# pararsi il culo - paraculo



## siciliana

* "pararsi il culo" e "paraculo"*
nel senso di proteggere la propria posizione  a discapito degli altri.. tipiche espressioni italiane.
Stefania


----------



## WendyBtR

Dice il dizionario Picchi Hoepli (consigliatissimo!):

to cover one’ s ass (US, slang, volg) "pararsi il culo".


----------



## shamblesuk

To cover your arse (BE)


----------



## Tatzingo

Hi,

Cover your back. (BE)

Tatz.


----------



## Marilena

Another alternative could be: "To look out for number one" (pensare egoisticamente a se stesso al di sopra di tutti gli altri).

"Paraculo" seems slightly different, in that a "paraculo" is someone who sucks up to their boss, for example, to the detriment of others. To put it in vulgar terms: "a kiss ass"; "brown nose", "arse licker"; "sook" (Scottish); sycophant.


----------



## nicaldo

Hey everbody

I know pretty well what 'paraculo' means but I have no idea how to say it in *E*nglish. I mean the geek at school who doesn't wan*t to* help other students during exams and hides his sheet of paper with his elbow.
Maybe you can come up with an *E*nglish word.
Thanks a lot


----------



## Paulfromitaly

Paraculo basically means opportunist.
I'm not sure that's what you meant to say.


----------



## vincenzochiaravalle

Dear friend,

I'm afraid "paraculo" has little to do with the conduct you describe. In Italian, all I can think of to politely define such a person is "secchione", or "saputello", and my English vocabulary is limited to "swot" and "sap", which is even less helpful.

Otherwise, personally I'd resort to more offensive words, and then explain the context.

Take care,

V.


----------



## lamelamara

I can't translate the word in English, but maybe the story of the word can help: it's referred to ancient periods, when people were punished in a pillory, and rich people used to pay somebody to look after their own back, literally, with the aim of defending themselves from abuses. So _paraculo_ is somebody who never loses too much, or who can take advantage in any situation. Hope you like the story. 

_(please correct me)_


----------



## fragasp

I don't speak so good english (please correct any error), but I can tell what "paraculo" means: it's a subtle astute person and don't forget this word is often used in loving/tender way.


----------



## Salegrosso

Thank you Mela Amara for that really interesting story! 
I think Paul's suggestion _opportunist_ is good (though it's less colourful, unavoidably).


----------



## Kumidan

I think that the correct word for _"the geek at school who doesn't want to  help other students during exams and hides his sheet of paper with his elbow"_ is "secchione", as vincenzochiaravalle wrote.


----------



## Salegrosso

Non sono d'accordo su "secchione". 
Secchione è chi studia tantissimo, anche a discapito di uscite con gli amici, maun secchione non necessariamente deve essere geloso del suo operato ed egoista.


----------



## vincenzochiaravalle

Salegrosso said:


> Non sono d'accordo su "secchione".
> Secchione è chi studia tantissimo, anche a discapito di uscite con gli amici, maun secchione non necessariamente deve essere geloso del suo operato ed egoista.


 
Certo che no!  Infatti, se io volessi descrivere il tipo di persona che il nostro amico sta cercando di descrivere, assumendo il punto di vista di uno studente mediocre, credo che direi "quello è il tipico secchione testa di cazzo  che non ti fa copiare..." o qualcosa di simile. Non escludo che esista una parola che stigmatizzi proprio QUEL tipo di condatta, ma non mi viene; è un po' che non vado più a 'scuola', fortunatamente.


----------



## Salbina

Hi everybody,

I was wondering, how would you "translate" that particular meaning of "paraculo" as a person you never know if it's talking seriously, both in a funny and in an untrusty sense, so that you aren't sure if you can believe what he/she is saying? And, at the same time, this person is shrewd and always knows what to say to obtain what he/she wants.

Very difficult, I think...


----------



## Paulfromitaly

Salbina said:


> Hi everybody,
> 
> I was wondering, how would you "translate" that particular meaning of "paraculo" as a person you never know if it's talking seriously, both in a funny and in an untrusty sense, so that you aren't sure if you can believe what he/she is saying? And, at the same time, this person is shrewd and always knows what to say to obtain what he/she wants.
> 
> Very difficult, I think...


Tu descrivi due cose diverse: un opportunista leccaculo e un paraculo.


----------



## Salbina

Paulfromitaly said:


> Tu descrivi due cose diverse: un opportunista leccaculo e un paraculo.



