Italian Word of the Day: Freddura (pun / quip)

The other day, while we were having lunch at our favourite local restaurant in Turin, the waiter—looking more cheerful than usual—came over and asked if he could share a few of his favourite freddure (the Italian word for puns or quips). He proceeded to list three, but we only managed to understand one!

/fred·dù·ra/ – [fredˈdura]
Italian word "freddura"

Freddura is a witty remark mostly based on a play on words. It can be translated in a few different ways, including pun, quip, witticism, word play, joke or wisecrack.

It’s not hard to guess that freddura comes from freddo, meaning cold. According to Treccani, its original meaning referred to an intense chill or the feeling of being cold—though this use has since fallen out of favour. It also once carried a figurative sense, referring to the attitude of freddezza, or emotional coldness.

It is a feminine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles:

  • la freddura = the pun
  • le freddure = the puns
  • una freddura = a pun
  • delle freddure = some puns

One freddura my nephew shared with me the other day was “Mi rifiuto!” disse il netturbino, or, “I refuse!” said the garbage man. In Italian, rifiuto, like the English word refuse, can be both a verb (to refuse, rifiutarsi) and a noun meaning rubbish. If you’d like to hear some more, I suggest checking out the list on the Focus Junior website!

Freddura has a few possible synonyms including the widely-known word battuta, facezia, spiritosaggine, frizzo, and motto. The diminutive form is freddurina.

a lady laughing and covering her mouth

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