Strange but true: in Italian the word “limonare” (to lemon), means to kiss.
The etymology is mysterious, but according to some sources the verb derives from “lemon”, used as a synonym for tongue.
The use would be something as follows, a conversation between two teenagers:“Did you give her a lemon in the mouth?”“Oh yeah, I lemoned her beastly.
”In this case, “beastly” in modern Italian slang means “a lot” or “really” (something “bestiale” is something very cool).
In the first part of the above dialogue, “lemon” is used as the synonym for tongue, while in the second it is use of the verb.
In some regions of southern Italy however, particularly Puglia, “lemon” means a person who loves to surround themselves with “cozze”: literally mussels, but meaning ugly girls in this case.
The reason is that when lemon is matched with mussels, the lemon stands out as an excellent touch.
If you want to know more on Italian sayings and Italian slang, go to Slangopedia: a collaboration between the Espresso and the Repubblica which explores the culture of young Italians and their language.
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