Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Italian term or phrase:
fil di ferro
English translation:
a stiff drink
Added to glossary by
Russell Jones
Jan 24, 2014 14:07
10 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Italian term
United Kingdom
fil di ferro
Italian to English
Art/Literary
Military / Defense
The text is about an impending assault on a enemy fort. One officer says to another "Ci vorrebbe un fil di ferro" followed by an obscenity.
I've been unable to find any translation other than "wire", which is meaningless in this context.
Is this an established figure of speech I wonder? Just "line of steel" perhaps or something similar?
I've been unable to find any translation other than "wire", which is meaningless in this context.
Is this an established figure of speech I wonder? Just "line of steel" perhaps or something similar?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | fil da fer |
Ivana UK
|
| 4 | a bit of steel wire |
Tom in London
|
| 4 | barbed wire |
Inter-Tra
|
Proposed translations
+2
48 mins
Selected
fil da fer
Could it mean this? From the Piedmont region.
a strong concoction of whiskey rye, milk, sugar, egg yolks, marsala, and if it was available, just a hint of vanilla.
The winters in the north of Italy are long and cold, and the mountain people who lived there, although hearty and quite used to the harsh elements, needed special fortification now and then to stay warm. For this, they long ago invented a drink they called, in their local Piemontese dialect, Fildafer. (Filo di ferro literally means string of iron, the Italian term for bailing wire.) They drank the liquore hot, and so the name could be thought to apply to the warm feel it gave in the throat while drinking, or maybe to the bright, red-hot color of the opaque liquid, or maybe it is a reference to the sensation...
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Note added at 51 mins (2014-01-24 14:59:04 GMT)
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Actually, I'm thinking this should probably be 'fil de fer' but then again I'm no expert as I don't have any knowledge of the Piedmont dialect
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Note added at 57 mins (2014-01-24 15:05:41 GMT)
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Possibly meant in the sense of 'Dutch courage'
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Note added at 2 hrs (2014-01-24 16:46:45 GMT)
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You'll find more references for the liqueur under Fildafer (no spaces). Not sure about the Dutch courage, just seems that this might be what is meant here - 'we could be doing with some Dutch courage' or something to that effect would solve the problem of having to explain what Fil di ferro means (if, of course, it refers to the liqueur, that is)!
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Note added at 10 hrs (2014-01-25 00:21:55 GMT)
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Origins:
In Sardegna la grappa tipica è il “filu e ferru”, cioè filo di ferro. Il suo nome è dovuto al fatto che per essere invecchiata questa grappa viene posta in una buca nel terreno e poi segnalata con fili di ferro. La buca viene poi chiusa, in modo tale che la grappa possa invecchiare al buio anche per anni. Questo metodo risale a qualche secolo fa, a quando cioè la produzione di alcolici era illegale.
Un distillato simile era prodotto anche in Veneto, dove era chiamato “Fil\'d Ferru”.
http://www.giallozafferano.it/ingredienti/grappa
La grappa è anche nota come: sgnapa, rapa, acqua d\'oro o trappa.
a strong concoction of whiskey rye, milk, sugar, egg yolks, marsala, and if it was available, just a hint of vanilla.
The winters in the north of Italy are long and cold, and the mountain people who lived there, although hearty and quite used to the harsh elements, needed special fortification now and then to stay warm. For this, they long ago invented a drink they called, in their local Piemontese dialect, Fildafer. (Filo di ferro literally means string of iron, the Italian term for bailing wire.) They drank the liquore hot, and so the name could be thought to apply to the warm feel it gave in the throat while drinking, or maybe to the bright, red-hot color of the opaque liquid, or maybe it is a reference to the sensation...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 51 mins (2014-01-24 14:59:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Actually, I'm thinking this should probably be 'fil de fer' but then again I'm no expert as I don't have any knowledge of the Piedmont dialect
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 57 mins (2014-01-24 15:05:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Possibly meant in the sense of 'Dutch courage'
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2014-01-24 16:46:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
You'll find more references for the liqueur under Fildafer (no spaces). Not sure about the Dutch courage, just seems that this might be what is meant here - 'we could be doing with some Dutch courage' or something to that effect would solve the problem of having to explain what Fil di ferro means (if, of course, it refers to the liqueur, that is)!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2014-01-25 00:21:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Origins:
In Sardegna la grappa tipica è il “filu e ferru”, cioè filo di ferro. Il suo nome è dovuto al fatto che per essere invecchiata questa grappa viene posta in una buca nel terreno e poi segnalata con fili di ferro. La buca viene poi chiusa, in modo tale che la grappa possa invecchiare al buio anche per anni. Questo metodo risale a qualche secolo fa, a quando cioè la produzione di alcolici era illegale.
Un distillato simile era prodotto anche in Veneto, dove era chiamato “Fil\'d Ferru”.
http://www.giallozafferano.it/ingredienti/grappa
La grappa è anche nota come: sgnapa, rapa, acqua d\'oro o trappa.
Note from asker:
| Interesting idea Ivana - Dutch courage. I wonder if anyone else knows of it being used in this sense? |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
EleoE
: Dutch courage. Il "vecchio filo di ferro" http://www.saperebere.com/grappa.html
4 hrs
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thanks EleoE
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| agree |
Gad Kohenov
: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filu_'e_ferru + Dutch courage is also interesting
21 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Perhaps not "cast iron" evidence but most helpful. Thank you all."
21 mins
Tom in London
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Architecture, design, technical, etc.
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
Works in: Italian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
56
a bit of steel wire
I think this is a rather ghoulist allusion to hanging someone in a particularly nasty way
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Note added at 22 mins (2014-01-24 14:30:13 GMT)
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oops "ghoulish"
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Note added at 22 mins (2014-01-24 14:30:13 GMT)
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oops "ghoulish"
8 hrs
barbed wire
'filo di ferro spinato'
poiché (a volte) costituito da 2 fili di ferro incrociato
poiché (a volte) costituito da 2 fili di ferro incrociato
Discussion
«Ogni uomo prenda due granate!».Passa il comandante. Sobrio di gesti, in bassa tenuta, stringato, semplificato. Lo sentiamo dire:- Non va male, ragazzi miei. I boches cedono terreno. Marcerete bene, vero?
Delle notizie, come vento, passano attraverso il rango.