A
acquaintance = conoscente
B
bafflement = disorientamento, sconcerto
bear down on [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep = esercitare pressione su, premere su Bear down on the pen to make clear carbon copies.; (approach threateningly) avanzare minacciosamente verso
blow [sb] off vtr phrasal sep – US, slang (reject or ignore [sb]) (persone non gradite) snobbare, mettere in disparte ; (fail to meet: obligation) (informale: appuntamenti) dare buca, tirare il pacco, tirare un pacco, tirare pacco, dare pacco. Since I was feeling better, I blew off my appointment with the doctor. – You’re blowing me off again!
bound to do [sth] informal (likely or certain to) essere destinato a fare qlcs. You’re bound to run into him at the wedding!
breadth = ampiezza, mole, dimensione
brood = covare rancore. If you want fall asleep, don’t brood at night.
burly-beef = bistecca al sangue
by and large = generalmente, per la maggior parte. Human minds are not perfect decision-makers, but by and large they are actually very good.
in the boonies = in aperta campagna
back of the envelope calculation – is a figure that was arrived at quickly or by using estimation, as if someone had grabbed the first scrap of paper they found and made a quick guess.
bum-rush (slang) = andare contro a grande velocità Dude, I just got bum rushed on the corner of E.9th and Euclid Avenue.
in bulk = in grande quantità
buzzard = avvoltoio
C
claim to fame = a reason for a person or a place to be famous. Samuel’s claim to fame was that he wrote a checkers playing program able to learn over time what were good board positions or bad board positions
cyberloafing, cyberslacking = perdere tempo su internet. Slang term used to describe employees who surf the net, write e-mail or other Internet-related activities at work that are not related to their job. These activities are performed during periods of time when they are being paid by their employer. The individual is called a cyberloaf(er), while the act is cyberloafing. Same as cyberslacking.
commentary = telecronaca
crank = manovella
conflate [sth] and [sth] vtr = (merge, bring together) (figurato) fondere, fondere qlcs con qlcs vtr. Machine learning is sometimes conflated with data mining.
cutting-edge = all’avanguardia, all’ultima moda. Anna Hazare is the most cutting edge digital actvist in the world today.
to cater = provvedere
D
despondently = con aria abbattuta
decked out = decorato, agghindato (positivo). Your Presentation. Totally decked out with Apple Keynote.
disclosure = (sthg revealed) divulgazione, rivelazione
dovetail = incastro a coda di rondine. To dovetail with/into = (fig) connettere a/con, combaciare, collimare. This projection dovetails nicely with other projections from various sources.
to do the math = fare i calcoli. I know what the most dangerous thing is that I’ve ever done because NASA does the math (Chris Hatfield, astronauta).
dizzy = frastornato, con le vertigini
duct tape = nastro adesivo
to dub = soprannominare Patricia’s classmates dubbed her four-eyes, because she wore glasses.
E
ease (to ease) = alleviare, facilitare
embodiment = incarnazione
endow (to endow) = give abilities, dotare di qualcosa Cloudlets are used to endow small cells with additional cloud functionalities.
escapist = sognatore (artista), d’evasione (film, letteratura) The writer is an escapist who has turned her fantasies into a series of popular novels.
espoused = sposato, abbracciato These theories have been espoused for many years
F
far-reaching =di vasta portata; the Linux Foundation is a far-reaching ecosystem
felony = reato
fishy = sospetto, poco chiaro. Something fishy is going on
fringe = frangia, ciuffo; bordo, orlo, margine
flaw = difetto
flawless = senza difetti
foreword = introduzione (a un libro)
full-blown = a tutti gli effetti
G
get / come to grips with someone or something = Fig. to begin to deal with someone or something difficult or challenging in a sensible way. We must all come to grips with this tragedy. I cannot come to grips with Ed and his problems.
go after [sth] vtr phrasal insep = perseguire, assalire That’s like going after a fly with a baazooka
to get a grasp of something = to understand well something
H
hamster = criceto
handful = manciata
harness = imbrigliare. A city that harnesses its potential to maximize the social benefits of its food system; Harnessing data captured from the Internet of Things to deliver revolutionary new services
hassle = scocciatura, problema
high-end = di lusso, esclusivo. I work at a high-end clothing store; nothing we sell is under $100.
haven = rifugio Now, my bedroom is my personal wellness haven.
I
inventory = inventario, giacenze (di magazzino)
J
junky = drogato (coll)
jigsaw = seghetto da lavoro
jog = rinfrescare (la memoria); jog your memory
L
lent = quaresima; Lent begins this wednesday
leap of faith = atto di fede
liaison = collegamento, intermediario, contatto, ex: MIT-Industrial Liaison Program; (sexual affair) relazione amorosa
M
to melt into = confondersi, sciogliersi After looking at me for a few seconds, she melted into the crowd. She was gone. Stir the mixture over a low heat until the chocolate melts into the cream.
mound = mucchio, cumulo, ammasso Termite mound
make up your mind = decidersi Mus I make up my mind about the course this week?
N
nonetheless = ciò nondimeno, ciò nonostante
nitty gritty = (informal) particolari, dettagli.
noteworthy = degno di nota
O
OG (slang) = original gangster
overtaking = sorpasso
outage = interruzione
outlay = spesa
P
passtime = passatempo
to peek = sbirciare Take a pick to the slides.
to pick holes in = trovare difetti in (piani, argomenti)
to piggyback = andare a cavalcioni
preposterous = irragionevole, assurdo, insensato
payroll = libro paga
to prompt [sb] vtr (give cue to) = suggerire, (cause to do) = indurre
to pile up = accatastarsi, ammassarsi (sia transitivo che intransitivo) The snow is piling up
to put a dent in something = fare una piccola ammaccatura in qualcosa (quindi, metaforicamente, fare un piccolo progresso in qualcosa)
R
to rabbit (slang) = scappare
roll over = girarsi (ad es. sotto le coperte) To roll over and sleep deeply in the blink of an eye
to rip off [sb] – to rip [sb] off = fregare, rubare (coll) I suppose it was you who ripped us off last week.
turf = territorio Watch over your turf
S
stark = (bare, desolate) brullo, spoglio, desolato; (harsh) crudo, severo; (extreme) totale, estremo
span = ampiezza, durata; life span = durata della vita
shallow = superficiale , poco profondo
skim = scorrere (le pagine, il programma); If you skip or only skim some chapters quickly, you may find there are topics being discussed you haven’t been exposed to yet.
spell = incantesimo To cast a spell = fare un incantesimo; To break a spell = rompere un incantesimo
shut-eye = dormita to get some shut-eye farsi una dormita
soak up = assorbire, assimilare. You can use a sponge to soak up water.
sweep something under the rug = to hide something embarrassing sweep something under the carpet The scandal was swept under the rug because of the important people involved in it.
snarky = irriverente
snitch (slang)= spione
squishy = attaccaticcio, appiccicoso
sticky = appiccicoso, ma sticky problem = problema difficile, delicato.
stub = abbozzo
T
trustee = amministratore fiduciario, membro del consiglio di amministrazione
to tackle = contrastare, placcare
tangled = ingarbugliato A tangled web
tart = acido (attenzione, ha anche significato di prostituta)
tinker with [sth] = trafficare / aggiustare qualcosa
thriving = fiorente, rigoglioso; a large and thriving commercial ecosystem.
U
ultimate = massimo, sommo (agg.) I’m looking for the ultimate way to …
unwind = rilassarsi I want to unwind and fall asleep.
uptake = comprensione (figurativo), assorbimento. A couple of the new students are a bit slow on the uptake. We work towards market uptake.
W
wholesale = ingrosso
Creativity 