Italians routinely use their hands to add emphasis to their speech.
We spent a Sunday afternoon watching (and listening with our ears and eyes) as a
bunch of Piemontese had a backyard barbecue and solved all the world's problems.
"I'm eating."
"A toast" or "I'm about ready to drink."
"What can I say?"
I can't quite interpret this except to say the word "Me" is in there
somewhere.
Elena is saying something about pasta-kneading techniques.
Her audience is saying "Basta, I've heard enough."
"It was cosi...this big."
When their shoulders are up by their ears, this usually means "Eh...whaddya
want from me?"
"He's safe!" shouted the baseball umpire.
I think, though, he was talking about Silvio Berlusconi's grasp of reality.
"Niente!"
"And blah, blah, blah, blah-issmo."
Hands down--must mean "Okay, I'll listen to you for a few seconds."
"Hey, send some wine down to this end of the table, Alfredo!"
"It's a long ways away from here."
An indication of some sort of precision.
"Would you like some more Vietti Arneis?"
"The pizza was this big."
One guy giving directions to the restaurant, the other guy complaining the place
isn't free.
Luciana explains the intricacies of cutting the pasta into
"tagliatelle" (tajarin in Piemontese).
"Yes, I think I will have some red wine!"
"Stop!"
"I think I'll make some pizzas...I can't listen to all that crap out
there."
"The mountains of Puerto Rico are like this."
"We ordered a bistecca this size."
"It was cooked perfectly!"
"There was another restaurant over there."
"They didn't know if they were coming or going."
"The veal scaloppini was too thick."
"If you want some Moscato, bring your damned glass over here and I'll pour
some for you."
"That's what I'm talking about!"
"What can I tell you, eh?"
"You didn't know I am a black belt in Karate, did you?"
"Si! It's true!"
"You can't have any gelato because I'm finishing it!"
"I think he did eat the whole thing."
"Let me tell you one thing."
(said in stereo)
"We were heading down the hill and the car had no brakes!"
"Everyone was peeing in their pants."
"It was a small collision."
"It would have better to stay on the road instead of crashing into that
tree."
"Let me count how many pairs of shoes I have at home."
"Not as many as this lady."
"Clean fingernails are good when you're making pasta by hand."
"Don't drive when you're asleep."
"I drive a lot when I'm asleep."
"Pedestrians usually get the hell out of my way, that's for sure!"
"I love seeing them frightened. It scares the crap out of them."
"I'm fed up to here with your snoring."
"I heard this story two hours ago."
"Those adults are crazy. I think I'll have some watermelon."
"Would you like some of this homemade fruit tart?"
"Geez...when can we leave?"
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