# Tirarsela - se la tira



## systema encephale

Do you English natives have any expression for our "_tirarsela_"? It means to be snob, very unformal.

Ex.: "_quella se la tira troppo_" = "_she's too snob_" (with negative meaning, like she feels superior to all of us)


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## You little ripper!

systema encephale said:
			
		

> Do you English natives have any expression for our "_tirarsela_"? It means to be snob, very unformal.
> 
> Ex.: "_quella se la tira troppo_" = "_she's too snob_" (with negative meaning, like she feels superior to all of us)


_To put on airs/to be up oneself_.


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## TimLA

systema encephale said:
			
		

> Do you English natives have any expression for our "_tirarsela_"? It means to be snob, very unformal.
> 
> Ex.: "_quella se la tira troppo_" = "_she's too snob_" (with negative meaning, like she feels superior to all of us)


 
Too many to name -- but do you mean "unformal". I'm unformal (don't want to be called by any titles, try to treat everyone the same), but not a snob.

above her/himself
distant
stuck-up (common among adolescents)
a snob
snobby (rare)
a snoot
snooty
prig (rare)
unpleasant
patronizing
superior
self-satisfied
uppity (South, Midwest)
Too big for one's britches (pants=britches - South, Midwest)
pretentious
elitist

This will keep you going for a day or two.
tim


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## systema encephale

I meant that the expression is very unformal, you wouldn't say it during a work lunch for example 
We also use other expressions such as _"darsi delle arie"_, _"essere pieni di sé"_, but these are way much more formal than the first one, which is mostly used among young people.


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## You little ripper!

_To be high and mighty_ is another.
A synonym for  _someone who is superior_ is _supercilious._


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## You little ripper!

systema encephale said:
			
		

> I meant that the expression is very unformal, you wouldn't say it during a work lunch for example
> We also use other expressions such as _"darsi delle arie"_, _"essere pieni di sé"_, but these are way much more formal than the first one, which is mostly used among young people.


_Up her/him self_ is very colloquial.


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## systema encephale

Thanks everybody 

P.S. I'm off to bed, it's quite late here..


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## TimLA

systema encephale said:
			
		

> I meant that the expression is very unformal, you wouldn't say it during a work lunch for example
> We also use other expressions such as _"darsi delle arie"_, _"essere pieni di sé"_, but these are way much more formal than the first one, which is mostly used among young people.


 
OK, gotcha. I'm used to *in*formal, but *un*formal is equivalent. sorry.

"To be full of one's self" can also be considered snobbish
"To give airs" is also possible


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## combustion

systema encephale said:
			
		

> Do you English natives have any expression for our "_tirarsela_"? It means to be snob, very unformal.
> 
> Ex.: "_quella se la tira troppo_" = "_she's too snob_" (with negative meaning, like she feels superior to all of us)



For the English-speaking people: the verb is very commonly used, but is a bit coarse...! Pay attention in using it!
comb...


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## Elisa68

Play hard to get?


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## TimLA

Elisa68 said:
			
		

> Play hard to get?


 
Maybe, but a true snob wouldn't even consider a date with someone below his/her stature.


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## Silvia

I think that being snob is something else. It doesn't have much to do with the verb mentioned in this thread.


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## Alfry

Io credo che "tirarsela" derivi da "tirarsi la calzetta" ovvero fare i vanitosi, mostrandosi belli, in a nutshell: to show off 

These are my 20 euro (da** inflation).  Fino a ieri eran solo 20 centesimi


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## ElaineG

Silvia said:
			
		

> I think that being snobby/a snob is something else. It doesn't have much to do with the verb mentioned in this thread.


 
Can you explain, *Silvia*?  From what I've read here (giving oneself airs, etc.), tirarsela seems to be pretty close to acting snobby.  But you seem to suggest that's wrong; I'd value your opinion as to the real meaning of _tirarsela_.


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## carrickp

Looking at the Italian, I guess "tirarsela" implies "hold oneself above." If that is the case, a good English translation would be someone who "looks down her nose at" people or objects she considers beneath her. "Elaine, having lived in Sicily, looks down her nose at my feeble attempts to speak Italian."


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## You little ripper!

According to Oxford Paravia _tirasela_ means to_ put on airs, to get above oneself. _


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## systema encephale

Charles Costante said:
			
		

> According to Oxford Paravia _tirasela_ means to_ put on airs, to get above oneself. _


Yes, but this sounds very formal. Is there any slang to say the same?


