Scherzandoci sopra si potrebbe chiosare

English translation: If you wanted to joke about it, you might say

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Italian term or phrase:	Scherzandoci sopra si potrebbe chiosare
English translation:	If you wanted to joke about it, you might say
Entered by:	James (Jim) Davis

13:45 May 14, 2016

Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting

Italian term or phrase: Scherzandoci sopra si potrebbe chiosare

what I need here is an explanation rather than a translation. The phrase, which is part of a footnote, refers to the decoration of a room in an old palazzo. The room, now used for board meetings, has a painting on the wall by Bezzuoli, which in a way mirrors the number of figures normally present in the room. However I don't really get the "scherzandoci sopra" part...

...si arriva nella sala destinata alle riunioni del Consiglio di Amministrazione, sovrastata dalla luminosa e ariosa Danza della prima giornata del Decamerone di Giuseppe Bezzuoli.*
*Scherzandoci sopra si potrebbe chiosare: undici personaggi in alto (i dieci giovani del Decameron più Boccaccio che li osserva), undici al tavolo delle riunioni (sette consiglieri, tre sindaci revisori, più il direttore).

carly kelly KudoZ activity Questions: 339 (5 open) (1 without valid answers) (8 closed without grading) Answers: 257 Italy
Local time: 10:21

If you wanted to joke about it, you might say

Explanation:
and I would then omit the colon as unnecessary in English.

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Note added at 41 mins (2016-05-14 14:27:11 GMT)
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or if you like "add the comment:" instead of "say", but....

Selected response from:

James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Local time: 12:21

Grading comment

thanks James
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

If you wanted to joke about it, you might say

James (Jim) Davis

to be humorous/funny about it, one could comment

StefanoFarris

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

20 mins confidence:

to be humorous/funny about it, one could comment

Explanation:
Scherzarci sopra
is a redundant (scherzare plus ci, ON IT, plus sopra ON ) expression.
It is most often used in a negative construction
Non scherzarci sopra (it's a serious or dangerous thing, therefore:) don't joke about it, don't make jokes about it, there is nothing funny about it,

StefanoFarris
United States
Local time: 04:21
Native speaker of: Italian
PRO pts in category: 4

41 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

If you wanted to joke about it, you might say

James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Local time: 12:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 157

Grading comment

thanks James

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Scherzandoci sopra si potrebbe chiosare

English translation: If you wanted to joke about it, you might say

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Scherzandoci sopra si potrebbe chiosare

English translation: If you wanted to joke about it, you might say

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