Feb 24, 2009 11:21
15 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Italian term

mannaggia la miseria

Italian to English Other Cinema, Film, TV, Drama comedy
This one is a killer! I usually translate this expression as "dammit" or something along those lines only in this context it is different. It's a short movie about a group of people trying to open up a bank for poor people. A bank where poor people can apply for loans. They ask a young boy what he would call it and he says the above expression. The play on words here is with "miseria". So far I can only think of Poor Folk's Fund, Damned Poverty Fund/Bank, Damn Savings Bank etc. Any suggestions? TIA

Discussion

Mirra_ Feb 24, 2009:
it's a swear! just to remember (and perhaps the Asker could find it interesting) that "mannaggia alla miseria" is widely use now. But only few decades ago it was "forbidden" to use, and anyway considered very rude and unpolite since it is a swear.
simona dachille (asker) Feb 24, 2009:
Thanks to everyone. All the answers here were great options but in the end I had to play it safe.

Proposed translations

+1
8 mins
Selected

to hell with poverty

Maybe...
Peer comment(s):

agree Umberto Cassano
16 mins
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
8 mins

misery management

Just throwing it out cause it sounds nice and fits, sort of
Peer comment(s):

neutral Umberto Cassano : are you sure ? "Mannaggia" is a common interjection in Italian ! http://oxfordparavia.it/lemmaIta16835
15 mins
Sure of what, my intuition, sure, I'm sure, as sure as I can be for someone else's work. It's just a suggestion: no more, no less...
Something went wrong...
+6
51 mins

for God's safe

giocando sul significato di safe intesa come cassaforte. :-)
Note from asker:
This is very clever, but can't use it as it could look like a typo. Definitely the best humour wise. Thank you all the same.
Peer comment(s):

agree Umberto Cassano : bella
31 mins
Grazie Umberto! ;-)
agree SYLVY75 : carina
54 mins
Grazie Sylv! :-)
agree Sarah Jane Webb : brilliant, baby :-))
1 hr
Thank you, sweetie! ;-)
agree Michael Korovkin : the best so far
1 hr
Thank you very much, Michael!:-)
agree Monia Di Martino : Great!
1 hr
Thank you very much, darlin'! :-)
agree simon tanner : not sure it would work as a name, but so clever it deserves an agree ;-)
1 hr
Thak you Simon! I think I'm gonna faint! :-)
Something went wrong...
+2
55 mins

Poor no More

Not sure how crucial it is that the title continues to be a form of imprecation in English.
Peer comment(s):

agree Barbara Carrara : As a young boy's idea, I think this one would fit the context better. Barbara
1 hr
agree simon tanner : pithy and appropriate
1 hr
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1 hr

a bank for beggars

another (remote) possibility
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

misery must die

Not sure it fits (different tone), but this should be easily recognizable for an English audience. HTH
Peer comment(s):

agree Mirra_ : very very nice and it fits perfectly :))
1 hr
Thank you very very much! :-))
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

Them's the brokers

...
Something went wrong...
+1
2 hrs

damn poverty

As a name for a beggars' bank this might work, after all there is nothing about a bank or managment (which sounds similar) in "mannaggia la miseria". I think most of the play on words is in the ear of the English listner,
Peer comment(s):

agree simon tanner : yes, did sound a bit pompous *******, didn't it? But crack open the champers anyway
10 mins
Thank you Simon. Shall I uncork the champers now or later? Cheers :-)
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