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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 457.09
EAN num: 9780452270398
ISBN number: 0452270391
Label: Plume
Manufacturer: Plume
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 128
Printing Date: November 01, 1993
Publishing house: Plume
Sale Popularity Level: 310691
Studio: Plume
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
At last, a humorous, uncensored language guide to the colorful slang and rude colloquialisms that are so essential to a true understanding of everyday Italian. For the very first time, all those words and phrases that were deemed off-colour for the classroom are included in one volume.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I wish I had read the reviews before I purchased this book. I bought it as a gift for an associate that was moving to Rome. Unfortunately, this book goes way beyond slang - it's simply vulgar. Most of what is in the book wouldn't be allowed on the Amazon website.
Give this a pass!
Rated by buyers 
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More X - rated then I thought.
Great for laughs from those who really know italian.
Wonder about those who don;t :-)
Rated by buyers 
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It is a good way to undestand the italian daily, in a rough way. Differently from the romantic and ideal side...the other way to understand how italians are in their daily and how they may behave under non-normal situation. This spontaneity is more likely the daily than the "il libro è sopra la tàvola", which is tought in school.
Rated by buyers -
A woman that is passionately in love with Italy and all things Italian writes this review. This is one of those books that is not necessary but is very entertaining. My darling husband bought this many years ago. However, I have been much more amused with the book than he ever was.
The book is subdivided as follows (I have intentionally omitted the titles of the subsections since they are very colorful, which is putting it mildly):
1. Basics and Naughty Nuances
2. The Four Essentials
3. Let's be Creative
4. Love and Libido
5. Versatile Suffixes
6. Anger in Public Places
7. Let's Keep it Clean
8. For Ladies Only
9. Sexual Odds and Ends
10. The End (a test)
The book covers many different arenas where profanity is useful. Ever wondered how to say "hooker" or that "someone is well endowed" in Italian? These are the sorts of things that are covered in this book. There is even an Italian equivalent of "road hard and put away wet", go figure. I think the most creative insult I saw in this book was "you are a hooker without clients." That one really just made me giggle. Not that I can imagine a situation where I would use that phrase. Another excellent one is "the flesh of an older hooker is more tender than this steak". Only in Italy can they come up with phrases like these. The book also uses many of these words in sentences, for the overachievers in the group.
Not everything in this book is rude; some of it is actually useful. They give the Italian for the following phrases that are fit for public consumption:
I want you! ********************** Ti amo!
I need you! ********************** Ti voglio!
I am crazy about you! ************** Sono pazzo per te!
You are the only one! ************** Sei l'unico!
Without you everything will end! ****** Senza di te tutto finira!
If you are looking for a book that has Italian phrases and is entertaining this is the book for you. It won't teach you how to communicate with many people in Italy, but it certainly is enlightening. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Now all I need is a good looking blue blooded Italian male to practice my new skills with. On second thought never mind, my husband probably wouldn't approve.
Rated by buyers 
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I am an Italian-American who discovered this book on the bookshelf of one of my older cousins. It is very amusing; you will finally learn what to say to obnoxious taxi drivers! "Merda" will also teach you some exceedingly crude phrases to use in the throes of passion (although I'm not sure that you should tell your ladylove that she has "the body of a goddess"; she may become alarmed).
"Merda" contains some very common universal and regional profanities. Anywhere you go in Italy, they will probably understand what you are saying to them. (No, I am not telling you to go around calling total strangers vulgar names, but at least you'll know what to say if you get a bad waiter.) My family vouches for this; with a Southern Italian grandpa, a Northern Nonna, and a Central mom all living in the same house, one gets exposed to some very colorful language.
"Merda" is not a terrible book, but it has its fair share of errors. There are numerous article and noun disagreements (there are 6 ways to say "the" in Italian, and this book managed to confuse these articles at least 8 times). The book is not very sturdy at all and I am surprised at the high price. In short, "Merda!" is good for a laugh and to learn some rudimental curses. My advice: borrow it from your older cousin.
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