Sì, sono due cose diverse (anche se leccaculo per me è un adulatore, mentre il paraculo è più sottile, ma ci siamo capiti), però sono accomunate dal fatto che ci riferisca ad entrambe come ad un "paraculo", almeno dalle mie parti, con questi termini gergali non si sa mai.

Anyway, how would you say them both in English?


----------



## miri

Leccaculo= ass-licker/bum-sucker
Paraculo = clever bastard ?


----------



## raisetheflavour

Ha ragione paulfromitaly the best word for paraculo in inglese is opportunist. Mentre  il leccaculo si dice come in italiano, quindi: *arse-licker.*



miri said:


> Leccaculo= ass-licker/bum-sucker
> Paraculo = clever bastard ?


 
Sorry miri but ass vuol dire asino non c...


----------



## miri

Non credo proprio  , cioè non solo, e penso te lo confermeranno anche altri.
Intanto (Zanichelli) ass (2) 
n. (volg. slang, spec. USA)
1 culo (volg.); chiappe (pl.)
2 (buco del) culo (volg.)


----------



## raisetheflavour

Miri, ass (impolite) is a word used in American English not in English Brirish which is *arse.*

Thank you


----------



## miri

What's wrong with American English?


----------



## raisetheflavour

miri said:


> What's wrong with American English?


 
Nothing, but what's wrong with English British


----------



## miri

I didn't tell you not to use British English . You told me not to use "ass" because it means "asino" ...)
By the way "arse" is as  "impolite" as  "ass" 
arse 
n. (*volg*. GB)
1 culo (*volg*.)


----------



## PotAsh

Come si pronuncia la parola *paraculo*?

para'culo
pa'raculo


----------



## miri

The accent is on the third syllable: para*cu*lo


----------



## london calling

miri said:


> By the way "arse" is as "impolite" as "ass"
> arse
> n. (*volg*. GB)
> 1 culo (*volg*.)


Quite so, miri!

Chi si protegge le chiappe, no?.....hmmmm! Someone who knows how to look after himself and his own interests. Lamelamara's little story is brilliant, by the way! And how things change: once a_ paraculo_ was paid to look after somebody else's interests!

I find this difficult to express in just one word in English...._opportunist_ for sure, as Paul said, but the Italian word is SOOOO much better and funnier!


----------



## saltapicchio

Il paraculo in pratica è un furbacchione opportunista (sul dictionary di wordreference ho trovato smart ass /smart aleck).

Si pronuncia paracùlo.

Para-culo ossia di chi è in grado di pararsi/proteggersi/ripararsi il culo.
Si dice anche "ti sei parato il culo", nel senso "ti sei garantito una certa sicurezza".
Il paraculo è anche una persona che riesce ad uscire facilmente da situazioni imbarazzanti


----------



## miri

L'Hazon dà "scheming bastard".


----------



## saltapicchio

In effetti in italiano si può dire (ovviamente in forma colloquiale e comunque dipende sempre da con chi stai parlando) "prenderlo nel culo" o "metterlo nel culo" (potete ovviamente immaginare benissimo cosa), nel caso di avere subìto o, al contrario, avere dato una fregatura a qualcuno. Se si vuole evitare di essere troppo diretti si può dire di "averlo preso in quel posto".
Potete quindi immaginare come il paraculo sia una persona che "in quel posto" non lo prende ma che invece ce lo mette.

Posso immaginare come un linguaggio del genere NON possa essere accettabile per un inglese.


----------



## Salbina

Grazie Miri e Saltapicchio! Le vostre traduzioni sono proprio quello che avevo in mente, gergali e un po' volgari come in italiano. Sapete se sono altrettanto diffusamente usate (ovviamente in contesti MOLTO informali...)?


----------



## miri

Aspetta i nostri stupendi madrelingua per questo, Salbina


----------



## saltapicchio

Salbina said:


> Grazie Miri e Saltapicchio! Le vostre traduzioni sono proprio quello che avevo in mente, gergali e un po' volgari come in italiano. Sapete se sono altrettanto diffusamente usate (ovviamente in contesti MOLTO informali...)?


 
No, non ne ho idea, penso che per questo sarà necessario l'intervento di qualche madrelingua.


----------



## beccamutt

Not understanding exactly what kind of person "paraculo" describes, could it possibly be close to a "teacher's pet"? A "teacher's pet" isn't neccessarily an opportunist (though could be) but could be the student who doesn't want to help his classmates and covers his exams with his elbow because he wants to get the best score in the class?



fragasp said:


> I don't speak so very good english (please correct any error), but I can tell you what "paraculo" means: it's a subtly astute person and don't forget this word is often used in a loving/tender way.


