Words and proverbs of Brindisi: a small dictionary for visitors

Spend a few days in Brindisi and you will hear the dialect everywhere: at the market, in cafés, on the seafront in the evening. Some words have no real translation: in Italian you would need a whole sentence. This is not a complete dictionary, just the words and proverbs we love most. Dialect spelling is not fixed: we write them the way we say them.

Three words that don't translate

Mena

What you say to someone who is late, overthinking, or still looking for their keys: come on, let's go. Said in the right tone it is also affectionate, and you will hear it often.

Priesciu

The happiness you can see on someone's face: on a holiday, after good news, when someone comes home. It isn't just cheerfulness: it is a joy you can't keep inside.

Spilu

The craving that arrives out of nowhere and won't go away until you satisfy it: an ice cream at eleven at night, the sea in February. One thing, and nothing else.

Two proverbs

Lu purpu si coci ’ntra l’acqua sua stessa

The octopus cooks in its own water. Said of stubborn people who have to get there on their own: no point insisting, time will take care of it. It's no coincidence it talks about octopus: in Brindisi the purpu is almost a symbol.

A ci fatia na sarda, a ci no fatia na sarda e menza

One sardine for those who work, one and a half for those who don't. Brindisi irony in a single line: the world doesn't always reward hard work, so you might as well laugh about it.

Take them home

These words and proverbs became designs in the Brindeasy shop: the Mena, Priesciu and Spilu pouches, the Proverbio Purpu and Proverbio Sarda T-shirts, and the Parole Brindisine and Proverbi Brindisini totes. More ideas in Brindisi souvenirs.