# Goloso



## TimLA

Ho sentito la parola "goloso/a" (a Toscana) usato per una persona che gradisce i dolci e manga troppo (dei dolci). Chiaramente, significa "glutton" che a me e' una persona che manga qualcosa (tutti cibi) troppo.

Qual e' il uso piu' commune?


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## moodywop

TimLA said:
			
		

> Ho sentito la parola "goloso/a" (a Toscana) usato per una persona che gradisce i dolci e manga troppo (dei dolci). Chiaramente, significa "glutton" che a me e' una persona che manga qualcosa (tutti cibi) troppo.
> 
> Qual e' il uso piu' commune?


 
Tim

E' una parola comunissima e si usa in tutta Italia, non solo in Toscana. Si può essere golosi di qualsiasi cibo: goloso di dolci/formaggio ecc.


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## TimLA

moodywop said:
			
		

> Tim
> 
> E' una parola comunissima e si usa in tutta Italia, non solo in Toscana. Si può essere golosi di qualsiasi cibo: goloso di dolci/formaggio ecc.


 
E' uguale alla frase idiomatic in inglese "sweet-tooth"?


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## moodywop

TimLA said:
			
		

> E' uguale alla frase idiomatic in inglese "sweet-tooth"?


 
_Sweet tooth _si usa solo per dolci, cioccolato ecc. Forse in inglese si potrebbe dire _I can't get enough of.._ o non si usa per parlare di cibo?


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## TimLA

moodywop said:
			
		

> _Sweet tooth _si usa solo per dolci, cioccolato ecc. Forse in inglese si potrebbe dire _I can't get enough of.._ o non si usa per parlare di cibo?


 
Cierto! E' famoso...Americani dei anni 1960-1970 ricordano

"I can't get enough of that Sugar Crisp, Sugar Crisp, Sugar Crisp..." (con musica)

Era una promozione pubblicitaria famosissima!

Pero' c'e' qualcosa simliare a "sweet-tooth" in italiano?


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## ElaineG

moodywop said:
			
		

> _Sweet tooth _si usa solo per dolci, cioccolato ecc. Forse in inglese si potrebbe dire _I can't get enough of.._ o non si usa per parlare di cibo?


 
Sì, o anche le frasi con "holic" o "addict" vanno bene.

I'm a cheeseoholic; I'm addicted to french fries; I'm a pizzaholic... etc.


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## moodywop

TimLA said:
			
		

> Pero' c'e' qualcosa simliare a "sweet-tooth" in italiano?


 
Non penso. Mi viene in mente solo "goloso di dolci".


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## TimLA

moodywop said:
			
		

> Non penso. Mi viene in mente solo "goloso di dolci".


 
Grazie molto...


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## TimeHP

_Goloso _e _greedy_ non hanno lo stesso significato?


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## lsp

TimeHP said:
			
		

> _Goloso _e _greedy_ non hanno lo stesso significato?


I've always thought of _greedy_ in the sense of _grabby_, or _can't get enough _of as _goloso_, and _greedy_ in the most negative sense (esp. about money) as _avido_, like our _avaricious_.


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## TimLA

TimeHP said:
			
		

> _Goloso _e _greedy_ non hanno lo stesso significato?


 
Per me, "greedy" significa "goloso di soldi" -- solo dinaro, é possible usare in altro modo, però raramente.

Glutton (goloso) di solito é per cibo.
Goloso viene dal _gulosus_, gola, dunque, cibo...


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## You little ripper!

Paravia translates _goloso _as _greedy_ and _essere goloso di dolci_ as _to have a sweet tooth._


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## moodywop

Lsp and Tim have suggested that "greedy" is mainly associated with greed for money but I've often heard it used with reference to food in BE. Could it be yet another difference between BE and AE?

In my personal use I would use "ingordo" in the sense you use "greedy". "Ingordo", like "greedy", always has a negative connotation - someone who just stuffs himself out of a neurotic compulsion, possibly not even enjoying the food he's wolfing down.

"Un goloso", although the word is derived from "gola"(gluttony), one of the deadly sins, usually enjoys his food and is discriminating(which is why it is often followed by "di"...) - he doesn't just wolf down whatever comes his way.

A nice phrase we don't really have an equivalent for is "a glutton for punishment" - dictionaries have to make do with "masochista".


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## ElaineG

You can be greedy when it comes to food --

"My brother's so greedy that he ate the last slices of bacon without even asking if someone wanted them."

