mannaggia la miseria

//manˈnad.dʒa la miˈzɛː.rja//exclamation

What does mannaggia la miseria mean? mannaggia la miseria is a Italian mild that translates to “dammit, for crying out loud” in English.

damn the misery / curse the wretchedness

01

"dammit, for crying out loud"

A southern Italian exclamation of frustration that's become national. 'Mannaggia' (from 'malanno abbia' — may illness befall) is attached to 'la miseria' (wretchedness) for a compound curse that sounds dramatic but is actually very mild. It's what you say when you drop your ice cream cone.

'Mannaggia la miseria, ho dimenticato il portafoglio!' — dammit, I forgot my wallet! Accompanied by hand gestures, as is all Italian communication.