# sei un pirla



## Bionda

I'm curious as to what this means:  _"Ehhh sei un pirlo"_. I've seen it written a few places so far. I think only una vera madrelingua will know the meaning of it. I hope it's not anything too obscene.


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## Alfry

Actually, it should be "sei un pirla " but I'll leave the amusement and the explanation to others


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## AmoL'italiano

Doesn't "pirla" mean "dumb."? So would "sei un pirla!" mean "You're a dummy!"?

Haha "pirla bionda," I get the joke! Haha!


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## Bionda

Alfry said:
			
		

> Actually, it should be "sei un pirla " but I'll leave the amusement and the explanation to others


No it wasn't said *to me*. I've seen it in blogs and on other web sites. C'mon guys!


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## raffaella

It's a very common expression around Milan. The literal translation, pardon my frankness is  dickhead , but it's not as bad in Italian. That doesn't make it a compliment of course! In Milan "pirla" is a dialect form for penis.

Raffaella


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## lsp

Bionda said:
			
		

> I'm curious as to what this means:  _"Ehhh sei un pirlo"_. I've seen it written a few places so far. I think only una vera madrelingua will know the meaning of it. I hope it's not anything too obscene.


È un insulto in dialetto milanese, ma non sono una vera madrelingua, quindi ti consiglio di trovare la risposta dato da un forero milanese facendo una ricerca.



			
				Alex_Murphy said:
			
		

> So it would be sei una pirla?


Dovrebbe essere "Sei un pirla"

EDIT: Alex, going back, I see Alfry already made note of that in post #2.


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## Alxmrphi

Yeah, that's why I quoted it, because "AFTER" Alfry's post, Bionda wrote:



> Oh and it is written as "sei *un* pir*lo*".



So i quoted Alfry, and Bionda, and changed it.


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## Bionda

Is *pirla *always feminine? I'm referring to a blog where the recipient seems to be male.


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## raffaella

It really is always masculine "UN pirla" and because of the literal meaning the recipients are almost exclusively male.


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## Alfry

Actually, it should always be masculine but I wouldn't be surprised if I were to find "sei una pirla".

Anyway, if it is "sei un pirlo" either it is a typo or it has a different meaning:

there's a football/soccer player who plays for Milan ( an Italian football/soccer team ) and whose surname is Pirlo, so, maybe, the writer was trying to make a play on words. 

But this is a wild wild wild guess.


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## systema encephale

I wouldn't translate _pirla_ as _dickhead_. And I wouldn't use warning symbols either. In fact, I think _pirla_ is not as offensive as _"testa di cazzo"_ (which is the actual translation of _dickhead_). I would say it has the same meaning as _scemo_. I'm not from Milan though.


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## raffaella

I agree with you, Systema. I gave the literal translation, but also said it's not as offensive n Italian. 
I think the closest English equivalent would be "dumbass".


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## systema encephale

How comes that _dickhead_ is the literal translation of _pirla_?! I don't know its origin.


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## ElaineG

It may not be that offensive, but I did learn in poking around the web that Italy's highest court has held that it's actionable to call someone "un pirla"

http://www.studiocataldi.it/news_giuridiche_asp/news_giuridica_3062.asp


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## petereid

Dickhead is a regular joking insult among the UK English males of all ages.
Dumbass is very USA


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## moodywop

Wow!That's amazing! The "Corte di Cassazione" ruled that the word "pirla" is _''lesiva dell'onore e del decoro'' della persona alla quale viene rivolta._

I'll have to be more careful the next time I succumb to road rage


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## You little ripper!

Paravia says it is regional and translates it as _a twit_ or _a jerk._


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## PPL

'Un pirla' is milanese dialect and is a masculine substantive (in spite of the final 'a').
It's litteral *E*nglish translation is 'spinning top' (trottola in *I*talian, toupie in *F*rench).
It's figurative meaning is somebody with little judgment (couillon in *F*rench, maybe dumbass in *E*nglish ?). It's moderately offensive.
Andrea Pirlo is indeed an Italian soccer player but is totally unrelated to the ethymology of 'pirla'.


