Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

E cos’avrebbe smerciato sottobanco Giggino

English translation:

And what has Giggino allegedly been peddling under the counter

Added to glossary by Lara Barnett
Oct 13, 2022 20:03
1 yr ago
32 viewers *
Italian term

E cos’avrebbe smerciato sottobanco Giggino

Italian to English Bus/Financial General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Newspaper report
This is a news report, casting a humorous light on the fact that the Albanian President has just admitted to having smuggled coronavirus vaccines into his country, with the help of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Di Maio I think this "Giggino" reference could refer to the character of a film involving smuggling, but I am not sure if this is the case, and I am finding it difficult to paraphrase this line in English also.


Di Maio contrabandiere? Il Premier di un Stato estero che ammette di essersi messo a traficare col ministro degli Esteri Italiano, e in questo modo lo accusa? Ma come? E cos’avrebbe smerciato sottobanco Giggino: babà, sigarette, l’abolizione della povertà? No.
Spieghiarno. Rama, che era a Bergamo per l’evvento “La Cultura salverà il mondo” assieme al responsabile della Farnesina (Di Maio-Cultura-responsabile…), ha fatto una revelazione di un certo peso, che certo fa anche sorridere, ma in verità si tratterebbe di un fatto serissimo:

Discussion

Lara Barnett (asker) Oct 15, 2022:
@ All Thank you for your input.
FPC Oct 14, 2022:
Lara It seems to me you got the gist of the situation. It involves the Albanian pdt furtively introducing covid vaccines in his own country, with di Maio, former Italian foreign minister/secretary, as an accessory. Giggino is di Maio. That's his jocular nickname (and a common nickname for anyone called Luigi).
José Patrício Oct 14, 2022:
fraud
Lara Barnett (asker) Oct 13, 2022:
@ Jose You mean "What could Giggino have been trading under the counter?"
??
José Patrício Oct 13, 2022:
oh, damn! What should got sold Giggino on the sly (heimlich)?

Proposed translations

+3
11 hrs
Selected

And what has Giggino allegedly been peddling under the counter

Giggino = Luigi = Di Maio
Peer comment(s):

agree P.L.F. Persio
1 hr
agree FPC
1 day 4 hrs
agree Cillie Swart : Thanks for sharing !!
12 days
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you."
+3
10 hrs

Giggino, Minister of "the fence"

A free translation. Pun on fence (the activity or person trading stolen goods) and defence (an area of government).
Otherwise you can just more or less translate literally "what did Giggino allegedly smuggle"?

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Note added at 12 hrs (2022-10-14 08:48:57 GMT)
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Of course, Giggino is Di Maio himself (see comment box) (who becomes here "The fence" Minister in a pun)
Note from asker:
Thank you, I have not used your very clever answer as I have already taken a lot of licence with this text, but I genuinely appreciate your help.
Peer comment(s):

agree P.L.F. Persio
1 hr
agree Lisa Jane : agree 'what did Giggino allegedly smuggle?'
2 hrs
agree Emmanuella
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
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