Word of the Day: Pettegolezzi

Pettegolezzi means items of gossip. Juicy details. The lowdown. The chatter, the chit-chat. And other nouns of the sort.

It comes from the Italian noun, pettegolo, or gossiper. In other words, the one who gossips. It can also be used as an adjective, to mean chatty, or gossipy.

In the same vein, spettegolare is the verb form, meaning to gossip. Or as Word Reference hilariously translates it, ‘to gossip, to piffle, to bitch, to prattle, to tittle-tattle to buzz about, to dump on someone.’ Those words definitely generated some LOLz.

All of these words are derived from the Latin, petere, or to search for, to go after.

Examples:
‘Ce l’hai qualche nuovo pettegolezzo?’ – Do you have any new gossip?

‘Conosci Pietro? Che pettegolo!’ – Do you know Pietro? What a gossiper!

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About Zvia Shwirtz

In Rome for 3 years now, and counting, Zvia boasts 'pro level' knowledge of the Roman public transportation system, club/music scene, and where to get a cappuccino after 11 AM without a dirty look. She also can't believe that Italians do not know about Seinfeld.
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