You might already know the very common word capriccio, but did you know there’s another Italian word for a tantrum or scene? That word is bizza!
bizza
tantrum / scene
Bizza is a feminine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- la bizza = the tantrum
- una bizza = a tantrum
- le bizze = the tantrums
- delle bizze = (some) tantrums
While capriccio is more generic, bizza tends to indicate a brief and childish tantrum, like the type your son or daughter might have if you don’t buy them a toy in a store.
Non sopporto le tue bizze!
I can’t stand your tantrums!
It is often used in its plural form bizze with the verb fare (to do/make), in which case the translation tends to be to act up.
Quando la bambina ha smesso di fare le bizze, si è divertita un mondo.
When the little girl stopped acting up, she had lots of fun.
In its singular form bizza, it tends to be used with the verb prendere (to take) – prendere una bizza.
Il bimbo piccolo ha preso una bizza ed è diventato viola dal pianto.
The toddler had a tantrum and turned purple from crying.
According to most dictionaries, the word derives from the onomatopoeic sound “biz”, which is reminiscent of the buzz of an annoying insect.
However, there’s a second interpretation that I find quite amusing. According to Firenze Today, Florence was once home to laywomen who lived monastic lives as part of the Third Order of Franciscans. These women were dubbed bizzochere (later pinzochere), named after the coarse garment they wore, known as bigio or bizzo.
Residing in families and monasteries, these women tended to the basilica of Santa Croce. However, by the 16th century, their order disbanded amid rumours of immorality, including claims of nocturnal visits to the basilica to please friars.
Legend has it that the term bizza also stemmed from these women, signifying both spinsters and their frequently irritable demeanour. Unmarried women, lacking husbands, were likened to bizzochere, giving rise to the expression fare le bizze, meaning to behave like spinsters.
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