It's just that unlike _goloso_, you are usually greedy in general, not greedy for a specific food.


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## TimeHP

In Italiano si può dire che qualcuno è_ goloso di dolci,_ anche se poi non ne mangia tantissimi perché si trattiene (per motivi di dieta, salute, ecc.).
Diciamo comunemente _un bambino goloso, una signora golosa, ecc..._ Non c'è un'implicazione negativa. E direi si è golosi soprattutto di dolci, ma si può esserlo di frutta o altro.
Di una persona che mangia tanto, diciamo che _è una buona forchetta, un gran mangiatore, che ha un forte appetito._
Chi invece ha uno strano rapporto col cibo e mangia abbuffandosi può essere _ingordo, avido, ecc._

Ciao


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## lsp

moodywop said:
			
		

> Lsp and Tim have suggested that "greedy" is mainly associated with greed for money but I've often heard it used with reference to food in BE. Could it be yet another difference between BE and AE?


I only meant that in the _other_ direction, to explain goloso v. avido. In English I agree with you and ElaineG, greed is not restricted to money.


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## TimLA

moodywop said:
			
		

> Lsp and Tim have suggested that "greedy" is mainly associated with greed for money but I've often heard it used with reference to food in BE. Could it be yet another difference between BE and AE?
> 
> In my personal use I would use "ingordo" in the sense you use "greedy". "Ingordo", like "greedy", always has a negative connotation - someone who just stuffs himself out of a neurotic compulsion, possibly not even enjoying the food he's wolfing down.
> 
> "Un goloso", although the word is derived from "gola"(gluttony), one of the deadly sins, usually enjoys his food and is discriminating(which is why it is often followed by "di"...) - he doesn't just wolf down whatever comes his way.


 
Another important phrase that has become part of American parlance and culture is Michael Douglas' statement from the movie Wall Street -- "Greed is good!"

I agree that greed can apply outside of money, but I wonder what most AE speakers would think if they only heart the phrase "He's greedy!". Comments?

Another interesting difference between Italian and English -- Greed and Gluttonly are almost alway negative in their connotations (Enlgish). In Italian, goloso is not.


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## ElaineG

> I agree that greed can apply outside of money, but I wonder what most AE speakers would think if they only heard the phrase "He's greedy!". Comments?


 
"He's greedy" still brings to mind the psychologically scarring images of my brother or my boyfriend scarfing up the last bit of some delicious thing that I tried to hide in the referigerator.

But maybe that's just because I care much more deeply about food than I do about money!

As far as the negative overtones, I agree about greedy: that's why I suggested holic/addicted -- saying I'm a "chocoholic" or that "I'm addicted to sashimi" sounds humorous but not negative.


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## You little ripper!

> I agree that greed can apply outside of money, but I wonder what most AE speakers would think if they only heart the phrase "He's greedy!". Comments?


Tim, I'm not American but if I heard the phrase "He's greedy!", I would wonder whether it was related to food or money. The expression by itself can mean either, so it needs context.


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## carrickp

Reading all this it seems to me that "glutton" is going to be the best translation. In English "glutton" by itself means "self-indulgent desire for, or practice of, consumption, especially of food" BUT if you add a qualification you can narrow it down to one thing, e.g. "a glutton for sweets," "a glutton for fried potatoes," "a glutton for punishment" (a common expression for someone who keeps getting himself into trouble by making the same or similar mistakes). Again, reading the above, it looks like "goloso" works the same way.

By the way, in addition to the "x-aholic" usage outlined above, we also have "x-hound" ("he's a chow-hound" etc.) and "x-hog" ("she's a food-hog" etc.).


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## victoria luz

Just an addition about _goloso_:
Although I personally dislike it, the adjective also refers to the OBJECT of gola, being also used to mean yummy, inviting, delicious, che stuzzica l'appetito, che fa venire l'acquolina in bocca.
Quest'uso è piuttosto comune nel linguaggio pubblicitario
_Tante ricette golose_
_Una merendina golosa_

As in its previously given meaning (glutton), even here goloso can be used figuratively (cfr. _una notizia golosa_ for something that suscita curiosità o interesse).


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## emma1968

ElaineG said:
			
		

> Sì, o anche le frasi con "holic" o "addict" vanno bene.
> 
> I'm a cheeseoholic; I'm addicted to french fries; I'm a pizzaholic... etc.



Elaine, si può usare "holic" per dire : "io sono una cinefila" 
saying :  I'm a movieholic 
Emma.


