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Italian to English translations [PRO] Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Italian term or phrase:cappottone
"consigliai agli altri di fargli un bel cappottone visto che lui aveva preso più soldi di tutti"
Help!!
I found this on google:
"per fare il cappottone a uno rompemmo il vetro del pullman che ci riportava a casa dalla gita"
so it must be some kind of young people bonding thing, enthusiastic display of disapproval, maybe...but what is it and how does it translate?? thanks
Explanation: Considering the responses, 'cappottone' seems more than just a prank, which might be una burla, magari anche un brutto tiro, fatta/o da uno solo.
An essential element seems to be that a crowd comes together, or 'gangs up', to act against an individual in some more or less moderate way. The acts seems less than malicious, not quite beating up on someone, which, unless used ironically, is a serious beating. The English phrase to 'slap someone around' comes to mind; it is less than a beating and can vary between light and heavy.
An expanded phrase that would capture the sense might be to 'gang up to slap someone around', or 'gang up to play a prank on someone'.
Hm. That can carry a wide variety of meanings, defined by context, but means generally that some acted as a group against an individual or smaller group. I would be careful with it because it could easily be read too violently. Perhaps something like "ganged up on someone in a prank (or practical joke)" situates it in a more playful/joking context. Make sense?
I am having a difficult time coming up with an equivalent. Perhaps the best possibility I have at the moment is to "pull a prank" on someone. Such things in general are "practical jokes". To "pull a fast one" on someone is more about a swindle than a prank. I'm thinking....
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Answers
1 hr confidence: peer agreement (net): +3
prank
Explanation: "fargli un cappottone" means "to play a prank on him"
I'd like to point out that it's not a common phrase in the whole country, it's mostly used in southern Italy. My family has southern origins and I've heard that before, but I gre up in the north... and they don't use it that much.
mery506 Local time: 19:57 Works in field Native speaker of: Italian
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +3
