’s list of Italian strange words is menefreghista. This uniquely Italian adjective refers to someone who encapsulates a nonchalant attitude or indifference towards life’s challenges and tribulations:

Sei proprio un menefreghista. Ma come fai?! (You’re really indifferent. How can you do that?!)

How many of these Italian strange words did you know?

If you found this article useful, don’t forget to share it with the world and to like our Facebook Page!

---

Credits

Image by Copilot