Comments on: Italian Swear Words – Jessica’s 8 Favorites

By: A. Gambino

A. Gambino — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:24:55 +0000

Interesting words and word combinations. I am trying to find out what “vacca d’un cane” means. I know what it means literally, but what does it really signify. Can anyone help?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:15:41 +0000

Thanks, Anna!

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:01:34 +0000

Never heard “fare i gattini” but there are big differences from one region to the other as to idiomatic forms and swearwords. The ones you published are indeed widely used. What else? ..if you want a red- light word, what about “stronzo”? . that is also quite used at least in northern Italy. It literaly means “turd” and is used for “asshole”.
Good job! congrats, one of the few guides that tell things as they are and are not based on stereotypes.

By: .

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:21:32 +0000

It is!

By: Charles LoPresto

Charles LoPresto — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:40:15 +0000

A shorter but less colorfull version of Chiara’s would be the Sicilian, ‘cornuto che è tu padre’ (pronounced patre), which calls your father a cuckold, your mother a whore and you a bastard, all at the same time. Also vaffanculo is not va fan culo as Bernie states, but va fa in culo. Literally go do it in your ass. As far as his sound changes for sicilian american speakers, I agree with most of his except that the p sounds more like a b as in picciotti (guys or boys) pronounced biccotti, as well as the v in vaffanculo sounds like baffangulo

Cialuzzo

By: chiara

chiara — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:06:50 +0000

i’m italian i never heard “fare i gattini”…maybe it is used just in the south..
u can learn… porca di quella maiala di tua madre baldracca che ti ha messo al mondo schifosa mignotta che ama farsi chiavare da delle teste di minchia come tuo padre!!!..learn this!!!..very Swear Words

By: Thom

Thom — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:01:23 +0000

I’ve head a similar phrase, “capo di legna” translated to “head of wood”. I guess it’s like us calling someone a Blockhead.

By: Bernie Bierman

Bernie Bierman — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:38:19 +0000

The expression written here as “:vaffanculo” is actually “Va fan culo” (lit, “make it to go up the ass”). In southern Italian, including Sicilian speech, the “v” often becomes a “p”; the “c” becomes a “g” and ending vowels are plainly dropped. Thus, to many who heard Italian spoken in the streets of New York, Boston and Philadelphia, the expression “Va fan culo” came out “Pafangul”. Likewise the word “citrullo” (blockhead, knucklehead, dumbhead) came out “shidrul” (or “shidrool”). And pasta fagiola morphed into “pastafazul”. And with “c’s” becoming “g’s”, “p’s becoming “b’s” and ending vowels dropped everywhere, the meat known as capicola became…(hold onto your memories) “GABANGUL”, as did “cazzo in culo” become “gatzingul”.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:01:55 +0000

Well, “basilico” is just the Italian word for “basil” – and I’ve never heard that used as a swear word.

By: catherine verrilli

catherine verrilli — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:34:08 +0000

Ah, so funny! My aunt and I were just talking on the phone about this–all the different swears we heard growing up–she from my grandparents, and me from everyone. We were laughing so hard. I definitely have to say that Porca miseria came up, along with the porca Madonna, and sp: vaffanculo! We also heard bruta simia, too. I know I shouldn’t, but I’m sorry–this is funny stuff! My husband is just learning these, even though he’s married into this Italian family 25 years. Sometimes saying these words, in fun, bring back a lot of memories from being a kid. In my family, a lot of these swears always had a smirk, too.

But hey, I do have a question. My cousin married a Sicilian and he says something I’m not understanding. Basilico? Is that remotely familiar to you? Maybe my spelling is off.

Ciao, amici. )