bitful

Un paio di tappi per le orecchie, per favore
A pair of ear plugs, please
Literally: 'A pair of corks/stoppers/plugs for the ears, for favour'.
There used to be a time when I was counting how many sleeps until the Eurovision Song Contest.
My interest has been fading ever since when I went to to see the live show [...]

Ho dormito sul divano
I have slept on the sofa
Literally: '(I) have slept on-the sofa'.
On average two nights a week I sleep on a sofa that is two feet shorter than I am, lulled by the sound of the TV via wireless headphones.
I'll accept it is odd, but most times when that happens, like this morning, [...]

Dr B. aspetta un bambino
Dr B. is expecting a baby
Literally: 'Dr B waits-for a child'.
Dr B ordered a new computer and is this morning impatiently waiting for the stork to deliver his new baby. I expect him to spend most of the weekend playing with it.
In the meantime, I shall be installing an additional 500GB [...]

Ognuno ha quello che si merita
You get what you deserve
Literally: 'Everyone has what that for-oneself deserves'.
Normally I react to Berlusconi winning general elections with sadness and indignation.
Last night, as I learnt that millions of Italians had decided to give him another go at steering the country, all I could hope for is that electors knew [...]

Ho messo su quattro libbre in una settimana
I have put on four pounds in one week
Literally: '(I) have put on four pounds in one week'.
Three and a half weeks ago I decided to stop counting calories and to stop weighing myself every day.
I have put on five pounds during the first two and a half [...]

Fai la cosa giusta
Do the right thing
Literally: 'Do the thing right'.
Today Italians are voting to elect a new government for the 62nd time in 63 years. Make up your mind, dudes!
I sent my vote to the Italian consulate in London this week. I may have left the country in disgust, but I still hope that [...]

Saluti da Manchester
Greetings from Manchester
Literally: 'Greetings from Manchester'.
Well, I say Manchester but really it's lovely suburban Altrincham, which I think I've just realised is in Cheshire.
Walked around, looked at mansions, went to a pub, played a Robots-themed board game with our friends' child.
Having a rest now, dinner will be ready soon. It feels wonderfully pleasant [...]

Non riesco a dormire
I can't sleep
Literally: 'Not (I) succeed at to-sleep'.
Don't know why, really.
I'm pretty sure that watching the season finale of Torchwood S02 is not going to help, but I can't wait another day to find out how it all ends.
I hear it's very sad.

Ho rotto il sito
I have broken the website
Literally: (I) have broken the site
Since I upgraded to WordPress 2.5, new posts do not appear in the RSS feed. True, there have been only three posts, of which two were automatic lists of bookmars, and one was just a dummy post to test the feed. But still.
If [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Buon San Valentino!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Literally: 'Good Saint Valentine!'

People with a delicate stomach or sensitive to blood sugar imbalance, please turn away now.
Dr B. has been so good and generous to me lately, and I wanted to show him so much, how much I love him (so much), that I woke him up at 7 with [...]

Ho mangiato troppo a pranzo
I ate too much at lunch
Literally: '(I) have eaten too-much at lunch'.

My lunch usually consists of some chicken (pre-cooked and packed from the shop, or steamed or oven-roasted at home, no skin) and some cherry tomatoes (straight from the packet, unwashed, I probably have enough pesticides in me to kill all [...]

Ho un nuovo giocattolo
I have a new toy
Literally: '(I) have a new toy'.

Last Friday Dr B. received a substantial bonus at work and decided to change his plans and go crazy for my birthday present.
As a consequence, I am now the happy owner of an iPod Touch 32GB. No, make that the very happy owner. [...]

Oggi è il mio quarantunesimo compleanno
Today is my forty-first birthday
Literally: 'Today is the my forty-first birthday'.

Oh poo, I'm forty-one today. Forty was not that much of a shock, but forty-one, man, that's ancient.
Sono vecchio, ma mi sento giovane
I am old, but I feel young
Literally: '(I) am old, but to-me (I) feel young'.

