Infischiarsene — and other ways to say you don't give a hoot...

Original: Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

Watch a film, and its clever or catchy phrases can easily get engrained in your memory. This is especially true for iconic films and lines that get incorporated into popular culture.

Voted the number one most memorable movie line by the American Film Institute in 2005, you've likely heard some version of: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" said by Clark Gable as Rhett Butler to a decidedly whiny Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) in Gone with the Wind (Via col Vento.)

Now you can use the same mnemonic strategy to help you remember the phrase in Italian, too! Watch this dubbed clip and see if you can make out the context. Then, listen to the pronunciation and tone of the line:

Me ne infischio.

I don't give a damn

Part of the line's memorability and appeal was its use of the word "damn"— considered a profanity at the time of the film's release, and still not exactly polite today.  The Italian version maintains the same colloquial tone… But nowadays, it sounds a little bit out of date, and maybe a bit corny— something more along the lines of "I don't give a darn" or "I don't give a hoot."

If you'd like to express the same thing in a decidedly modern way, you could also say:

Non me ne frega.*

literally: that doesn't rub me

still means: I don't give a damn

*Be warned, this is very colloquial and quite crass!

If that isn't colorful enough for you, you can also add modifiers: (still crass—ranked from less vulgar to extremely vulgar!)

Non me ne frega un cavolo.

literally: a cabbage

a way to say a swear word without saying one!

means: I don't give a damn at all.

Non me ne frega un ficco secco.

literally: a dried fig

another way of saying a swear word without saying one!

also means: I don't give a damn at all./ I don't give one damn.

Non me ne frega un cazzo. (!)

used in place of the English F-word!

means: I don't give a F***!

I included the above for educational purposes only— I don't recommend saying it! 

Instead, swing back to the polite side of the spectrum with these perfectly acceptable (and mixed company friendly!) ways to express that you don't care:

Non mi interessa.

It/That doesn't interest me.

Non mi importa

It/That doesn't matter to me.

—Vuoi vedere un film?
Do you want to see a film?
—No, non mi interessa.
No, I'm not interested.

—Dove vuoi mangiare?

Where do you want to eat?

—Non mi importa.

It doesn't matter to me.

Now that we've run the gamut of ways to express disinterest, watch the clip again. Repeat until the sound becomes familiar, and you can pronounce it easily. Then try replacing the original with some of the variations and consider how each changes the meaning and tone of the film. Does associating the phrases with the clip help you remember each phrase and its subtleties better? 

I hope so! 

Sì, che mi importa!—

 Yes, I do care!

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More with Famous Movie Quotes (Frasi celebri):

• 

  "Alla tua salute, bambina."

  Casablanca movie quotations in translation | Frasi celebri di Casablanca in italiano In 2005, the American Film Institute (AFI) released...

Fiume di Luna | Moon River

Frasi celebri — Colazione da Tiffany  |
Famous quotes in translation — Breakfast at Tiffany's


I've always been interested in how films are translated from one language to another, especially the iconic and often highly idiomatic lines that are quoted and used in conversation time and again. Thanks to Halloween (and my need for a costume)— Breakfast at Tiffany's has been on my mind.  I wondered, what does Italian Holly Golightly—the main character played by Audrey Hepburn— call the rats and super rats that she frequently dates?  The answer:  

verme (il)

worm, maggot, despicable person
(in Breakfast at Tiffany's— rat)

superverme (il)

an especially despicable person

(in Breakfast at Tiffany's— super rat)

Pensavo che fosse un verme.

I thought he was just a rat,

Invece è un super verme, ecco.

but he was a super rat all along.

Un super verme, sotto spoglie di verme. 

 A super rat in rat's clothing.

sotto spoglie di ____

in _____'s  clothing

~

In some cases, the lines must be changed dramatically and in others, the translation offers a simple glimpse into a new vocabulary word or the grammatical differences between English and Italian.  Take a look at some of the lines— including the classic theme song Moon River by Henry Mancini— and see if you can understand first without looking at the original English.  Then compare the two and see if you can glean any new words, expressions, or grammatical structures.  

Original: Moon River, wider than a mile.  I'm crossing you in style… some day.

Fiume di Luna

Moon River

più ampio di un miglio

Wider than a mile

Ti attraverserò con stile, un giorno

I'm crossin' you in style, some day

Vecchio creatore di sogni

Old dream maker

Tu spezzacuori

You heartbreaker

Ovunque tu andrai io seguirò il tuo corso

Wherever you're goin' I'm goin' your way

Due vagabondi in giro a vedere il mondo

Two drifters off to see the world

C'è così tanto mondo, da vedere

There's such a lot of world, to see

Entrambi cerchiamo la fine dello stesso arcobaleno

We're after the same rainbow's end

Che ci aspetta dietro la curva

Waitin' round the bend

Il mio migliore amico

My huckleberry friend

Fiume di Luna, ed io.

Moon River, and me.

~

He's all right! Aren't you, cat? Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name!

  ~

Se io trovassi un posto a questo mondo che mi facesse sentire come da Tiffany, comprerei i mobili e darei al gatto un nome.

