Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: connazionale

How would you say "connazionale" in English?
Sometimes I use "fellow citizens", I'm not sure that's correct.
 
-- 
Enrico il Pentolaio.
My blog: 
http://vousavezunaccent.blogspot.com/
 

 
 
"Fellow citizens" is fine, but there's also "compatriots," slightly more 
formal-sounding.
 
-- 
Joey from New York
Remember: It is To Laugh
 
Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator,
but among those whom I love, I can:
all of them make me laugh.
   -- WH Auden
 

 formal-sounding.
 
The other day I wanted to say this to a friend: "Hai visto i tuoi 
connazionali cosa hanno fatto l'altro giorno?". I was referring to a 
couple of people who come from the same country as the person I was 
talking to.
 
It is fine to use "fellow citizen" in this context, right? I've been 
using it for quite a while, I don't remember where I saw it first, but 
today I looked it up on wordreference and found only "fellow 
country(wo)man". Does that even exist? It sounds a bit odd to me.
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 country(wo)man". Does that even exist? It sounds a bit odd to me.
 
It's fine to say "fellow citizen" because it is perfectly 
understandable, but it isn't common usage outside of a political 
situation or speech to emphasize the legal voting status of someone. 
"Fellow countryman" is the most commonly used term aside from referring 
to the country of origin, such as "fellow American." Almost no one says 
"compatriot" anymore unless they're reading a dictionary reference.
 
 
 
 

):
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Well there's a reversal for you: Tony eschewing the formal.
 
EiP, of course, context is everything. It wasn't clear in your OP that you 
were talking about casual conversation. I agree that more common than "fellow 
citizen" in the context you just cited would be to use the term referring to 
the country proper, such as "fellow Americans," "fellow Frenchmen," "fellow 
Brits," etc.
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 Brits," etc.
 
That's what I was looking for!!! Thanks! :D
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 "compatriot" anymore unless they're reading a dictionary reference.
 
Oh ok. I don't think I've ever heard "fellow countryman". Would this be 
common in casual speech?
[I don't read magazines or newspapers in English anymore, so I'm sure 
there's a whole lot of vocabulary I'm missing!]
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 eschewing the formal? what does that mean?
 
It's a very formal way of saying "to reject or avoid formal language," 
with the word "language" implied. It would be more accurate, however, if 
language weren't implied and the formal referred to tuxedos, which I 
never wear, no matter how formal the occasion. I find the shirt ruffles 
overly busy and the bow tie makes me feel like a neatly wrapped gift box.
 
For the record, I didn't imply that I avoid the usage of compatriot, and 
I certainly don't reject formal language in formal situations, but then 
I also don't reject casual language in casual situations.
 
I was just reporting on the dearth of usage of the word "compatriot" in 
common speech and even in writing. In fact, I just did a Google search 
for it out of curiosity about who might be using the term, and sure 
enough, after the many dictionary entries, the first ten pages of 
results show usages not in any literary forum, but as part of an 
organizational name, a brand name for surfboards, or a headline on 
Reuters news articles.
 
So, even though there appears to be no disagreement on this subject, let 
me add for clarification that "fellow Americans" is perfect and proper 
for formal writing situations and is an appropriate substitute for 
"compatriots" if you're aiming for good comprehension. If you're aiming 
instead for casualness, you can take a page from George Bush's book and 
say "you folks."
 

 common in casual speech?
 
Yes, in fact, you don't really need "fellow," since it's implied when you say 
something like "you and your countrymen."
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 overly busy and the bow tie makes me feel like a neatly wrapped gift box.
 
I had no choice but to get my own tuxedo back in 1986 when I started working 
as a Development Officer in the fund-raising department of a large hospital. 
The frequency of high-end events they staged made it a financial necessity: 
the cost of renting a tux (and looking like I was wearing an ill-fitting suit 
in a crowd of 'swells') would have far surpassed the cost of buying one.
I got used to wearing it in short order (no ruffles on the shirt though: I 
think you're thinking of Liberace, Tony) and I got so used to tying my own 
bow ties that I switched to bow ties all around, eschewing (there's that word 
again) the cravat in favor of a slightly sloppily tied (on purpose) bow.
I looked pretty neat, if I do say so myself.
 
Now that I'm 65 and have a belly, I'm not so sure the 'look' is holding. :(
 
-- 
Joey from New York
Remember: It is To Laugh
 
Among those whom I like or admire, I can findï¿œno common denominator,
but among thoseï¿œwhom I love, I can:
all of them make me laugh.
ï¿œ ï¿œ-- WH Auden
 

 I looked pretty neat, if I do say so myself.
 
You must mean 'neat' in the figurative sense. It sounds like you were 
going for that 'scapigliato' look for which I think shirt ruffles are 
appropriate.
 

 You must mean 'neat' in the figurative sense
 
In reality and humility, I meant it in all senses. :)
 
1 ...
*(of a person) habitually tidy, well groomed, or well organized: her daughter 
was always neat and clean.
 
*having a pleasing shape or appearance; well formed or regular.
 
*informal very good or pleasant; excellent.
 
2 done with or demonstrating skill or efficiency: Howard's neat, precise 
tackling.
 
3 (of liquid, esp. liquor) not diluted or mixed with anything else: he drank 
neat Scotch.
 
Except that I preferred Bourbon in those days. Nowadays, if it's Scotch it 
has to be Laphroaig.
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