Nov 5, 2006 02:05
17 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term

Italian slang for "tomboy"

English to Italian Other Slang Italian youth, college and street slang
Hello. I'm interested in Italian youth, college, and street slang. In plain Italian a tomboy is called a "maschiaccio". What are Italian slang terms for "tomboy" (boyish/mannish female; girl affecting boyish dress, mannnerisms and attitudes)? Please list as many slang translations as possible.

Discussion

Fiamma Lolli Nov 8, 2006:
I've translated my post in English. Sorry I did not before!!!! :-)
Raffaella Panigada Nov 8, 2006:
As someone mentioned I'm afraid we lack a slang term. My personal preferences would be: 1 maschiaccio (more fore girls than women), 2 Gianburrasca (understandable but less used), 3 sembrare un uomo/maschio (for all, less idiomatic).
Mavericker (X) (asker) Nov 8, 2006:
Note for all translators Please post your responses in English. Thank you.
Mavericker (X) (asker) Nov 8, 2006:
Comment to Raffaella Panigada Hello Raffaella. I am looking for slang terms along the lines of "boyish girl", "(charming/likable) roguish girl", "girl rascal", "playful girl", and "girl that likes to do boyish things". And also similiar terms for women. :D
Raffaella Panigada Nov 5, 2006:
Hi Mavericker, I think "maschiaccio" is still your best option since it's used by people of all age groups (although not slang). If you have more context please post it , maybe it will spark a better idea.

Proposed translations

-2
7 hrs
English term (edited): italian slang for
Selected

lesbica

I agree with Raffaella.
Maschiaccio is ok, but not slang.
No one under-20 (under 40?) would say Gianburrasca.

What do youngsters say? ...
Lesbica? "Sembri una lesbica..." "Quella tizia sembra una lesbica"

May sound rude, but may be realistic.
The times they change, styles change, language changes too...
And if Mavericker is looking for street language, my option may fit

"Brutta lesbica" can be offensive, but is what a 14 yrs old could say to a maschiaccio classmate in a discussion ...


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Note added at 1 day6 hrs (2006-11-06 08:28:18 GMT)
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what i was tryng to suggest is that this is what a teenager could say ...
i knew i could have been misunderstood ...

"sembri un maschio!" fits. and isn't offensive

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Note added at 4 days (2006-11-09 10:06:53 GMT)
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i've been thinking about my solution...

forget lesbica. it doesn't fit.

maybe "maschia", "uoma", "donna-uomo". i never used any of them, but ...
Note from asker:
I picked your answer only becasue you listed "maschia", "uoma" and "donna-uomo".
Peer comment(s):

neutral Liliana Roman-Hamilton : I think it's a tad offensive to imply that any tomboy girl is a lesbian. From the wikipedia link, examples of tomboy are Jo March (Little Women) and Patty (Peanuts), but I wouldn't think to define them as lesbians!!
7 hrs
disagree Andrea Santambrogio : I think lesbian refers to the sexuality of a woman and doesn't necessarily imply a rude or manlike behavior.
17 hrs
disagree Fiamma Lolli : I agree in my disagree with Liliana and Andrea.
2 days 14 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+3
1 hr
English term (edited): italian slang for

Gianburrasca

I may be wrong, but I have heard the word GIANBURRASCA being used with the meaning of "maschiaccio"/tomboy.

The name derives from a tv character made famous during the 60ies by Rita Pavone (a woman, a singer and actress) who played this boy (Gian Burrasca) who used to play all sorts of tricks and would hang around with other boys.
For a long time Rita Pavone was associated with this tomboy character because she was short, freckled, with short red hair and had a boyish look. When she finally got married everybody discovered that YES, she was actually a woman! But even today she is remembered as the Gianburrasca. So when you hear someone say to a girl: "hai l'aria di un Gianburrasca" it means that this girl has an boyish/tomboy look