 
Very good, Fragasp 

In this case I would not say "teacher's pet" as this has a negative connotation.  

I just found another thread on this same topic: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=152784


----------



## Paulfromitaly

beccamutt said:


> Not understanding exactly what kind of person "paraculo" describes, could it possibly be close to a "teacher's pet"?


In a very specific context, yes, but not in general.
A teacher's pet is likely to be also a paraculo, but it's not necessary true that a paraculo is a teacher's pet.


----------



## Salbina

beccamutt said:


> Not understanding exactly what kind of person "paraculo" describes, could it possibly be close to a "teacher's pet"? A "teacher's pet" isn't neccessarily an opportunist (though could be) but could be the student who doesn't want to help his classmates and covers his exams with his elbow because he wants to get the best score in the class?


 

 Hi Becca, I would translate "a teacher's (or boss) pet" as a "lecchino", someone who behaves "servily" (I don't know if this word's correct, sorry....) with power, with no dignity and proud, and often isn't  very smart, therefore uses other means to reach his goals (but is ALWAYS considered despicable, even by the boss, unless this is as stupid as his pet...).

Instead, "paraculo" is surely smart, is able to flatter, but not in the thick way as a "lecchino" does, (and anyway this isn't his main characteristic), knows how to use words and people for his own aim. Surely is an "opportunist", as Paul and others suggested, but I wonder if "smart ass/aleck" and "scheming bastard" (Miri and Saltapicchio's translations, which seem to catch the right shade) would so readily suggest all this to an English (and American etc...) ear.

Thanks everybody!


----------



## Azazel81

Uhm... what do you say about "smart-ass"?

At the end of the day a "paraculo" is a person who always manages to find his/her way out of every situation, easy or not, figuratively speaking and not... it's kind of a general expression which works in various contexts. Sometimes he/she may be sneaky, subtle, but one thing's for sure: he/she knows how to get out of every situation without having to pay for it. Sometimes just giving compliments, others having to make huge efforts.

But this is just my opinion. ;-) By the way, I don't know if "smart-ass" covers all of these meanings.


----------



## london calling

Azazel81 said:


> By the way, I don't know if "smart-ass" covers all of these meanings.


Actually, both _smart ass_ and _smart aleck_ are similar to "paraculo", but they're not quite the same, although the dictionaries say they are!

I think it's difficult to translate "paraculo" using just one word, we'd probably use a different word/expression each time according to the context. A good example is "teacher's pet", who is, as Paul says, a specific kind of "paraculo".


----------



## Azazel81

london calling said:


> Actually, both _smart ass_ and _smart aleck_ are similar to "paraculo", but they're not quite the same, although the dictionaries say they are!
> 
> I think it's difficult to translate "paraculo" using just one word, we'd probably use a different word/expression each time according to the context. A good example is "teacher's pet", who is, as Paul says, a specific kind of "paraculo".


 
Honestly I beg to differ: "teacher's pet" is a student who's the professor's favourite, right? And we have an expression which is similar to that: "il cocco del professore". But a "paraculo" (at least in Milan) has nothing to do with that.
That's why I'm saying that maybe "smart-ass" could be closer to it. But here I let you natives speak since of course you know more than I do.


----------



## baldpate

Nobody has mentioned "ass-coverer" (or "arse-coverer") - one who is given to covering his ass (chi e' portato a pararsi il culo).

No?


----------



## Murphy

I agree with LondonCalling that we probably don't have one word which covers all the meanings of "paraculo" given here.

A "smart-arse" (BE) is someone who always seems to have the right answer or say the right thing, a fact which other people find annoying. It doesn't necessarily imply that he is good at "covering his own arse" or that he is a "leccaculo". 

If you wanted to convey the whole meaning of the Italian expression, you would probably have to use two or three English expressions.

Eg: a brown-nose scheming smart-arse (I'm not thinking of anyone in particular)


----------



## Paulfromitaly

baldpate said:


> Nobody has mentioned "ass-coverer" (or "arse-coverer") - one who is given to covering his ass (chi e' portato a pararsi il culo).
> 
> No?


This sounds new to me: could you put it in a sentence?


