Folklore Form/Genre: Italian gesture

Informant: Margaret Pionzio

General Info about item:

• Insulting gesture, customary folklore
• Language: Italian
• Country of origin: Italy
• Informant: Margaret Pionzio
• Date collected: 11/4/18

Informant Data:

Margaret Pionzio was born on December 3, 1997 in Northern Virginia.  She grew up in Lorton, Virginia with her family. Her dad’s side of the family is originally from Italy, which allowed Maggie to grow up with some exposure to Italian culture and customs.  Some of her dad’s family still lives in Italy, but comes to the United States for family holidays. Maggie is currently a junior at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where she majors in math, is a member of the Varsity Swimming and Diving team, and is part of the Alpha Phi sorority.  

Contextual Data:

        Social Context: I collected this piece of folklore from Maggie on the first floor of Baker Berry Library at Dartmouth College.  During her interview, Maggie remarked that she thought it was neat knowing gestures from different cultures. She told me that she thinks it’s entertaining and funny to think that she can insult someone without them even knowing if they do not know the meaning of Italian gestures.  Maggie also commented that when her Italian relatives visit, they use a large variety of gestures, which adds to the conversation without using words.

        Cultural Context: Maggie discussed two insulting Italian gestures that she knew.  She originally learned the folklore from her dad when she was about six years old.  She recalled her dad showing her these gestures, but then telling her not to do them.  Maggie’s father told her this significance and meaning and how they would offend people if she did it in Italy.  One of these gestures means

Item:

Curling your fingers, but sticking your thumb out and dragging it across your throat is a gesture that means “you’re dead.”

Associated video and transcript (see below)

Informant’s Comments:

Maggie commented that the way in which she learned about the gesture shows how people can learn things by passing them down through generations.

Collector’s Comments:

I think it is interesting that this gesture has a very similar meaning, if not the same meaning, in the United States.

Collector’s Name: Lizzie Clark and Emily Wang

Tags/Keywords: gestures, insults, Italian