The term then can also be used to define both boys and girls who would play tricks to other people and would get into all sorts of mild troubles.
Peer comment(s):

agree Costantino Sbacchi
3 hrs
Grazie Costantino
agree Raffaella Panigada : You are absolutely right, but I doubt this term would be used by youngsters today. Because it was taken from the TV series I guess it was adopted by the generation that used to watch it back in the '60. Not generationX stuff but valid.
5 hrs
I agree with you, neither I use it (I'm 36), it was an polite alternative to "maschiaccio".
agree Science451
5 hrs
Thanks Science
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+4
8 hrs
English term (edited): italian slang for

sembrare un ragazzo / un maschio

Less offensive. "Sembra (proprio) un ragazzo / un maschio".

See:

http://www.google.it/search?hl=it&q="sembra un maschio"&btn...
Peer comment(s):

agree Liliana Roman-Hamilton : a good alternative (and less offensive) than the solution above...
6 hrs
thanks!
agree P.L.F. Persio : with Liliana
7 hrs
thanks!
agree Andrea Santambrogio : This is definitely the best and less offensive one, although I usually go for "maschiaccio", which creates a better image since it's also slightly pejorative. I am afraid we lack a better slang term for this.
16 hrs
thanks!
agree Raffaella Panigada : Less idiomatic, not slang (maybe we should make up something here!) but still used.
2 days 20 hrs
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+1
1 day 13 hrs
English term (edited): italian slang for

camionista

Ho trovato questo termine in una raccolta di lessico slang (vedi link) con questa definizione:
Camionista.
donna lesbica molto maschile nell’atteggiamento (tipo quelle tutte palestrate, truccatissime). Bisognerebbe poi vedere il contesto per capire meglio la traduzione più adatta.
Peer comment(s):

neutral Raffaella Panigada : I always used this to refer to less refined people (no offense intended for truck drivers), loud, swearing, gross behavior (sort of "scaricatore di porto"), but it might fit in some cases.
1 day 15 hrs
agree Laura Massara : very funny!
1 day 15 hrs
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+3
2 days 22 hrs
English term (edited): italian slang for

maschiaccio

né più nè meno. A Palermo nello stesso senso si usa monello, voglio dire che se è Riferito a una ragazza monello sta per maschiaccio, ma con una connotazione affettuosa, non necessariamente stigmatizzante. In ogni caso non lesbica (per le quali, ahimè, lo slang non è avaro: dike, butcher...) Anche sembrare un maschio non lo userei, è più riferito all'aspetto che al comportamento. Si possono avere tutti gli aspetti esteriori canonici della femmina e comportarsi da maschiaccio - essere un maschiaccio - o essere altrettanto esteriormente e canonicamente di aspetto "maschile", o non femminile, ed esprimere invece la più palese femminilità. Maschiaccio, dammi retta.

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Note added at 3 days7 hrs (2006-11-08 09:29:30 GMT)
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Maschiaccio, no doubt. Some authors, Sicilian (Palermo) natives, use "monello", and thence the therm is present in literature as a synonimous of maschiaccio. I mean, if it's referred to a girl, monello means maschiaccio; but with a slight accent of affection, not very much "labelling" (sorry, english is not my native language). Anyway not lesbica (lesbian). I won't use neither "sembrare un maschio" (looking like a boy), because a girl can look very feminine but showing boyish attitudes and behaviour or viceversa. So there's only maschiaccio and that's it.
Peer comment(s):

agree Raffaella Panigada : I agree, this is what I'd use too.
6 hrs
grazie. buffo scoprire di non avere altri termini, no?
agree Gianni Pastore : Fits better than anything else
9 hrs
grazie anche a te.
agree gianfranco
93 days
la domanda è chiusa da oltre tre mesi e non so come mi sia arrivato solo oggi il tuo agree ma il disappunto per la scelta di lesbica, che ritengo offensiva per le lesbiche e scorretta per l'italiano, è tale che fuori tempo massimo ti ringrazio volentieri
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