----------



## baldpate

Well, an ass-coverer is someone who habitually behaves in such a way that he cannot be be blamed for a failure to acheive an objective, or for a setback or a misfortune (whether through his own fault, or through circumstance), or can justify the failure in retrospect, or place the blame elsewhere.
He will often do so by telling you in advance how difficult/impossible a task is, or maybe by putting his 'reservations' hidden in a long memo to the boss, which he can produced later if need be.
This is what 'covering your arse' means. In my opinion, in this sense most politicians are arse-coverers - do you hear any of them ever owning up to their mistakes?

Example:
"It's really frustrating working with Fred - he's such an ass-coverer: he'll give you a thousand reasons in advance why the timescales are impossible, and then when it all goes tits-up he'll say 'I told you so' ."


----------



## Salbina

baldpate said:


> Well, an ass-coverer is someone who habitually behaves in such a way that he cannot be be blamed for a failure to acheive an objective, or for a setback or a misfortune (whether through his own fault, or through circumstance), or can justify the failure in retrospect, or place the blame elsewhere.
> He will often do so by telling you in advance how difficult/impossible a task is, or maybe by putting his 'reservations' hidden in a long memo to the boss, which he can produced later if need be.
> This is what 'covering your arse' means. In my opinion, in this sense most politicians are arse-coverers - do you hear any of them ever owning up to their mistakes?
> 
> Example:
> "It's really frustrating working with Fred - he's such an ass-coverer: he'll give you a thousand reasons in advance why the timescales are impossible, and then when it all goes tits-up he'll say 'I told you so' ."



I think "arse-coverer" would be well translated in Italian by the expressions "mettere le mani avanti/pararsi il culo (più volgare, of course)/fare lo scaricabarile", which haven't much to do with being a "paraculo", at least how I mean it!

Anyway, thanks everybody, now I've 1) a lot of ideas for the different kinds of "paraculi" you can meet and 2) a little taste of how hard can be a translator's life...


----------



## naillirt

I think Paraculo is pronounced: 

para'culo. 

So, we can call it clever bastard in English. Any other suggestion?
(I was trying to describe the latest Natwest bank - really paraculo  -  advertisement to my boyfriend, and the only word I could think of was paraculo, but I can't find a good tralsation for it).
Thanks


----------



## oakleaf

_pa_-ra-*cu-*lo
that is, a small accent on the pa, and a big accent on the cu.


----------



## Artemisia81

The Garzanti translates "_paraculo_" with "_scheming bastard_".

Would the English native speakers agree with this expression?


----------



## oakleaf

Artemisia81 said:


> The Garzanti translates "_paraculo_" with "_scheming bastard_".
> 
> Would the English native speakers agree with this expression?


I get the feeling, living here in italy, that it carries an implication of someone who gets away with things.  It's not just the scheming, but the fact of always managing to come out smelling like roses.  To "parare il culo" means to "cover one's ass" which carries that implication i think.


----------



## Artemisia81

Well, actually the Garzanti Italian dictionary says this is the meaning of "Paraculo":


> _agg. e s. m. [f. -a] (region. volg.) si dice di persona furba, abile nel fare il proprio interesse senza darlo a vedere._




And obivously the meaning of the word can slightly change according to the context.
You might be really annoyed by the person and in that case you would use the word as a synonym of _opportunist_, but if you're talking to a friend you might want to use it in a more playful and friendly way.
In the latter situation, what would you say in English?


----------



## Marinels

Hi everybody!
I'd like to reopen this old thread because I don't think that Marilena was right saying that "Paraculo" is a Brown Nose etc etc..
Paraculo is someone who behaves trying to be safe in every situation, leaving the responsability to someone else.
I don't know if I just gave the right description of a "Paraculo" but I'm pretty sure that it's not a kiss ass!!

So anyone who knows the name and not just the verb?

Thanks!!

Marinels


----------



## rrose17

You might be right. TO be a kiss ass or a brown nose means you're pandering to others, never disagreeing, going out of your way to flatter your boss, for example. Maybe what you're looking for is something like "a goody two-shoes" which where I come from is very common way, a little childish perhaps, of describing someone who never breaks the rules, who always follows orders, etc.


----------



## kiddox

Living in Rome - the place where this term supposedly originated - I hear the term paraculo a lot. Another milder way for it is _*paravento*_, which involves the same meaning of paraculo, but with a more affectionate and tender tone 

Just wanted to add another English term that comes to my mind: _*smooth operator.*_

For instance: 
_Stai attento a quello lì. E' un gran paraculo, ti farebbe accettare qualsiasi cosa._

_You ought to be careful with that guy. He's very smooth / a very smooth operator who can make you agree to almost anything._


----------



## Flutter by butterfly

Smartass?!


