Italian · Romance & Rejection
Limonare
lee-mo-NAH-ray · /li.moˈna.re/
To make out / snog
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"To lemon"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Deep kissing, "to lemon" — the tongues apparently evoke the fruit's twist. Playful teen- to-adult slang, more northern; the southern equivalent is "pomiciare" (from the pumice- stone friction, evidently). Innocent fun, the kind of word you tease friends with.
Heard in the wild
Li ho visti limonare al parco.
I saw them making out at the park.
Where it lands
Northern-leaning; 'pomiciare' in the center/south
Quick answers
- What does "Limonare" mean?
- In Italian, "Limonare" means "To make out / snog". Literally it's "To lemon". Deep kissing, "to lemon" — the tongues apparently evoke the fruit's twist. Playful teen- to-adult slang, more northern; the southern equivalent is "pomiciare" (from the pumice- stone friction, evidently). Innocent fun, the kind of word you tease friends with.
- Is "Limonare" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "Limonare"?
- Say it "lee-mo-NAH-ray" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: li.moˈna.re.
Related in Italian
Che figa! kay FEE-gah What a babe! (crude, objectifying — of a woman) Sei 'na bona! say nah BAW-nah You're hot / a hottie Ci prova con tutte chee PRAW-vah kon TOOT-tay He hits on everyone / makes a move on anyone Dare il due di picche DAH-ray eel DOO-ay dee PEEK-kay To reject / shoot someone down È un cesso eh oon CHESS-so They're butt-ugly / a real minger Figo! FEE-go Cool! / Awesome! / Sick!
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