Ho mal di testa
I have a headache
Literally: '(I) have bad of head'.

I went out with a bunch of friends to The Two Brewers last night.
As it is my birthday tomorrow everyone gave me cards and bought me drinks. Many cards. And way too many drinks. Ouch.
Per favore, parla piano
Please, speak softly.
Literally: 'For favour, speak soft/low'.

If [...]

Quando vieni a casa?
When are you coming home?
Literally: 'When (you) come to house/home?'

I love Saturdays. I love them even more when I get to do stuff with Dr B.
He is out now, so I sent him a text containing the phrase above, followed by the one below.
Mi manchi
I miss you
Literally: 'To-me (you) are-missing/lack'.

If you want [...]

Ho troppe scarpe
I have too many shoes
Literally: '(I) have too-many shoes'.

See my post on decluttering my shoes.
Avevo troppe scarpe
I used to have too many shoes
Literally: '(I) used-to-have too-many shoes'.
If you want to find out more
'Avevo' is one of the past tenses of 'ho' (I have). It translates the English expression 'I used to…'.
The other past [...]

La lista della spesa
The shopping list
Literally: 'The list of-the shopping'.

Today's phrases are each said twice in the audio files, first by Dr B. and then by me.
Now that Dr B. is getting better at guessing what Italian words might mean, I enjoy sending him emails every now and then in Italian. Today's said:
Ho comprato carta [...]

Microsoft vuole comprare Yahoo!
Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo!
Literally: 'Microsoft wants to-buy Yahoo!'

I am sure not many are not aware by now that Microsoft has placed a bid to buy Yahoo! for $44.6bn (£22.4bn).
Both Yahoo! and Google have announced this week enhanced versions of their web-based email services, and Microsoft could be trying to protect the [...]

Stamattina ho rotto il mio sito
This morning I broke my website
Literally: 'This-morning (I) have broken the my website'.

This morning I upgraded WordPress (the software that manages Bitful) to v. 2.3.3 (security update) and, even following carefully the step by step detailed upgrade instructions I have written for myself, I managed to delete all the [...]

Ho un nuovo collega
I have a new colleague
Literally: '(I) have a new colleague

A new guy started at work today. I had been interviewed for his job and was told I was very close to getting it, but lost out to him because he has a bit more experience.
My application was marked as 'equally suitable', so [...]

Camere separate
Separate rooms
Literally: '(Bed)rooms separated'.

I snore, so Dr B. wears earplugs. But lately I can't sleep without waking up every couple of hours (loo, nightmare, leg cramps, or a particularly unpleasant combination of the three), and this is disrupting his rest too.
So lately I have volunteered to sleep on the couch. It's nearer the fridge [...]

Oggi è il compleanno di mio suocero
Today is my father-in-law's birthday
Literally: 'Today is the birthday of my father-in-law'.

Dr B.'s father is seventy today. I am happy to be joining the festivities, and to let this be his big day.
In my heart, this is also our big day: Dr B. and I met exactly five years [...]

Stasera prendiamo il treno
Tonight we are catching a train
Literally: 'Tonight (we) take the train'.

We are off to see Dr B.'s parents for the weekend. We will be coming back on Sunday night.
Torniamo domenica sera
We are back on Sunday night
Literally: '(We) return Sunday night'.

If you want to find out more
In English, when you catch something you [...]

Mi fa male la gamba destra
My right leg hurts
Literally: 'To-me (it) does/makes bad the leg right'.

The other night I was woken up several times by painful leg cramps. I spent most of yesterday limping and my right calf still hurts today. Any ideas what that could be? And please don't mention it could be age-related, [...]

Di solito esco di casa alle sette e mezza.
I usually leave home at half past seven.
Literally: 'Of usual (I) go-out of house/home at-the seven and half'.

Morning transport is bad, but I found that I can shave off 20 minutes from my commute - and have enough room in the train to hold my book open [...]