KudoZ home » Italian to English » Slang

bionde (sigarette)

English translation: American cigarettes

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Italian term or phrase:	bionde (sigarette)
English translation:	American cigarettes
Entered by:	Shannon Goyette

Options:
- Contribute to this entry

08:54 Sep 9, 2008

Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang

Italian term or phrase: bionde (sigarette)

From an article about cigarettes in Italy during the 70s and 80s...I know that "bionde" is/was a slang term for cigarettes...
But I don't know WHY they're called bionde, or if all cigarettes are considered bionde...I would like to find out the etymology of this term if possible, to provide as a footnote to the article.

Shannon Goyette KudoZ activity Questions: 44 (none open) (1 without valid answers) Answers: 22 Italy
Local time: 09:08

American cigarettes

Explanation:
See my note

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 mins (2008-09-09 09:12:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

My note is in the "discussion" section (is the Proz website becoming too complicated for its own good?)

Selected response from:

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:08

Grading comment

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +4

American cigarettes

Tom in London

fag

Laura67

Summary of reference entries provided

Sandra Bertolini

Umberto Cassano

Valeria Faber

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

8 mins confidence:

fag

Explanation:
I know cigarettes were called "bionde" in the 30s-40s because of the light coloured tobacco, and they are still... bionde!

Laura67
Italy
Local time: 09:08
Native speaker of:

Italian

14 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

American cigarettes

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:08
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 20

Grading comment

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for.

Reference comments

7 mins

Reference

Reference information:
http://www.demauroparavia.it/14188
You find out here why! It's due to the colour of tabac used to manufacture the cigarettes. Bye

Sandra Bertolini
Italy
Native speaker of:

Italian

9 mins

Reference

Reference information:
1bión|da
s.f.
1 ⇒biondo
2 CO spec. al pl., gerg., sigaretta spec. con tabacco chiaro: un pacchetto di bionde
3 CO birra chiara: ordinare, bere una b. .

http://www.demauroparavia.it/14188

Umberto Cassano
Italy
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in category: 3

7 mins

Reference

Reference information:
hi Shannon, see:
The word is also occasionally used, with either spelling (blond or blonde), to refer to objects that have a color reminiscent of fair hair.
It maybe refers to cigarettes sold by "Monopolio dello Stato"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 min (2008-09-09 09:11:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

tutte le sigarette ricevono un trattamento chimico,le bionde,si chiamano bionde perchè il tabacco trattato chimicamente perde il suo naturale colore marrone scuro

Valeria Faber
Italy
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Italian