----------



## TimLA

> Paraculo is someone who behaves trying to be safe in every situation, leaving the responsability to someone else.


 
Hmmm...interesting...

slacker
shirker
politician (derived from "poly" = many, "tics" = blood sucking insects)
dodger
triangulator


----------



## northcote

I like 'smartass'


----------



## Giorgio Spizzi

Personally, I say "paraculo" to refer to a "furbacchione" , a "clever bastard", maybe.
There's this political-cultural show on TV these days, which is attracting millions of audience. It's superbly done and deserves the success it's getting. Nevertheless, me and my friends often refer, jokingly, to the conductor as "un gran paraculo".
GS


----------



## DavideV

The difference between the two terms is really deep.

Someone who "covers his back" is someone who does everything he can to avoid *troubles*, but he's still doing his work.
A "dodger" (just to randomly pick one suggestion of TimLA's) is someone who does everything he can to avoid both troubles *and *works.


----------



## L'equilibrista

Hello,
could you help me with this?

"Dannato X, gli para il culo solo perché (Y) gli ha salvato la vita!"
_
"Damned x, he is only protecting his ass (?) because he_ saved his life!"

Thanks for any suggestions.


----------



## greenfield

Paraculo is simply like this: do you know someone who do his best to "cover his ass" in any situation, even if this attitude could damage other people ?
this is a paraculo. A typical unresponsible person, selfish and opportunist
As far as I am concerned, I hate those kind of people


----------



## vincenzochiaravalle

greenfield said:


> Paraculo is simply like this: do you know someone who do his best to "cover his ass" in any situation, even if this attitude could damage other people ?
> this is a paraculo. A typical unresponsible person, selfish and opportunist
> As far as I am concerned, I hate those kind of people



Yes and no. As a matter of fact,  "paraculo" is one of those terms the meaning of which depends hugely on a) the context and b) the speaker's real intention/feelings. Kind of like the English  "bastard" the word has negative/offensive meaning per se, but it can - and will - often be made to fit into positive/appreciative descriptions. 

If someone calls you a "bastard" we know that, by default, he disapproves of you. In such cases, greenfield's definition of "paraculo" is perfect, with the only caveat that the term is also used rather loosely, to fit the general idea of an  "ass", or a "son of a bitch"

However, a friend can call you "bastard" or "son of a bitch" in an appreciative way, if he has a satisfied grin on his face or he's patting your shoulder while he does so. In that case, you are a "clever bastard", and depending on the context, it might very well be meant as a compliment. When that happens, "paraculo" defines the resorceful, witty person who is especially good with words, cutting remarks et cetera. The fact that the sharpest and most amusing comments are almost always made at someone else's expenses - sad truth that it is - is purely coincidental. 

I get called "paraculo" a lot, and it is rarely my interlocutor's wish to stigmatize me as a  "selfish, irresponsible son of a bitch"

Over and out.


----------



## cecil

PotAsh said:


> Come si pronuncia la parola *paraculo*?
> 
> para'culo
> pa'raculo


----------



## aefrizzo

Buon giorno. Troppo tardi?
BROOM-HILDA,
Limitatamente ai primi 5 post, e cioè a "pararsi il  culo".
Nella striscia del 14 Febbraio un personaggio (Gaylord) definisce un'arte quella di "keeping one's tail feathers intact".
Mi chiedo se i madrelingua la ritengono un'espressione equivalente ed accettabile in una conversazione "educata".
Grazie.


----------



## giginho

Capita a fagiolo questa discussione.

Ieri parlavo con un tedesco, quindi né io né lui siamo madrelingua inglesi, e gli ho detto: "I have to send that email to his boss, I have to shield my ass....it is an ass-shielding email".

I supposed to be hilarious, he did understand what I was saying...the point is: Can a real native understand these expressions? Can I use "ass-shielding" or "to shield my ass" to mean "pararmi il culo": cover my back, save myself from troubles that can arise if, for example, I won't alert my boss that a colleague is shooting the shit?


----------



## rrose17

Ciao I would certainly understand what you meant but I would assume that as a non-native speaker you were confusing the expression with the very common "covering my ass" (does ass really need a ?) rather than being a hilarious joke. Sorry. 
Also you mean I thought it was hilarious or it was supposed to be hilarious. _I supposed to be_ is wrong grammatically. At a stretch you might say _I supposed it to be_ but it sounds wrong in this context.


