scarrafone

cockroach

noun skahr-rah-FOH-neh Rare

Usage Note

Scarrafone is the Neapolitan/Southern Italian word for a cockroach (standard Italian: lo scarafaggio). It is widely understood throughout Italy, especially from the Neapolitan proverb ogni scarrafone è bello a mamma soia (every cockroach is beautiful to its mother) — a saying about unconditional parental love. The word has a vivid, regional flavor.

Examples

"Ha trovato uno scarrafone in cucina."

Natural Translation

She found a cockroach in the kitchen.

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