This one will come in handy.

If you plan on living in Italy or spending a lot of time here you’ll inevitably be transacting business. And, as you suss out feedback from locals about the reliability of someone…let’s say, a contractor (a.k.a. geometra) you might get a thumbs up. You might also get a simple “furbo,” which says everything. It basically communicates “Watch out, that’s a clever one.”

In this Italian Snippet, ItalyWise explains.

Let me tell you. I had a blast creating this video. I hope you’ll see how much fun I had addressing something with sinister overtones (maybe a bit of exaggeration). As an artist and creative spirit, I love the marriage of words, images, and music. I ask myself, “How would this topic become more engaging with the right imagery?” and “What musical score will REALLY set the tone?” I’d been missing a key image/segment when my dear friend and brilliant stage actor pulled out a “crafty” performance quite spontaneously and generously let me capture his “shifty” talents on my iPhone. Bravo!

All jokes aside…

Divining when someone is sneaky, sly, or clever in a “stay alert” kind of way is important information that can make the difference between your life being hell or heaven. Imagine hiring a contractor who draws things out and finds a way to hit you with hidden costs (some things are pretty universal, right?). So pay attention and dig further, especially when this comes from an Italian in the know.

 

 

Check out other Italian Snippets.

This is the third in what I envision to be a long series of tips and advice about integrating yourself more successfully into the Italian culture. See the other snippets here.