The Sopranos Dictionary: Learn “Marone” & More Italian American Slangs
The Sopranos
If you’ve seen the American Drama series The Sopranos, then you must remember T – the one and only Tony Soprano. He is kind of brutish and intimidating; at the same time, he’s a funny, charming family man. Perhaps, one of his friends, called Salvatore or Pussy, would even say that he is a stand-up guy. Alright, that idea might be up for a long debate, so we can discuss that at a later time. Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with important details or spill some spoilers but if you have extra time, you should plan on watching this show.
On another note, this series will give you a glimpse into the diverse Italian-American heritage, which is a huge part of American culture and society. It will even give you an impression of how complex these characters are and how their identities go beyond their appearance and words. And, let’s not forget that the show never hesitated to highlight stereotypes associated with Italian-American culture, especially the use of Italian-American slang words that are commonly used within the Italian community on the East Coast of the US. You’ll know what they are once you hear them. But if you don’t, here’s a list to get you started.
- gabagool: aka capicola; a popular type of dry-cured, cold cut
- marone: damn it
- goombah: a companion
- goomah: a mistress; a lover; a girlfriend
- mezza morta: half-dead
- facia bruta: ugly face
- schifosa: ugly woman
- prujoot: aka prosciutto; uncooked, dry-cured ham
- sfacime / sfacim: a slang and friendly term of endearment for an asshole
- chiacchierone: a talker
- capicola: aka gabagool; a popular type of dry-cured, cold cut
- consigliere: a family advisor
- stugots: a jerk
- capo: aka Caporegime; a high ranking member of the mafia who leads a crew
- piacere: “please to meet you”
- oogatz / oogats: aka nothing
- oobats: crazy
- mozarelle / mutz / mutzadell: aka mozzarella cheese
- caporegime: aka capo; a high ranking member of the mafia who leads a crew
- manigot: aka manicotti; an Italian pasta dish filled with ricotta
- googootz: a term of endearment to call someone; an Italian slang for zucchini
- strunz: a jerk
- pasta fazool: aka pasta e fagioli or pasta and bean soup
- sfogliatelle: an Italian pastry; also called lobster tail in the US
- cannoli: a Sicilian pastry with a sweet, creamy filling
- tiramisu: a creamy, coffee-flavored Italian dessert