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## ElaineG

EMMA1968 said:
			
		

> Elaine, si può usare "holic" per dire : "io sono una cinefila"
> saying : I'm a movieholic
> Emma.


 
Sì (è colloquiale non formale, ma si capisce subito).  See, e.g., http://www.rottentomatoes.com/vine/journal_comments.php?entryid=255314&journalid=250114

Per essere più formale, puoi dire "I'm a movie buff" o "I'm a cinemaphile".  (L'ultima suona veramente pretenziosa in inglese.  )


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## TimLA

What a great discussion...I love this forum...


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## Pixo

Charles Costante said:


> Paravia translates _goloso _as _greedy_ and _essere goloso di dolci_ as _to have a sweet tooth._



Ciao a tutti, e per tradurre l'espressione "è troppo goloso", in inglese, come la rendereste? He has too much of a sweet tooth? ma non mi suona per nulla...grazie in anticipo, Silvia


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## TimLA

Mi dispiace, sono in ritardo.

Forse qualcosa tipo:
He is a big glutton
His gluttony is too much
He has a big sweet tooth
He has too much of a sweet tooth (un po' strana)
His sweet tooth is too big

C'è più contesto?


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## rafanadal

Hi there. Old thread but challenging and intriguing.
What if we were talking in superlative terms.
"Il mio cane è golosissimo."
My dog is so.....???
My dog is such...???


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## rrose17

_My dog is such a pig! (He ate the whole thing!)_ 
We often use "pig" to describe someone who eats too much or wants everything. Don't be such a pig, etc. Here it would sound cute.


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## theartichoke

rrose17 said:


> _My dog is such a pig! (He ate the whole thing!)_
> We often use "pig" to describe someone who eats too much or wants everything. Don't be such a pig, etc. Here it would sound cute.



Other possibilities, trying to come close to the "issimo": _My dog is a total/absolute pig! My dog is a pig and a half!  I have the piggiest dog [known to man]!_


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## london calling

We use 'pig' in exactly the same way in the UK. My mother's cat is a real pig because given half the chance he'd pig himself all day : do you use the verb 'pig oneself' (riempirsi di cibo) on the other side of the pond?


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## Odysseus54

My wife also says that Angelica, one of our cats, is 'greedy' - meaning that she loves to stuff her face.

But personally I am not totally satisfied with any of these solutions as perfect translators for 'goloso'.

If I try  to re-think in English the idea "Giovanni e' goloso" , the closest I get to it , I think, are expressions like "John loves eating/food".  

For 'pig' and 'greedy' , I would rather say 'ingordo' - the 'ingordo' eats a lot, doesn't know when to stop.

A 'goloso' does not necessarily overeat - he is into eating, he loves the taste of food.


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## london calling

Odysseus54 said:


> A 'goloso' does not necessarily overeat - he is into eating, he loves the taste of food.



Very true. Someone who is _goloso_  '(really) loves his/her food', which doesn't necessarily mean he likes stuffing his/her face.


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## Odysseus54

london calling said:


> Very true. Someone who is _goloso_  '(really) loves his/her food', which doesn't necessarily mean he likes stuffing his/her face.




Yes ! "loves his food" - that's a lot better !!


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## theartichoke

london calling said:


> Very true. Someone who is _goloso_  '(really) loves his/her food', which doesn't necessarily mean he likes stuffing his/her face.



Yes--for people "he loves his food," and maybe also "she loves to eat" translate "goloso" nicely. For "un cane golosissimo" though (as in post #27), I'd assume we're talking about a gluttonous/piggy dog, not one that delights in the taste of his kibble. Or am I wrong?

And no, I've never heard "to pig oneself" in AE. We do talk about "pigging out" a lot, though: "I totally pigged out at Sara's last night: she's such a good cook, I couldn't stop myself!" Is that in BE as well?


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## london calling

I suppose we would have to ask our four-footed friends whether they eat because they're piggy or because they love their food. It's difficult to tell which when the cat's sitting there mournfully, looking alternately at you and his dish as if he were half-starved - it could mean either.

Oh, and I would certainly understand_ to pig out_ but it quite definitely hails from your side of the pond.


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## Paulfromitaly

Dogs are known to be greedy and some people seem to mistake greed with love


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## london calling

Paulfromitaly said:


> ....and some people seem to mistake greed with love


AKA _cupboard love_, of which cats are often accused.


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## Odysseus54

Other mammals share that trait - it's a well known fact that _the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. _


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