As soaring energy prices keep driving up the cost of living – Italy’s inflation hit a 37-year high earlier this week – you might have overheard friends or colleagues complaining about the latest ‘sting’.
But what exactly do native speakers mean by ‘sting’ and why is the word so relevant now?
‘Sting’ is a fairly common word in spoken Italian and speakers generally use it to refer to any event that causes – or is expected to cause – significant damage to one’s personal finances.
Usually, the event in question is something that couldn’t possibly be anticipated, as in the following cases:
The gas bill arrived this morning… We have to pay 300 euros.
Oh my God, what a sting!
We got the gas bill this morning…It’s 300 euros.
Oh God, what a blow!
This year, we paid 600 euros for Matteo’s school books.
However, what a beautiful sting!
This year, we’ve paid a total of 600 euros for Matteo’s textbooks.
Wow, that’s a big hit!
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As the above examples show, ‘sting’ is mostly used as part of an exclamatory remark or reply and it is usually preceded by ‘that’, which is used here as an adjective and is roughly equivalent to the English ‘what a …’. In this context, the most appropriate English translations are ‘blow’ and ‘hit’.
Don’t forget: if you’re planning on using the word in this way, it’s vital that you do so according to Italian etiquette, that is with eyes nearly popping out of your head and the most dramatic look of bafflement painted across your face. Feel free to practice in front of a mirror to perfect the ‘sting’ face.
Naturally, the word can also be used in a regular sentence and with far less intensity, like so:
We could have a nice trip later this month.
I do not think. With the last sting of the bills, it is already a lot if I get there at the end of the month.
We could go on a trip at the end of the month.
I really don’t think so. Judging by the latest increase in energy bills, I’ll be lucky if I make it to the end of the month.
Now that you broadly know how and when to use the word, you might be wondering where it comes from.
Well, ‘sting’ comes from ‘Left’, which is a largely disused word indicating the wooden board (or pole) people once used to shut their front door or windows from inside the house.
Following a very common Italian linguistic pattern – just think of ‘stick’ and ‘beaten ‘ – ‘sting’ literally means ‘a blow dealt with a wooden board’.
At this stage, it’s pretty clear why the word is used to refer to substantial financial damage – getting hit with a Left is as painful as losing a big lump of earnings.
READ ALSO: From coffee to haircuts: How the cost of living varies around Italy
It’s also worth noting that some Italians might use the word ‘bloodletting’ instead of ‘sting’. Just like ‘sting’, ‘bloodletting’ refers to any relatively hard financial blow, though its original meaning is quite different as it refers to the ancient (and, luckily, now-defunct) medical practice known as ‘bloodletting’.
The monthly pass for public transport has risen to 150 euros.
Kill, what a drain. It is not acceptable.
The monthly public transport pass has gone up to 150 euros.
Ouch, what a blow. That’s unacceptable.
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