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## ElaineG

Act high and mighty; act hoighty toighty; act like the sun shines out your ass


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## systema encephale

ElaineG said:
			
		

> Act high and mighty; act hoighty toighty; act like the sun shines out your ass


I like those!! 
But I don't get the 2nd one. What do _hoighty_ and _toighty_ mean in Italian?


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## You little ripper!

systema encephale said:
			
		

> I like those!!
> But I don't get the 2nd one. What do _hoighty_ and _toighty_ mean in Italian?


It means _avere la puzza sotto il naso._


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## systema encephale

Charles Costante said:
			
		

> It means _avere la puzza sotto il naso._


Oh, now I understand 
But do those terms have any translation alone or are they used only together?


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## You little ripper!

systema encephale said:
			
		

> Oh, now I understand
> But do those terms have any translation alone or are they used only together?


This might help Matteo.
And this.http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hoity-toity


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## Dushnyoni

Tirarsela is a rude way of saying that someone is showing off.


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## Paulfromitaly

jbt said:


> Can anyone help me with this expresion? Thank you.



If referred to a girl-woman, it means that she's playing hard to get.


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## Spiritoso78

Ciao,

come tradurreste " Quella se la tira"? Mi potreste aiutare, dato che

_"She puts on airs" o "she boasts about herself" _non mi soddisfano tanto, non rendono bene l'idea.

Grazie a tutti e tutte!


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## piacenza

"Se la tira" is very colloquial, so you can translate it in English as "She gives it the large" or, more formal, "She is full of herself"


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## Citrinette

She's full of herself.
She thinks she's better than she is.
She's a snob.
she's high on herself.

There really isn't an exact translation of this term unfortunately.



piacenza said:


> "Se la tira" is very colloquial, so you can translate it in English as "She gives it the large" or, more formal, "She is full of herself"


 
She gives it the large, is that BE? I've never heard it before.


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## beatrice76

I remember I heard quite often in London "she has an attitude"...would you say so?


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## Spiritoso78

Hi, 

first of all thanks both for your quick reply; then, how about saying 

She thinks to be cool; does it exist in everyday's language, would a man say like that?

Grazie ancora ragazze!


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## piacenza

Spiritoso78 said:


> Hi,
> 
> first of all thanks both for your quick reply; then, how about saying
> 
> She thinks to be cool; does it exist in everyday's language, would a man say like that?
> 
> Grazie ancora ragazze!



"She thinks she is cool" not "She thinks to be cool".  But "She is full of herself" is probably more exact (even though, as I am from London, I would say "She gives it the large").


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## Citrinette

Spiritoso78 said:


> Hi,
> 
> first of all thanks both for your quick reply; then, how about saying
> *
> "She thinks to be cool"* She thinks she's cool; does it exist in everyday's language, would a man say like that?
> 
> Grazie ancora ragazze!



Yes you can say "she thinks she is cool"


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## Spiritoso78

Ok Piacenza, I'll keep in mind your suggestions...should I go to London in future!

Thanks again.....now I learned it i am full of myself!

Ciao

Grazie anche a te Citrinette di cuore!

Buon fine settimana.

Luca


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## piacenza

Spiritoso78 said:


> Ok Piacenza, I'll keep in mind your suggestions...should I go to London in future!
> 
> Thanks again.....now I learned it i am full of myself!
> 
> Ciao



Yeah, you pass the "London test"... but don't give it the large!  ;  )


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## Felicetta

I know it's a bit late but where I'm from we say:

She thinks she's _all that_! (very slangy) _I would use this most_
She thinks she's _the shit_ (very very slangy) maybe very _Chi_ (chicago)
She's so full of herself! 

or simply,

She's conceited!


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## Stevo_Evo_22

It's never too late!
And Felicetta, it's funny, but your 3 examples would be the only ones used by myself and my friends-the three options most common here


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## mustangman

Felicetta said:


> I know it's a bit late but where I'm from we say:
> 
> She thinks she's _all that_! (very slangy) _I would use this most_
> She thinks she's _the shit_ (very very slangy) maybe very _Chi_ (chicago)
> She's so full of herself!
> 
> or simply,
> 
> She's conceited!



These are what I would use with my friends as well, I think they are more american. "She's stuck up" would be my first choice amoung friends.

"She's so hoighty toighty" is definitely something that someone from Brooklyn would say lol. those words have no meaning at all in english. I'm not sure were the phrase derived from but they're only used together in this phrase.