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## tense

Pirla = Stupid

meaning comes from Pirlare = Spin/spinning top

(maybe you are so stupid you spin around aimless)

In Milan is often used not only by filthy people

You can say: "Che pirla che sono! Ho rotto il vaso con le mia mani"


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## AshleySarah

tense said:


> meaning comes from Pirlare = Spin/spinning top
> 
> (maybe you are so stupid you spin around aimless)
> In Milan is often used not only by filthy people
> You can say: "Che pirla che sono! Ho rotto il vaso con le mia mani"


 
Ciao Tense,
I've been following this thread with interest and much laughter! However, when you explained that pirlare meant spinning top, I remembered that when I was a child (in the UK) it was common to call a clumsy or "dizzy" person a "big toppy".  As well as that, we used to play with a small wooden top around which we wound a cord which was attached to a stick which was called a whip.  The top was called a "pirie" (? spelling).  Is this coincidence, or am I spinning out of control?


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## blingbang

Io ho sempre tradotto pirla con prick

Ciao.


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## oliver3

Pirla = pene (penis)
Molto volgare fino agli anni '70, poi sempre più usato dalla gente come sinonimo di stupido, poco intelligente, ha perso parte (ma ne ha ancora) della sua connotazione volgare. Può capitare di sentirlo tra colleghi o amici, di certo non in famiglia (o almeno non in quelle educate, dove le parolacce sono taboo). Tipico insulto tra automobilisti, dove però viene usato il termine ancora più crudo "coglione" ("testicle", tra l'altro amato e pronunciato anche dall'attuale premier italiano nei confronti degli elettori dell'opposizione) (negli anni '50-60 tra automobilisti si usava invece "cornuto", mentre non era ancora stato coniato un sinonimo offensivo per l'opposizione politica), o da parte di qualcuno che viaggia su un mezzo (auto, tram, ecc.) e insulta un passante (che quindi, essendo più lento, si crede non riuscirà a raggiungerlo e a picchiarlo per l'insulto...).

Può anche essere che col tempo "pirla" perda completamente il suo significato originario e non venga più considerato volgare. E' già accaduto a "pinco pallino", che nel medioevo voleva proprio dire "pirla" (cioè: il pene, quindi: "persona vuota, insignificante, che non capisce niente") ed era un insulto, mentre ora è il quarto nome usato per descrivere un gruppo di individui di cui non si conosce il nome: "Tizio, Caio, Sempronio e Pinco Pallino" ("Tom, Dick and Harry": ma la forma inglese si ferma solo a tre? ;-) ).

Beh, questo è il mio parere... ;-) (comunque guarda che qui: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirla)


Se potete non utilizzate il termine "pirla". Non è bello, non è fine, non vi farà stimare... 
Comunque, tanto per capire come concorda:
"Quel ragazzo è un pirla"
"Quei ragazzi sono dei pirla"
In teoria si potrebbe dire:
"Quella ragazza è una pirla"
"Quelle ragazze sono delle pirla"
ma non mi pare di averlo sentito usare per il sesso femminile.
Invece, molto spesso lo si trovava sui muri in modo indefinito "Pirla chi legge!" (versione un po' più pesante dell' "Asino chi legge!"), dove era quindi rivolto a tutti, maschi e femmine indistintamente. Con buona pace anche per l'altro sesso, che in questo modo ottiene la parità!

;-)


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## Al3

I would say "dumbass" is correct. It has also another meaning: "Pirla" is also used to refer to the sex organ of men in an informal way.


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## london calling

Al3 said:


> I would say "dumbass" is correct.


It is if you're American!  Non lo direi MAI. In BE sarebbe _twat, pratt, arsehole, dickhead_, ecc. ecc.


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## xueke

It's a very common expression around Milan. The literal translation, pardon my frankness is  dickhead , but it's not as bad in Italian. That doesn't make it a compliment of course! In Milan "pirla" is a dialect form for penis.


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## giginho

london calling said:


> It is if you're American!  Non lo direi MAI. In BE sarebbe _twat, pratt, arsehole, dickhead_, ecc. ecc.



Hi London! How's life?

My question is: dickhead is a strong expression in BE or it can be used in common informal speech between friends without risks?

As far as I know arsehole is a bit strong, but it depend on how you say that....it is correct?


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## london calling

giginho said:


> My question is: dickhead is a strong expression in BE or it can be used in common informal speech between friends without risks?
> 
> As far as I know arsehole is a bit strong, but it depend on how you say that....it is correct?


All those expressions are quite strong: as with anything, it depends on how you say them (as you say).

Edit. Ho appena visto che il titolo del thread è errato: un pirla, no? E a proposito si usa talvolta anche da queste parti (insieme con il sicilianissimo "minchia").


