scroccare

Today's Parola del Giorno is the transitive verb, scroccare, which means:

• to mooch something off someone

The past participle of this verb is scroccato. Avere is used in compound tense.

This verb is used in the following way:

scroccare qualcosa a qualcuno

This means that the person who you are mooching off of is the indirect object, and the thing being mooched is the direct object. To say He mooches off me, you would write:

Mi scrocca.

Or He mooches cigarettes off me:

Mi scrocca le sigarette.

Below you can see the verb used in its context:

Guarda, c'è Leonardo. Nascondi le tue sigarette! Mi ha scroccato tante sigarette e non restituisce mai il favore.

Look, there's Leonardo. Hide your cigarettes! He's mooched so many cigarettes off me, and he never returns the favor.

abdicare

Today's Parola del Giorno is the intransitive verb, abdicare, which means:

• to abdicate

Even though it is intransitive, it takes avere in compound tenses. The past participle is abdicato.

You can see the verb used below in its context:

Il principe ha abdicato al trono affinché possa vivere una vita normale.

The prince abdicated the throne so that he can live a normal life.

lanciarsi

Today's Parola del Giorno is the reflexive verb, lanciarsi, which means:

• to leap
• to jump

This verb is making its way through the news and newspaper in Italy as they report on the failed jump of noted world basejumper from Switzerland, Ueli Gegenschatz. See the verb used below in its context:

Il gatto si è lanciato dal bancone e ha seguito il topo!

The cat jumped from the counter and chased the mouse.

scatenare

Today's Parola del Giorno is the transitive verb, scatenare, which means:

• to trigger
• to provoke

You can see the word used in its context below -- this word has popped up recently in the news/media as certain TV presenters and commentators have gone on the air in support of Berlusconi and his condemnation of the judiciary:

Il direttore del Tg1 ha scatenato una polemica quando ha difeso Berlusconi con il suo editoriale trasmesso stasera.

The director of Tg1 has triggered a controvery when he defended Berlusconi with his editorial transmitted tonight.

perdere di forza

Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, perdere di forza, which means:

• to lose strength

The past participle of perdere is perso. Avere is used in compound tenses.

You'll see this verb expression used when talking about storms and hurricanes. See the context below:

Il centro nazionale statunitense per gli uragani riporta che l'urugano perde di forza e che non c'è pericolo.

The National Hurricane Center is reporting that the hurricane is losing strength and that there is no danger.

la sospensione per pioggia

Today's Parola del giorno is the noun phrase, la sospensione per pioggia, which means:

• rain delay

You can see the expression used in its context below:

Marco: Annalisa, la partita di tennis non è alla tv?

Annalisa: Marco, piove a Londra. Purtroppo c'è una sospensione per pioggia.

Marco: Annalisa, the tennis game isn't on TV?

Annalisa: Marco, it's raining in London. Unfortunately there's a rain delay.