bitful

A group of confidential, often scheming advisers; a cabal.

Forcible seizure of another's property; plunder.

A faithful follower who carries out orders without question.

To engage in boisterous merrymaking; revel noisily. To behave in a blustering manner; swagger.

A woman who assists another woman during labor and provides support to her, the infant, and the family after childbirth.

Proper or sound condition. Mental or emotional state; spirits.

Very cautious; wary.

People often ask me why on earth, being an European Economic Area (EEA) national living and working in the UK, I am planning to apply for UK citizenship.
I usually ramble about how I plan to live in the UK indefinitely, and I consider this my true one and only homeland, and what would happen if [...]

Easily bent; supple.

A transposition of sounds of two or more words, especially a ludicrous one, such as Let me sew you to your sheet for Let me show you to your seat.

Over the last six months a reminder has been going off every Saturday to prompt me to go over my del.icio.us account and rename similar tags to avoid duplication.
Another reminder has been prompting me every month to delete tags that I only used once, and therefore considered to be too detailed and of little use.
I [...]

Mi hanno clonato il Bancomat
My debit card has been cloned
Literally: 'To-me (they) have cloned the cash/debit card'.

Just my luck. Three days before going on holidays I notice that someone has just been using my debit card to withdraw over 900 pounds in Pakistan. Nationwide had already put a stop to the card even before I [...]

A ruffle or flounce on a garment. A piece of showy ornamentation.

Che ora è?
What time is it?
Literally: 'What time is (it)?'

We are travelling to Australia in three days and I have no idea how my body will react to the long journey and the eleven hour time difference, as I've never travelled so far or across so many time zones.
My sleeping pattern being already somewhat erratic, [...]

To pamper. A pet, especially a pet lamb.

Non c'è niente di buono alla TV
There is nothing good on TV
Literally: 'Not there-is nothing of good at-the TV'.

And by TV I mean what's available to watch on Freeview.
A parte Skins. E Torchwood.
Apart from Skins. And Torchwood.
Literally: 'At part Skins. And Torchwood.'

If you want to find out more
In Italian it is perfectly correct to have [...]

You no longer need to fill in any paperwork to pay a cheque into your account. Just hand in the cheque in your name and your debit card over the counter, and it's done. At least with Nationwide.
Styrofoam cups will be around forever, whereas banana peels biodegrade in just three weeks, newspaper in one month, [...]

Here are the websites I bookmarked into my del.icio.us account over the past seven days:

Microsoft Popfly
Online visual tools for building Web pages and mashups and a social network where you can host, share, rate, comment and even remix creations from others. Public Beta, free, requires Silverlight.
ScanCafe
'ScanCafe provides the safest, easiest, and most affordable slide [...]

You know, the kind of stuff that you keep just in case, or that you got for free:

The stuff in the left half of the picture can go.
Stuff in the middle can go in my opinion, but it's not mine and I need to ask Dr B. permission to throw away (I so want to [...]

Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness. Having the quality or characteristics of oil or ointment; slippery.

Venerdì parto per l'Australia
On Friday I am leaving for Australia
Literally: 'Friday (I) leave for the Australia'.

On Friday night I am flying to Australia, but because of the time difference and the very long journey, I will arrive on Sunday morning.
I have never travelled so far.
Arrivo domenica
I am arriving on Sunday
Literally: '(I) arrive Sunday'

If you want [...]

Superfluity; excess.

Quanti telefonini hai?
How many mobile phones have you got?
Literally: 'How-many mini-telephones (you) have?'

Things may have changed now, but last time I lived in Italy (2001) it was not uncommon for people to have two or more mobile phone numbers.
Sometimes I would see them carry more than one handset. Sometimes they would only use one phone [...]

At the top in the photo below, the four mobile phones I have donated to Oxfam today. Dr B. wanted me to sell them on eBay, but I did not think it was worth the hassle. Besides, they can help Oxfam raise some money.

At the bottom in the photo, the three phones I am keeping. [...]

To rob of goods by force, especially in time of war; pillage: plunder a village. To seize wrongfully or by force; steal: plundered the supplies.

A bit of a long story, and one where I don't come appear to be particularly bright. Bear with me.
During the Christmas break 2002, the friend I shared a flat went to see his family in Ireland and came back a captured leprechaun in a can for me:

I only had a vague idea of what [...]

Sono a casa con il raffreddore
I am at home with a cold
Literally: '(I) am at home with the cold'.

And that is all I can say today. You can click on the audio files and hear my croaky voice (it was worse this morning though).
Ho anche la tosse
I have also got a cough
Literally: '(I) have also [...]

Not so easy, this one, because of the memories involved:

In September 2002, when I moved into the flat I shared with a friend in Tooting Bec, a friend from NYC came to see us. He is an artist, and after an afternoon spent sightseeing he came back and gave me three postcards that I put [...]

To scatter (a liquid) in drops or small splashes. To spot, splash, or soil. To sully the reputation of; defame.

This was an easy one.
On the left in the photo below:

Contact lens solution travel size bottle that has been opened since September 2007? Gone.
Several spare contact lens cases that come with every new bottle of solution? Gone.

On the right:

Solution and case that are currently being used, and a spare case? Kept.