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uomo-simbolo
contributo in conto esercizio
Jan 23, 2009 11:26
16 yrs ago
Italiano term

neo-cafon

Da Italiano a Inglese Altro Modi di dire/Massime/Proverbi
Not at all sure how to classify this query, but here goes! Found in an article about "merluzzo": "l’umile nasello è in grado di far ricredere anche i **neo-cafon** più sofisticati." May well be a really common word, but I've never come across it before and Google hasn't managed to make it any clearer :-(. Any ideas?
Proposed translations (Inglese)
5 +6 nouveau lout
4 +3 posh chav
4 +2 new lout
4 nouveau riche

Discussion

Mirra_ Jan 23, 2009:
Dear Sarah, just one thing. The neocafonI (you should add the final I to the question! : also for Glossary purposes) are not necessarily rich. They often just *pretend* to be rich since money is intended as the answer to the question 'what's the meaning of life'.
Very often this kind of people is seriously indebted because buying things is the best (and sadly, often, the only) way to feel their life is worthwhile. And the assumption is that money (then the things that money can buy) can be a very valide substitute of culture, education, and intelligence. Especially, culture and education.

In the most of the cases the neocafoni are people that have just a little more money than their original families/social group had but pretend to have much more then they actually have.
In other words, be rich is the life goal and if you cannot become rich, you can mimic the richness. Because what you are has no importance compared with what you have (or, show the others to have). That stupid Fromm... ;))

Proposed translations

+6
17 min
Selected

nouveau lout

Take your pick of the one that fits your aesthetic sense of the context. They're all pretty good
Example sentence:

The nouveau louts are taking over the party scene in what was once upper crust Rome.

Peer comment(s):
agree Tom in London : I like this Cedric ! Nice combo of "nouveau" and "Lout"
3 min
Thanks ;-]
agree luskie : me too!
4 min
Thanks ;-]
agree molteni
47 min
agree Shera Lyn Parpia : nice :)
57 min
agree wordgirl : Love it!
4 ore
agree rugiada
5 ore
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Great bit of teamwork and so difficult to choose. Liked the sound of "posh chav", but think maybe the readers who may not all be English will not understand (especially as even I don't really understand!). I've added the "i" to "cafon" for the glossary, but I think it does actually have the meaning in Italian of locating the "louts" in question in the Veneto :-). Thanks again, Sarah. "
9 min

nouveau riche

The nearest equivalent I can think of in English.
Something went wrong...
+3
24 min

posh chav

One of the reviewers of Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Café calls the UK equivalent of the "neo-cafon sofisticato" type "posh chavs".

HTH

Giles
Reference:

http://www.toptable.co.uk/venues/restaurants/reviews/?id=1756

Peer comment(s):
neutral Tom in London : Ramsay is one himself.
7 min
I don't follow your logic. The term is apposite, no matter what your opinion of the egregious Gordon!
agree SYLVY75 : Hehe, 'posh chav' is spot-on! :)
15 min
agree Maudarg (X) : With Sylvy above
1 ora
agree Mirella Soffio : lurrrvely!
3 ore
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+2
2 min

new lout

you know the type. Vulgarians with a lot of money, trying desperately to be sophisticated. You know, like the Beckhams. I don't think there's an exact English translation of "neo-cafon" but you get the idea :)

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Note added at 3 mins (2009-01-23 11:30:11 GMT)
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"Cafone è un termine usato per definire una persona dai modi incivili e rozzi." Wikipedia



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Note added at 7 mins (2009-01-23 11:33:21 GMT)
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"nouveau riche" might do but your Italian source is trying to be cool by using a more up-to-date term than "nuovi ricchi". I think you need to invent something.

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Note added at 8 mins (2009-01-23 11:34:25 GMT)
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possibly the use of "cafon" implies that this particular type of lout is found in the Veneto.

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Note added at 9 mins (2009-01-23 11:35:33 GMT)
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another good example of a neo-cafon in English would be Jonathan Ross, if you know who he is.

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Note added at 43 mins (2009-01-23 12:10:07 GMT)
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Giles, do you mean the TV cookery hero-lout Ramsay is "egregious" in its English meaning (execrably bad in every way) or in its Italian meaning (most admirable)? :)
Note from asker:
Could I use "nouveau riche" in English do you think?
Peer comment(s):
agree luskie : è un termine insolito, e più "colorito" di nuovi ricchi... we also say "burini arricchiti"... agree that you need to invent something along these lines
16 min
agree Krisztina Lelik
2 ore
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