----------



## london calling

aefrizzo said:


> Buon giorno. Troppo tardi?
> BROOM-HILDA,
> Limitatamente ai primi 5 post, e cioè a "pararsi il  culo".
> Nella striscia del 14 Febbraio un personaggio (Gaylord) definisce un'arte quella di "keeping one's tail feathers intact".
> Mi chiedo se i madrelingua la ritengono un'espressione equivalente ed accettabile in una conversazione "educata".
> Grazie.


E' la prima volta che la sento. Forse l'autore l'ha inventata per la striscia.


----------



## tsoapm

I wonder if ‘jobsworth’ might sometimes fit the bill.


----------



## You little ripper!

greenfield said:


> Paraculo is simply like this: do you know someone who do his best to "cover his ass" in any situation, even if this attitude could damage other people ?


I’d call this person _a slimy/slippery little bastard!_


----------



## Paulfromitaly

tsoapm said:


> I wonder if ‘jobsworth’ might sometimes fit the bill.



If I compare

*jobsworth*_:  a person in a position of minor authority who invokes the letter of the law in order to avoid any action requiring initiative, cooperation, etc_
and
_*paraculo*: in senso fig., chi sa abilmente e con disinvoltura volgere a proprio favore una situazione, o fare comunque il proprio interesse. _

I think they don't overlap although it's true that a jobsworth is a paraculo.


----------



## Wisden

Sneaky bastard, lucky bastard, cheeky bastard - secondo il caso.


----------



## Passante

Smart-ass?


----------



## Wisden

Passante said:


> Smart-ass?


No.  Smart-ass = saputello/a


----------



## theartichoke

Wisden said:


> No.  Smart-ass = saputello/a



But isn't a _saputello/a _a "know-it-all"? I think of a "smart-ass" and a "know-it-all" as being rather different types: one can be both at the same time, of course, but "smart-ass" has a distinct element of _sfacciato/a_, whereas "know-it-all" doesn't.


----------



## Benzene

_The Urban Dictionary says that 'paraculo' can mean:_

_A smartass (someone who is obnoxiously self-assured)-_
_A cunning opportunist individual, sly in taking advantage of the social mechanisms that govern the world without showing it. Servile and brown noser towards power._
_A conman, someone who conducts a confidence game: who defrauds someone after winning his trust._
_Bye,
*Benzene*_


----------



## franz10mp

I think nobody is really getting the meaning of 'paraculo' right, at least in the way I have always used this word.

First, let's think about its literal meaning: this word is composed of two words: 'para' and 'culo', i.e. cover and arse (BE), respectively.

So, 'paraculo' generally means 'someone who covers his/her own arse'.

The key point, however, is about how that someone covers his/her own arse.

The word 'paraculo' is generally meant to characterise someone who covers his/her own arse in a clearly hypocritical way (clear to who is listening).

For example, Marco doesn't eat the cake because he doesn't like it and he let Andrea know that the cake is horrible. However, when he is asked by someone the question of why he is not eating the cake, he answers saying something like: "The cake is great, just I am so full today". Then, Andrea would think of or say to Marco: "what a 'paraculo'".

Sometimes, this way of covering someone's own arse can be so clearly hypocritical to be funny and, indeed, acting like a 'paraculo' is often seen as a form of humour.

In the three definitions highlighted by Benzene above, I cannot recognise this meaning of 'paraculo' which, to me, is the only true meaning.


----------



## ohbice

SottolineereI il "to me". Per dire ipocrita basta ipocrita, non serve paraculo ;-)


----------



## franz10mp

ohbice said:


> SottolineereI il "to me". Per dire ipocrita basta ipocrita, non serve paraculo ;-)


Penso di averlo sottolineato abbastanza. Ma a parte questo, non sono d'accordo con la tua risposta. Paraculo e' chiaramente informale come termine. Quindi, il punto e' trovare un termine inglese che sia informale allo stesso modo.


----------



## london calling

franz10mp said:


> Penso di averlo sottolineato abbastanza. Ma a parte questo, non sono d'accordo con la tua risposta. Paraculo e' chiaramente informale come termine. Quindi, il punto e' trovare un termine inglese che sia informale allo stesso modo.


Non c'è un termine. Hai letto le risposte sopra? Ecco quello che pensavo e che tutt'ora penso.



london calling said:


> Actually, both _smart ass_ and _smart aleck_ are similar to "paraculo", but they're not quite the same, although the dictionaries say they are!
> 
> I think it's difficult to translate "paraculo" using just one word, we'd probably use a different word/expression each time according to the context. A good example is "teacher's pet", who is, as Paul says, a specific kind of "paraculo".


----------