If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany's, then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name.

da ______

at _______'s place/house

da PensieriParole <http://www.pensieriparole.it/film/c/colazione-da-tiffany-(1961)/citazione-57612?f=w:502>

~

Original: It's useful being top banana in the shock department.

balordo(a) (il/la)

fool, imbecile, buffoon

 ~

Ti ci vorrebbero almeno quattro secondi per andare di qui alla porta: te ne do due.
It should take you exactly four seconds to cross from here to that door. I'll give you two.

volerci

to take/require (as in time to do something)

 ~

Well, I've got a wonderful idea. We'll spend the day doing things we've never done before. We'll take turns. First, something you've never done, then me. 'Course I can't think of anything I've never done.

~

Niente male se ti piacciono gli uomini bruni, belli e appassionati, con l'aria da nababbi e troppi denti.

He's all right, I suppose. If you like dark, handsome, rich-looking men with passionate natures and too many teeth.

nababbo (un)

lit. Nabob (historically— an Indian ruler)

fig. somebody who's very wealthy, influential or powerful

~

There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion.

ribalta (la)

front/center stage

~

I'll never let anybody put me in a cage.

Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.

All photos: Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1961 © Paramount Pictures
(Italian quotes added by Alex for Via Optimae)

What do you think?  Feel free to leave any questions or comments below!

Buono studio!

~

Vedi anche….(See also)

 "Alla tua salute, bambina"— Casablanca quotes in translation

(Also includes tips on how to watch movies to improve language)

"Alla tua salute, bambina."

Casablanca movie quotations in translation | Frasi celebri di Casablanca in italiano


In 2005, the American Film Institute (AFI) released a list of the top 100 movie quotations of all time and Casablanca (one of my personal favorites) topped the list with the most quotations- a total of six in all.  The lines may seem relatively simple, but there's a certain something to their wording, flow, and delivery that makes them iconic and special.  This got me thinking about the art of translation and how the Italian translators might have handled these lines.  Some of the renditions are very straightforward and maintain the same feeling, while others seem to have a different "flavor" in Italian.

What do you think?

Alla tua salute, bambina.

Original quote: Here's looking at you, kid.

Con tutti i ritrovi che ci sono nel mondo, doveva arrivare proprio nel mio.

Original: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."

Fermate i soliti sospetti.

Original: Round up the usual suspects.

Suonala, Sam. Suona "Mentre il tempo passa."

Original: Play it Sam.  Play "As time goes by."

Avremo sempre Parigi.

Original: We'll always have Paris.

Louis, credo che questo sia l'inizio di una bella amicizia.

Original: Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

All photos: Casablanca, 1942, (c) Warner Bros. Pictures,

quotes added by Alex for Didattichiamo!

I personally feel that all of the lines are good, but there's a certain "oomph" missing from the Italian translation of "Here's looking at you, kid." I'm a translator myself, so I can appreciate the challenges of accurately conveying the meaning, subtext, context, idiom, flow, and timing of this iconic line.  To be fair, "To your health, little girl" sounds much better in Italian than it does in English, but "Here's looking at you" has a certain something that gets lost in translation.  Not to say the translators did a poor job (I'm stumped for a better alternative!) but it does make the case for learning languages and watching movies in their original language whenever possible.  Watching movies in Italian, I've often found that certain lines and expressions became much richer and fuller once I was able to understand the original dialogue instead of relying solely on the English subtitles.

If you'd like to improve Italian, as well as familiarize yourself with Italian culture (both historical and contemporary) here are some great film options, available on Amazon. (You can choose to buy the DVDs, buy or rent digital copies, or some, like Cinema Paradiso are available for free with an Amazon prime membership.)

I enjoyed all of the above films, but if you're not sure where to start, may I suggest...

Ladri di Biciclette (The Bicycle Thief)
A classic by the famed director De Sica, and worth seeing- whether you're interested in the Italian language or not.

Il Postino (The Postman)
Endearing and charming and also very interesting linguistically- a "simple", barely comprehensible postman discovers poetry and the power of words thanks to Pablo Neruda and his beloved, Beatrice.

L'Ultimo Bacio (The Last Kiss)
An American version was also made of this film, but the original Italian one is much better!  An interesting storyline about growing up and settling down, it features more contemporary situations and dialogue that are useful for learning common expressions and real, everyday Italian.

TIP: I recommend watching each movie several times.  The first time, just watch it with English subtitles and enjoy it like you would any movie- paying attention to plot, characters, relationships etc.  On subsequent views, try matching up the expressions you hear in spoken Italian with their English translation written below.  See if its a literal, word for word translation, or if it had to be changed a bit in English.  Make a note of any words you don't know, or see if you understand any new words based on their context.  If you're more intermediate-advanced, you might want to try watching in Italian with Italian subtitles.  When you feel really comfortable with the language, turn the subtitles off completely!

Alla vostra salute, bambini!

Buono studio!

~

Vedi anche….(See also)

Fiume di Luna — Breakfast at Tiffany's quotes in translation