https://www.proz.com/kudoz/italian-to-english/other/73789-la-cossa-nostra.html

la cossa nostra

English translation: our thing

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:la cossa nostra
English translation:our thing
Entered by: Gary Presto

20:36 Aug 8, 2001
Italian to English translations [Non-PRO]
Italian term or phrase: la cossa nostra
not sure about anything
Jesse
>"la cosa nostra?">"our thing..."
Explanation:
I think your "cossa" is slang for "cosa," or "thing" in Italian. Literally, it means "our thing," and is historically used to describe the circle of criminal elements of Italian (sometimes more specifically, Sicilian-Italian decent) who are members of the so-called Mafia. I had come to understand that the reference "Our Thing" encompassed and symbolized such members' criminal business, sense of brotherhood, solidarity, code of silence ("omertà"), and shared loyalty.

Being Italian-Sicilian myself, yet unaware of any prior familial connection to the Mafia (only familiar with our "cultural" stories and the "Godfather"-type films), I mean no offense to anybody and respect if I may be unintentionally off-the-mark with any of my information supplied here! ;-)

Saluti!
Gary
Selected response from:

Gary Presto
Local time: 20:00
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
na +4>"la cosa nostra?">"our thing..."
Gary Presto
naOur organization
Francesco D'Alessandro


  

Answers


8 mins
Our organization


Explanation:
perhaps you mean "cosa nostra" (literally "our thing"), the popular name for mafia orgianizations

Francesco D'Alessandro
Spain
Local time: 01:00
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in pair: 1392
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14 mins peer agreement (net): +4
>"la cosa nostra?">"our thing..."


Explanation:
I think your "cossa" is slang for "cosa," or "thing" in Italian. Literally, it means "our thing," and is historically used to describe the circle of criminal elements of Italian (sometimes more specifically, Sicilian-Italian decent) who are members of the so-called Mafia. I had come to understand that the reference "Our Thing" encompassed and symbolized such members' criminal business, sense of brotherhood, solidarity, code of silence ("omertà"), and shared loyalty.

Being Italian-Sicilian myself, yet unaware of any prior familial connection to the Mafia (only familiar with our "cultural" stories and the "Godfather"-type films), I mean no offense to anybody and respect if I may be unintentionally off-the-mark with any of my information supplied here! ;-)

Saluti!
Gary


    Gary Presto, IT-EN Translator
Gary Presto
Local time: 20:00
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 51
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  DR. RICHARD BAVRY (X): eppure si muove...adagio, Presto!
3 mins

agree  Flavio Ferri-Benedetti: Ehehe... traduciamo, picciottooo ahhhhh ;P (joking ;P)
4 hrs

agree  VERTERE: Mi lascia perplesso l'articolo "La"
9 hrs

agree  marcuccia
18 hrs
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