Suresh Ramasubramanian [today]
> This thread seems to say figo - the masculine -
> is cool while the feminine, figa is vagina,
> and by extension, hot, sexy etc?
No, it doesn't work that way (though someone in Ford seems to think so).
It starts with the fact figa is jargon for vagina - therefore sexy. From
what used to be a rude male expression it has (strangely) extended to a
broader meaning, such as "attractive" or "nice" - even in a non-sexual
context. A quaint result is that "figo" (though the word never existed
in the language, not even in jargon) can be said of a male - or of
anything called with a "masculine" word.
Anyhow, everyone in Italy, even when using the word freely in extended
ways, is well aware of its original meaning. It would be ridiculous for
a car, or any other product, to be branded "figa" or "figo" in Italian.
Giancarlo
