Bergamo – Street Sign Language Lesson V

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Attenzione vi ricordiamo che quello che avete in mano non è un idrante e per terra non c'è un incendio. -“Attention, we remind you that what you have in hand is not a fire hydrant and there isn’t a fire on the ground.”
Some of the most interesting signs seem to be in bathrooms. Or maybe, that’s when we stop and our attention is focused. We saw this in the bathroom of the Dispensa di Arlecchino suggesting that men should aim well. The Arlecchino is good for a simple lunch buffet. I know, you rarely catch us at buffet, but, when we have some serious studying to do at the nearby Angelo Mai Library, it’s quick and easy to pop in here for lunch.


Avviso. L'arruolamento volontario è sempre aperto nel locale delle Scuole Pubbliche in Bergamo. Ciò per norma di quelli che fossero desiderevoli di prender parte alla Guerra dell’Indipendenza, seguendo l’esempio dei tanti che già impugnarono le armi. Bergamo, 5 Luglio 1859 - “Notice. The voluntary recruitment is always open at local Public Schools in Bergamo. This by regulation is for those who would like to take part in the Independence War, following the examples of the many that already took up arms. Bergamo, 5^th of July, 1859.”
Gabriele Camozzi is the requestor this call to arms in the museum of Museo Storico – Ottocento, also called La Rocca. The museum deals with the history in Bergamo from 1796 to 1870, which includes the revolutions around Italy that eventually led to independence. Desiderevoli means desiderabile, desirable. Note use of subjunctive fossero (essere) and the verb impugnare, to grasp or hold, or in this case take up arms.


Il tuo orto per negati - “Vegetable gardens for dummies”
I could only tell what this book was by the series trademark yellow and black cover. I would not have thought of using negato for dummy in the title.


Scegliamo i caffè che più ci piacciono e li tostiamo qui, dove Voi li bevete! Scegliete il vostro caffè -“We select coffees that we like the most and roast them here, where you drink them. Select your coffee”
A sign in l’Art Caffè. Can you tell we like this place? Great place to hang out for a few hours and nurse a coffee.


Il dormiglione - “Sleeper” the movie by Woody Allen.
Dormiglione literally translates aa sleepyhead.


Domani, smetto! - “Tomorrow, I quit!”
A cigarette lighter that says that you’ll quit tomorrow using the verb smettere. While on the subject of smoking: I have no supporting facts, but it seems like a lot more people smoke in Bergamo than in other areas we’ve visited like parts of Piemonte or Padova, for example. Even, when we spent nine months in Florence in 2007-2008, I don’t remember this many smokers. Even more annoying is the fact that smokers stand right outside the front door of buildings and class rooms so that smoke drifts in. It’s like no one thought to say go smoke 25 feet away from entrances. The upside is this: if you are looking for the main entrance or the easiest way into a building, look for the smokers.


On the subject of smoking, I chuckled a bit when I read this bit of news about cigarette butts (mozziconi): Mozziconi gettati a terra? Anche a Bergamo scatterà la multa: throwing cigarette butts on the ground could get you a fine. Yeah, right. If I see someone getting a fine for doing this, I’ll print this page out and smoke it.

Paglia e fieno - “Straw and hay.”
This is for a package of pasta, yellow and green, that looks like straw and hay. You can learn a lot of interesting words in the pasta aisle of an Esselunga.


Snackiamo, turistiamo - “Let’s snack, let’s be tourists”
I’m not sure what the rules are for creating verbs like this, but it seems like we shouldn’t use this in the writing part of our final exams coming up May. Basically, you take an English word and tack on “iamo”, the present tense ending for first person plural. Yes, there is a Gelatiamo in Seattle and elsewhere (I think we saw one in Lisbon, different owner). We use the word boogie as in “hurry up, let’s boogie” and render it as booghiamo. (You should add the “h” to keep the correct g-sound. See for example the verb pagare.)