“Don’t enlarge your ego” (my translation into English of the popular idiom in Roman dialect “nun t’allargà”)
As a general consequence of human condition, I can observe that no one knows perfectly itself, and is fully satisfied with its socio-economical role. Moreover, the vast majority of persons have ambitions, and expectations in interpersonal relationships. The summarized, four elements have always distortive effects in communications, or, with other words, are the main sources of distortions in communications. Of course, during a common dialogue between two subjects, the fact of remarking the counterpart’s excessive ambition, or wrong expectations, is a behavior notably rude. Well, even if my knowledge of English is not at the top, I believe to have noticed that rudeness normally becomes a grammar mistake. On the contrary, Roman dialect is funny, although intrinsically rude. The described feature can partly explain the difficulties in translating Roman idioms into English. About that, the page is an attempt of explaining the meanings of the most popular of idioms in Roman dialect, which is “nun t’allargà”. I can also propose a personal translation of the expression. As you might have intuited, it serves to underline excessive ambitions, or wrong expectations.
I have found the following translations into English of “nun t’allargà”: don’t enlarge yourself, lit; don’t exaggerate; don’t go too far; you are getting too much overfamiliar with me; don’t expand yourself; you’ve gone too far; you have crossed the line; you’re getting ahead of yourself; you are biting off more than you can chew; you’ve got carried away; and so on. Honestly, I think that, in case you want to maintain a minimum of correspondence of your translation to the Roman expression, you can’t completely eliminate a reference to enlarging, or extending, something. In effect, the insulting content is focused on a similar reference, and a good translation can’t neglect it. Even some Anglo-Saxons have done an attempt similar to the one you’re reading, and I receipt the warning of avoiding a mere recall of enlargements, because it would literally mean something like getting fat. Now, I can come to my proposal, which is “don’t enlarge your ego”. Search engines have confirmed that a part of the original meanings of “nun t’allargà” is maintained in the phrase proposed by me, that Anglo-Saxons commonly understand as an invite to genuine humility, and to inner growth due to learning from mistakes.
In conclusion, when you don’t enlarge your ego, you’re ready to improve the knowledge of yourself, and to adapt your social position to your aspirations. Coming to music, the mini-mix of the page is a jest. I have utilized tracks in largo, at 55 BPM, as if they would be perfect for a disco medley, with frequent and numerous mixes. Acting that way, I might have caused Roman experts to say “nun t’allargà” to me.
File name is “Max Look’s mini-mix, ego at largo rhythms (Jan 2026)”, length 35’ and 40”, contains 20 beautiful tracks in largo. I feel the need of sending my excuses to the Italian band named “Pooh”, because I might have ruined their masterpiece, the song “ci penserò domani”, which is a highly emotional and faithful portrait of modern, emancipated, and free women.
Too many mixes at 55 BPM, the playlist:
Sophie - ponyboy
Slint - washer
Nadia Reid - track of the time
Robert Wyatt - sea song
Pooh - ci penserò domani
Purple Mountains - nights that won't happen
Peter Bruntnell - just like a woman
Yola - walk through fire
'N Sync and Gloria Estefan - music of my heart
Spencer Davis Group - Stevie's blues
Giulia Molino - va tutto bene
Bjork - possibly maybe
Surfaces - Sunday best
Frazey Ford - three golden trees
Katy Perry - into me you see
Celine Dion with R. Kelly - I'm your angel
Elmore James - the sun is shining
The Go! Team - willow's song
Neil Young - Cortez the killer
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Leviathan
