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fighettino

English translation: fashionista, fly, scene kid, chav, cool dresser (depending on context)

02:44 May 22, 2006
Italian to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Italian term or phrase: fighettino
This is answer to a survey of young people asking them what type of persons they admire.
Paul Sadur
Local time: 01:22
English translation:fashionista, fly, scene kid, chav, cool dresser (depending on context)
Explanation:
Premetto: In English, it's easier to find adjectives than nouns for the condition of being "fighetto." That said: The words "swell," "dandy," and "fop" were also once in wide use but are now all but forgotten. In the '80s, "tubular" and "rad" had their 15 minutes. In contemporary hip-hop jargon, such a person is "stylin'" or "badass" or "fly." So much depends on the era, the context, the social class being described, whether the reference expresses admiration or disparagement, and the emphasis - "cool dresser," e.g., if the emphasis is on the clothes, or "fashion slave," "fashion victim," or "fashionista" for humor/irony; other options (such as the slightly dated "preppie") exist that emphasize attitudes/general taste/demeanor. Trendy (adj. and noun), trendoid (adj.) dime (n.; referencing the idea that someone is a "10"), chav/kev (adj. - chiefly UK, I believe) scene (adj.) scenester (n.), and the addition of the suffix "-core" or "-xcore" (referencing "hard core) are all possible. FWIW, "toff" is all but incomprehensible in AE. Given that this is a survey of contemporary young people, I’d try Urban Dictionary for up-to-the-minute slang terms.
Selected response from:

WendellR
Local time: 08:22
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2fashionista, fly, scene kid, chav, cool dresser (depending on context)
WendellR
4 +1poseur / poser
Claire Titchmarsh (X)
4pimp, pimpsta (n)/pimped out, tight (adj)
Danette St. Onge
3toff
Luuk Arens
3Chav
Isabel Booth
3metrosexual,fashion puppy/bunny
Emily Goodpaster


  

Answers


22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
toff


Explanation:
fighettini: persone che tengono comportamenti altezzosi nei confronti del genere umano per il semplice fatto che magari sono belle (fisicamente), benestanti e quindi vestite sempre all'ultimissima moda (fonte: Slangopedia, lo slang interattivo, L'Espresso)

I think the British equivalent is 'toff' (well-dressed or upper-class person).


Luuk Arens
Netherlands
Local time: 08:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Chav


Explanation:
This is the term usd by my very steet-wise 15 yr old nephew, it was new to me so I found out what he was on about via google ...see link to dictionary


    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chavhttp://
Isabel Booth
Local time: 08:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Claire Titchmarsh (X): I thought it might be this too, but a chav has class-based connotations that don't really exist in Italy.
2 mins
  -> Yes, the Italians are less class conscious but they are "money conscious". I agree it's not a compliment, neither is fightettino, but chav is a bit stronger
neutral  WendellR: Not sure I agree about the class-based connotations. Think of: coatto, zagno, zama, zappona, appariscente, zarro, cafone - many of which have class-based inflections.
13 mins
agree  Gail Patricia Bulla - nee Charrion
2 hrs
disagree  Silvia Prendin: I agree with Claire. Chav has nothing to do with fighettino http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chav http://www.slangsite.com/slang/C.html
2 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
poseur / poser


Explanation:
A poser is someone who dresses and behaves in a certain way to get attention. But it's not something you'd say if you admired someone. Maybe they meant "snappy dresser".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2006-05-22 07:22:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or fashion victim

Claire Titchmarsh (X)
Local time: 08:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  WendellR: Yes! But, as you say, only if the comment expresses criticism!
15 mins
  -> Thanks Wendell. But what I meant about the class-based connotations was not that Italians are not class-conscious at all, but that "chav" is strictly British, referring to a Burberry-wearing "lower-class" person, hence no real equivalent in Italy.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
fashionista, fly, scene kid, chav, cool dresser (depending on context)


Explanation:
Premetto: In English, it's easier to find adjectives than nouns for the condition of being "fighetto." That said: The words "swell," "dandy," and "fop" were also once in wide use but are now all but forgotten. In the '80s, "tubular" and "rad" had their 15 minutes. In contemporary hip-hop jargon, such a person is "stylin'" or "badass" or "fly." So much depends on the era, the context, the social class being described, whether the reference expresses admiration or disparagement, and the emphasis - "cool dresser," e.g., if the emphasis is on the clothes, or "fashion slave," "fashion victim," or "fashionista" for humor/irony; other options (such as the slightly dated "preppie") exist that emphasize attitudes/general taste/demeanor. Trendy (adj. and noun), trendoid (adj.) dime (n.; referencing the idea that someone is a "10"), chav/kev (adj. - chiefly UK, I believe) scene (adj.) scenester (n.), and the addition of the suffix "-core" or "-xcore" (referencing "hard core) are all possible. FWIW, "toff" is all but incomprehensible in AE. Given that this is a survey of contemporary young people, I’d try Urban Dictionary for up-to-the-minute slang terms.


    Reference: http://www.urbandictionary.com
WendellR
Local time: 08:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mara Ballarini: I certainly agree with the fact that you'll have to choose according to the present 'trend' in USA,if u r translating 4 US. Fighettino is used a lot in Italy at the mom,but it's pejorative-is it really what they admire??
16 mins
  -> Exactly - but we don't know whether the word appears in the question or the answers. I suppose it's possible someone could admire a fighetto/fighettino or use it approvingly. I'd be interested to see the survey!
agree  P.L.F. Persio: "fly" seems to me the right match for fighettino
2 hrs
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1 day 1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
metrosexual,fashion puppy/bunny


Explanation:
Metrosexual is a kind of hip word used often now for men who are very into personal grooming and style (beauty farmers, eyebrow pluckers).

'Metrosexuality is, according to British journalist Mark Simpson, the trait of an urban male of any sexual orientation who has a strong aesthetic sense and spends a great amount of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle. Simpson coined the term in 1994 in an article in the The Independent [1] after writing his book about contemporary masculine identity Male Impersonators: Men Performing Masculinity. Simpson described the effect of consumerism and media proliferation, particularly the men’s style press, on traditional masculinity.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrosexual

In our family we use 'fighettino' in a fairly derrogatory sense-I use
it (maybe incorrectly) as a direct translation for 'wimp' in English.
Fashion bunnies and puppies are fun expressions but maybe not what you need.....



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2006-05-23 04:33:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

oops, derogatory

Emily Goodpaster
Local time: 08:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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2 days 13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
pimp, pimpsta (n)/pimped out, tight (adj)


Explanation:
"fly" is pretty "out" already, I think "poser" is a lot more negative than "fighettino" and "metrosexual" adds far too many layers of sexual-identity meaning. The example sentence is something someone actually said to me and the best translation I could come up with was "pimped out" or "tight" - I'd say "pimped out" would be more ironic, while "tight" is an admiring compliment.

Example sentence(s):
  • Tuo ragazzo è tutto fighettino stasera.
  • Your boyfriend is all pimped out tonight. / Your man is lookin hella tight tonight!
Danette St. Onge
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
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