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sei meno di una caccola di mosca

English translation: you are less than a speck of fly snot

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:sei meno di una caccola di mosca
English translation:you are less than a speck of fly snot
Entered by: Barbara Cochran, MFA

15:57 Jan 6, 2016
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / In A Historical Novel
Italian term or phrase: sei meno di una caccola di mosca
Contesto (late 15th century):

Tu non sei nessuno per lui, non se nemmeno un suo suddito. Sei meno di una caccola di mosca!

The king's attitude towards someone.

Molte Grazie,

Barbara
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 08:18
You are less than fly snot
Explanation:
The word "snot" dates back to the 14th century (see ref). Although I saw the definition of flyspeck, I could not find it's origin. If this text is from the 16th century, then a vulgar word that dates properly should be used. I cannot find a translation of "caccola" as "flyspeck" although it delicately conveys the notion of insignificance.

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Note added at 22 hrs (2016-01-07 14:55:01 GMT)
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Unquestionably, the wierdest discussion I have ever participated in.
Selected response from:

Janice Giffin
Italy
Local time: 14:18
Grading comment
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3You are less than a fly speck
Cedric Randolph
3 +4You are less than fly snot
Janice Giffin
4 -1You're less than a piece of a fly's s**t
Tom in London
Summary of reference entries provided
ETIMOLOGIA ITALIANA di 'caccola'
Inter-Tra

  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
You're less than a piece of a fly's s**t


Explanation:
Tu non sei nessuno per lui, non se (ERRORE NEL TESTO) nemmeno un suo suddito. Sei meno di una caccola di mosca!

=

You're nothing to him. You aren't even one of his subjects. You're less than a piece of a fly's s**t

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Note added at 14 mins (2016-01-06 16:11:22 GMT)
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"caccola" è volgare, e che ti piaccia o no la traduzione deve conservare la medesima volgarità.

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Note added at 47 mins (2016-01-06 16:44:52 GMT)
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A me questa scrittura non sembra propria cinquecentesca. Nemmeno un linguaggio volgare del cinquecento. A me sembra prettamente moderno.

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 227

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ailsa Campbell
1 hr
disagree  Janice Giffin: Caccola is not excrement, but dried nasal mucus.
1 hr
  -> I KNOW THAT. Would your translation be "You're less than a piece of a fly's dried nasal mucus"?
disagree  Michael Korovkin: No, not "dried nasal mucis", but certainly not "shit", either. "Shit" is semantically wrong here, thus being gratuitously offensive. +see my "agree" below: "a fly booger" is just right both in the letter and the spirit
4 hrs
  -> And your suggestion is?
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
You are less than a fly speck


Explanation:
If you don't wish to be vulgar, yet keep the impact of the insult. From the dictionary definition,
a tiny stain made by the excrement of an insect.
a thing which is contemptibly small or insignificant.
"a sleepy flyspeck of a town"

Cedric Randolph
Italy
Local time: 14:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 59

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Fiona Grace Peterson
3 mins
agree  Helen Pringle: right
52 mins
neutral  Michael Korovkin: for the record: fly speck is fly pooh, while here it's a booger. "speck" takes all the fun out of the expression
2 hrs
agree  Inter-Tra: It conveys the Italian etymon.
1 day 4 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
You are less than fly snot


Explanation:
The word "snot" dates back to the 14th century (see ref). Although I saw the definition of flyspeck, I could not find it's origin. If this text is from the 16th century, then a vulgar word that dates properly should be used. I cannot find a translation of "caccola" as "flyspeck" although it delicately conveys the notion of insignificance.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2016-01-07 14:55:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Unquestionably, the wierdest discussion I have ever participated in.


    https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caccola
    Reference: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=snot
Janice Giffin
Italy
Local time: 14:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 78

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anthony Mazzorana (X): I have a slight preference for booger, but same thing basically.
1 hr
  -> I hesitated with booger because it is too much associated to US slang. Thanks, Anthony.
agree  Michael Korovkin: booger! Definitely! You see, snot is not really a definite object but a quantity, while booger, apart from sounding nicely funny, is a definite object, like caccola. Yack! + "a booger", naturally+Exactly! And"caccola" is countable... and even flickable :)
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Michael. "Snot" is an uncountable noun, perfectly okay in this context. "Booger" dates back to 1890s from what I was able to look up.
agree  Shera Lyn Parpia
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, Shera Lyn
agree  Lisa Jane: yes snot or bogey UK;)
1 day 43 mins
  -> Thanks, Lisa Jane.
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Reference comments


1 day 6 hrs
Reference: ETIMOLOGIA ITALIANA di 'caccola'

Reference information:
càccola -Forma diminutiva di càcca =lat. CàCULA (v cacare e cfr. Cacheroso e Squacuerare) - STERCO che rimane attaccato ai peli delle pecore; per estens. Escrementi del naso, degli occhi, o d'altre parti che rimangono attaccati ai peli. deriv. Caccoloso.

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Note added at 1 day6 hrs (2016-01-07 22:24:30 GMT)
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http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/caccola/
1. Sterco che si attacca alla lana delle pecore.

2. Il muco che si rapprende entro le narici; anche, cispa degli occhi.

3. fig., non com. Ciarla, pettegolezzo; in questo senso, solo al plur. (e per lo più al plur. anche nei sign. prec.). Nel gergo teatrale, ogni mezzo grossolano con cui l’attore di scarse capacità cerca di dar colore e rilievo alla sua azione o alle sue battute. ◆ Dim. caccolétta, caccolina.


    Reference: http://www.etimo.it/?term=caccola&find=Cerca
Inter-Tra
Italy
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 24
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