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From these 41 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list The thirty-sixth entry is lo strafalcione , and the English for it depends on how the blunder was made. Italian has one word, and it describes nothing: uno strafalcione is a howler, whatever produced it. English has several, and two of them are people. « Malapropism » is Mrs Malaprop, who talks her way through Sheridan’s comedy of 1775 reaching for a long word and catching its neighbour — and her own name is the French mal à propos , badly to the purpose. « Spoonerism » is the Reverend William Spooner of Oxford, to whom the swapping of the opening sounds of two words was attributed, rightly or not, for most of his life. Both are narrow: the first needs a wrong word that sounds like the right one, the second needs the sounds to change places. Neither covers a plain slip, which is « a howler » or « a gaffe ». Italian divides the same ground by the moment instead of by the mechanism: lo strafalcione is the error itself, while la papera is the stumble of somebody reading aloud.
The words
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Noun (f) (20)
Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno
l’allitterazione alliteration Noun (f) C2 L’allitterazione ripete lo stesso suono all’inizio delle parole. Alliteration repeats the same sound at the beginning of the words.
l’assonanza assonance Noun (f) C2 L’assonanza lega due versi senza rima piena. Assonance ties two lines together without a full rhyme.
la cadenza the cadence Noun (f) C2 La cadenza della frase scende verso il punto. The cadence of the sentence falls towards the full stop.
l’anafora anaphora Noun (f) C2 L’anafora apre ogni frase con le stesse parole. Anaphora opens every sentence with the same words.
l’epifora epiphora Noun (f) C2 L’epifora chiude ogni frase allo stesso modo. Epiphora closes every sentence in the same way.
l’antitesi the antithesis Noun (f) C2 L’antitesi mette due idee opposte una accanto all’altra. Antithesis sets two opposed ideas side by side.
l’iperbole hyperbole Noun (f) C2 L’iperbole esagera di proposito e nessuno la prende alla lettera. Hyperbole exaggerates on purpose and nobody takes it literally.
l’attenuazione understatement Noun (f) C2 L’attenuazione dice meno di quanto pensa chi parla. Understatement says less than the speaker thinks.
la litote litotes Noun (f) C2 La litote afferma negando il contrario. Litotes asserts by denying the opposite.
la perifrasi the periphrasis Noun (f) C2 La perifrasi gira intorno alla cosa senza nominarla. The periphrasis goes round the thing without naming it.
la personificazione personification Noun (f) C2 La personificazione fa parlare il vento. Personification makes the wind speak.
la metonimia metonymy Noun (f) C2 La metonimia nomina la causa al posto dell’effetto. Metonymy names the cause in place of the effect.
la sineddoche synecdoche Noun (f) C2 La sineddoche chiama vela l’intera barca. Synecdoche calls the whole boat a sail.
la metafora mista the mixed metaphor Noun (f) C2 La metafora mista accosta due immagini che non stanno insieme. The mixed metaphor puts together two images that do not belong together.
la metafora lessicalizzata the dead metaphor Noun (f) C2 La metafora lessicalizzata non fa più vedere nulla. The dead metaphor no longer lets anything be seen.
l’allusione the allusion Noun (f) C2 L’allusione funziona solo con chi conosce il riferimento. The allusion works only with somebody who knows the reference.
la domanda retorica the rhetorical question Noun (f) C2 La domanda retorica non aspetta risposta. The rhetorical question expects no answer.
la digressione the digression Noun (f) C2 La digressione allontana il lettore dal filo. The digression takes the reader away from the thread.
la prosa ampollosa bombastic prose Noun (f) C2 La prosa ampollosa nasconde il pensiero sotto gli aggettivi. Bombastic prose hides the thought under the adjectives.
la scelta lessicale the choice of words Noun (f) C2 La scelta lessicale rivela chi scrive. The choice of words gives away the writer.
Noun (m) (21)
Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno
il parallelismo the parallelism Noun (m) C2 Il parallelismo costruisce due frasi con lo stesso ordine. Parallelism builds two sentences in the same order.
il tricolon the tricolon Noun (m) C2 Il tricolon regge tre membri di lunghezza crescente. The tricolon carries three members of increasing length.
il chiasmo the chiasmus Noun (m) C2 Il chiasmo rovescia l’ordine nella seconda metà. The chiasmus reverses the order in the second half.
l’asindeto asyndeton Noun (m) C2 L’asindeto accosta i termini senza congiunzioni. Asyndeton places the terms next to one another without conjunctions.
il polisindeto polysyndeton Noun (m) C2 Il polisindeto rallenta il ritmo del racconto. Polysyndeton slows down the rhythm of the story.
il periodo ipotattico the periodic sentence Noun (m) C2 Il periodo ipotattico tiene il senso sospeso fino alla fine. The periodic sentence keeps the sense suspended until the end.
il periodo paratattico the loose sentence Noun (m) C2 Il periodo paratattico aggiunge un pezzo dopo l’altro. The loose sentence adds one piece after another.
il climax the climax Noun (m) C2 Il climax porta il discorso al punto più alto. The climax carries the speech to its highest point.
l’anticlimax the anticlimax Noun (m) C2 L’anticlimax lascia cadere la frase su una sciocchezza. The anticlimax lets the sentence drop onto a triviality.
l’ossimoro the oxymoron Noun (m) C2 L’ossimoro unisce due parole che si escludono. The oxymoron joins two words that rule each other out.
il sarcasmo sarcasm Noun (m) C2 Il sarcasmo ferisce più della critica aperta. Sarcasm wounds more than open criticism does.
l’eufemismo the euphemism Noun (m) C2 L’eufemismo copre una parola dura con una più morbida. The euphemism covers a hard word with a softer one.
il disfemismo the dysphemism Noun (m) C2 Il disfemismo fa il contrario e rende tutto più crudo. The dysphemism does the opposite and makes everything harsher.
l’inciso the parenthetical aside Noun (m) C2 L’inciso sta tra due virgole e si potrebbe togliere. The parenthetical aside sits between two commas and could be removed.
il bisticcio the pun on similar sounds Noun (m) C2 Il bisticcio gioca su due parole che suonano uguali. The pun on similar sounds plays on two words that sound alike.
il gioco di parole the play on words Noun (m) C2 Il gioco di parole non regge nella traduzione. The play on words does not survive translation.
lo zeugma the zeugma Noun (m) C2 Lo zeugma lega un verbo a due complementi diversi. The zeugma ties one verb to two unlike complements.
lo strafalcione the howler Noun (m) C2 Lo strafalcione fa ridere chi ascolta. The howler makes the audience laugh.
il luogo comune the stock phrase Noun (m) C2 Il luogo comune riempie la pagina senza dire nulla. The stock phrase fills the page without saying anything.
il registro linguistico the register Noun (m) C2 Il registro linguistico cambia con l’occasione. The register changes with the occasion.
il pathos pathos Noun (m) C2 Il pathos convince finché non si nota. Pathos convinces as long as it goes unnoticed.
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