This could be rude but is it very colloquial to call a girl who is a snob 'fica d'oro'? I read that somewhere once


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## Felicetta

Stevo_Evo_22 said:


> It's never too late!
> And Felicetta, it's funny, but your 3 examples would be the only ones used by myself and my friends-the three options most common here


 
That is awesome! I didn't think that _the shit_ was used in Australia. But hey, hip hop, etc., is ubiquitous by now. The last time I was visiting family in Italy, some of my young cousins kept asking me translate rap lyrics by artists like Eminem. I was like, I can't even really translate a lot of this into plain English!


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## rubuk

mustangman said:


> ...
> This could be rude but is it very colloquial to call a girl who is a snob 'fica d'oro'? I read that somewhere once



I have placed the warning for You (and all the other readers and contributors).

St.


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## Stevo_Evo_22

Haha Felicetta, yes hip-hop culture is prevalent in Australia as well!

Mustangman, "stuck up" would also be an appropriate choice among friends here as well.


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## You little ripper!

Felicetta said:


> That is awesome! I didn't think that _the shit_ was used in Australia.


Felicetta, it must be if Stevo says that he and his friends use it. I've never heard the expression personally, and I've lived in both Perth and Sydney. It's probably a 'younger generation' thing. The same goes for "all that". 



> "She's so hoighty toighty" is definitely something that someone from Brooklyn would say lol. those words have no meaning at all in english. I'm not sure were the phrase derived from but they're only used together in this phrase.


The etymology of 'hoity-toity' is explained here.


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## Ariana Davidson

I checked, but didn't find the meaning of this verb.  http://www.wordreference.com/iten/cheselatirare

Specifically, I'd like to know what this means:
Le nostre donne sono forse tra le più «futili, vacue e cheselatirano» al mondo.

Contextually:  http://www.corriere.it/solferino/severgnini/09-07-24/04.spm

I hope I've followed the rules.  Thank you all in advance.


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## rafanadal

I ran  by chance into an expression which the vocabulary tags as "Australian informal", and, here, Charles can come to the rescue .
It goes: "Sell tickets on yourself".
Is it used?


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## You little ripper!

rafanadal said:


> I ran  by chance into an expression which the vocabulary tags as "Australian informal", and, here, Charles can come to the rescue .
> It goes: "Sell tickets on yourself".
> Is it used?


Raf, I've not heard of 'selling tickets on oneself'. We usually say, 'To *have* tickets on oneself'. It means that _you think you're wonderful,  better than everyone else_. 'To sell tickets on oneself' makes perfect sense though, probably even more than 'having tickets.......'. 

_I can't stand the guy! He really has tickets on himself!
The difficulty is selling yourself without giving the impression that you have tickets on yourself.
_


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## Avv.Piazza

"tirarsela" non vuol dire esattamente essere snob. O meglio si usa in un contesto di "snobismo sessuale". Uno/a che se la tira è uno/a che, poiché si sente particolarmente attraente, tiene un atteggiamento di distacco (quasi disinteressato) nei confronti dell'altro sesso e di superiorità nei confronti del proprio.

Detto in termini molto bassi, una/o che se la tira è uno/a che difficilmente si concede sessualmente


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## rafanadal

Mmh..permettimi di dissentire Avv.Piazza...
Solo tre giorni fa un'amica mi ha detto: "Ho conosciuto Pincopallo (alias personaggio abbastanza famoso in TV). Se la tira!
Non si riferiva all'aspetto sessuale. Voleva dire che non era il massimo della simpatia.


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## rrose17

Playing hard to get refers to someone pretending not to be interested in someone else romantically or sexually. Or making it difficult for someone else to approach them in a romantic or sexual way.


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## halconnen

Per curiosita' una domanda di etimologia.  Per la frase "smetti di tirartela" a cosa sta riferendo di non tirare?  Se stesso in su?  Se stesso a qual che parte?  La coda di paglia?  Una cosa un po' volgare da un dialetto come il Siciliano che usa una parola femina?  Se e' la ultima ha perso questa frase un poco di effetto volgare come la frase "non rompere?"


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## cercolumi

halconnen said:


> Per curiosita' una domanda di etimologia.  Per la frase "smetti di tirartela" a cosa sta riferendo di non tirare?  Se stesso in su?  Se stesso a qual che parte?  La coda di paglia?  Una cosa un po' volgare da un dialetto come il Siciliano che usa una parola femina?  Se e' la ultima ha perso questa frase un poco di effetto volgare come la frase "non rompere?"



Qui le risposte che cerchi.


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