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## giginho

Ok, really clear now!

Thank you very much!


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## You little ripper!

london calling said:


> All those expressions are quite strong: as with anything, it depends on how you say them (as you say).
> 
> Edit. Ho appena visto che il titolo del thread è errato: un pirla, no? E a proposito si usa talvolta anche da queste parti (insieme con il sicilianissimo "minchia").


Changing the word d!ckh@$d to d!%k changes the strength of the vulgarity in Australia. Telling someone that s/he is a d!%k is nowhere as bad as telling them they are a d!ckh@$d. Is that the same in England, Jo?


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## london calling

Charles Costante said:


> Changing the word d!ckh@$d to d!%k changes the strength of the vulgarity in Australia. Telling someone that s/he is a d!%k is nowhere as bad as telling them they are a d!ckh@$d. Is that the same in England, Jo?


I suppose it is, although it really does depend on the context, who you're speaking to etc. Anything can be vulgar and insulting if that's your intention.


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## fabri85

I think the best translation would be moron



Charles Costante said:


> Changing the word d!ckh@$d to d!%k changes the strength of the vulgarity in Australia. Telling someone that s/he is a d!%k is nowhere as bad as telling them they are a d!ckh@$d. Is that the same in England, Jo?



it's exactly the same in the UK



giginho said:


> Hi London! How's life?
> 
> My question is: dickhead is a strong expression in BE or it can be used in common informal speech between friends without risks?
> 
> As far as I know arsehole is a bit strong, but it depend on how you say that....it is correct?



It's the other way 'round for me. I tend to use arsehole (or just arse) if it's a joke and dickhead if I do mean it instead. I'd say "dick" to a friend though if he acted dumb, but not dickhead, it's strong. You know it's pretty weird because I'm sure most Americans will argue asshole is stronger than dickhead but for me asshole has a more playful connotation.


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## london calling

I often call my friends dickheads jokingly!


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## fabri85

Yeah it's totally subjective


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## You little ripper!

london calling said:


> I often call my friends dickheads jokingly!


I'm so glad our relationship hasn't progressed from the 'casual acquaintance' to 'friendship' status then, Jo!  Please warn me, folks, if you sense that we're about to move from one to the other.


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## jujujulia

systema encephale said:


> How comes that _dickhead_ is the literal translation of _pirla_?! I don't know its origin.



We lived twenty years in the Bergamo area, and by the way it was used I would say the connotation was not negative: it was something like calling someone "furbo". That is a way of being clever but in a sneaky - smart sort of way. Maybe something like a "birichino", though this word is used for more for children. Word reference translates "birichino" as a prankster, rascal, or scamp. I think guys get called "pirla" when they try to play a practical joke but they get caught. The word "pirla" is invariably masculine ending in -a just like the word "idiota". Only a woman can also be "un'idota" whereas a man is "un idota" (the apostrophe indicates that we have removed the "a" from una because it elides with the vowel that follows).
Correct me if I'm wrong -- I'm not mother tongue Italian but I've always been good at grammar.


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## london calling

jujujulia said:


> We lived twenty years in the Bergamo area, and by the way it was used I would say the connotation was not negative: it was something like calling someone "furbo". That is a way of being clever but in a sneaky - smart sort of way. .


You're in good company. The _Presidente della Regione Lombardia_ also claims it isn't an insult (here). He's still being teased about on radio and TV.

The word itself means "dick" or "prick" (no two ways around it) but I am convinced it can be used almost.....affectionately or indeed jokingly but it can also be very insulting depending on the context. That of course goes for anything, not just this particular word (I am of course speaking about both languages, not just Italian).


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## **ellie**

I currently live in Milan and I've always interpreted the expression as "You're an idiot!" rather than anything more offensive.

I have always seen it addressed to men, so "sei un pirla" 

Hope it helps x


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## zyrrhus

I'd go for "You jerk"  - I don't think idiot is strong enough - imbecille is an idiot.  You may think it 'only' means idiot due to the frequency with which it is used in Milan!


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## oliver3

In effetti pirlo esiste, ma è una voce dialettale che indica il birillo (gioco per bimbi). in Alto Adige ho trovato anche un gioco da tavolo - un flipper antelitteram - chiamato pirlo (usa alcuni birillini di pochi centimetri.

Anche il verbo pirlare (girare, girare come una trottola) è voce dialettale. Van de Sfroos in una sua canzone dice: "... ho pirlà per il mund" (ho girato per il mondo).

Ovvio che il termine birillo, pirlo... e quindi pirla possano avere anche un significato legato al sesso maschile (cioè al pene).
Dare del pirla comunque è un insulto che può far venire facilmente alle mani persone che non si conoscono (passanti, automobilisti).  Da non usarsi, proprio per la forte carica volgare. 
;-)


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## Silvia

Some clarifications:

- it is not meant as a compliment
- it is not mild, but not strong either; I would say it's more acceptable in Milanese dialect than it is in Italian (the noun is a dialect word)
- as it was previously stated, it defines an object: the spinning top (therefore, originally it didn't have that bad connotation, obviously)
- it does not mean "penis" and it never had that meaning, those who said that are clearly not Milanese
- the above misunderstanding might have originated from the fact that you can actually move the penis around or shake it, like when males pee
- only men can be that, and it's usually men who call some other man like that
- as an offence, it might correspond to the Southern word "ciuccio" (though I guess the latter is milder)

Now, who can be called that? For sure it's not jerk, but dumbass, dumb, ass, etc. all have slight nuances to them and it's difficult for foreigners to tell what is what.

A guy has his head in the clouds. He picks up a couple of friends with his car. The three meet up with some other friends, so he stops the car and they get out of it for a few minutes. As they're about to leave to go some place together, he suddenly realizes he left the key in the car and now he can't open the car anymore. Friends' comment: Ma sei proprio un pirla!

Pirla can also be someone who is totally unreliable. "Hey, I told Mario to buy the tickets last Wednesday. I gave him the money and everything. Yesterday I asked him about the tickets and if everything's was fine, and he said he completely forgot and now they're all sold out!


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## Linnets

raffaella said:


> It really is always masculine "UN pirla" and because of the literal meaning the recipients are almost exclusively male.


In Tuscany we use _fava_, it is a feminine gender noun even if the meaning is the same as _pirla_.


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## velisarius

I found the term "Pirloni!" in the novel "Il Commissario Bordelli" by Mario Vichi.  The novel's set in 1963 and it's said by a    Milanese who lent his car to  a couple and they brought it back "graffiata". So would "pirlone" be "pirla", only more so ?


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## Chiarimento

Persona stupida, sciocca.
There is also a song "faccia da pirla".
I have heard the term on television and for what I see is used in the Milano area.


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## london calling

velisarius said:


> So would "pirlone" be "pirla", only more so ?


Precisely.

It's like _minchia/minchione_! And that's of Sicilian origin, but has spread fast all over....even friends of mine from Milan use it.


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## elfa

london calling said:


> It's like _minchia/minchione_! And that's of Sicilian origin, but has spread fast all over....even friends of mine from Milan use it.



Is that the Montalbano effect, do you think? (He always seems to be saying it!)


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## tedgale

A Milanese friend on Facebook just posted about "quei pirla". Is the noun unchanged in the plural?


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## Paulfromitaly

tedgale said:


> A Milanese friend on Facebook just posted about "quei pirla". Is the noun unchanged in the plural?



Yes.


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## Linnets

elfa said:


> Is that the Montalbano effect, do you think? (He always seems to be saying it!)


It's older than Montalbano, it dates back to Southern immigration times.


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## elfa

Linnets said:


> It's older than Montalbano, it dates back to Southern immigration times.



Quite so, Linnets. But London Calling was talking about the spread of the word in post 47. i.e. that even her friends in Milan now use it.


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## Davide'80

In Milan sometimes I've heard the sentences "Ascolta un pirla: ..." and "Ascolta il consiglio di un pirla: ..." pronunced to a friend, ore even to someone who asked informations on the streets. In many contests this word assumes a meaning of intimacy.
Existing also the form "pirlotto" (pl. pirlotti) that can be translated as "little silly".


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## jonesr

I was looking for the meaning after seeing a Facebook post from an Italian friend (from Verona): "Tutti siamo stati giovani e pirla, ma non è che rimanendo pirla si rimane giovani."  That doesn't sound too insulting to me - more like "young and foolish".


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## Paulfromitaly

jonesr said:


> "young and foolish".




Please keep in mind this term has been discussed at length.
Thank you, everyone.

dare del pirla
Non da pirla
pistola/pirla
Stavo facendo lo scemo/il pirla


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