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trascinamento estremamente contenuto

Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

parafangaro

English translation:

ambulance chaser, pettifogger, shyster

Added to glossary by simona dachille
Mar 1, 2011 19:02
13 yrs ago
Italian term

parafangaro

Italian to English Other Cinema, Film, TV, Drama other
In this context this term means a lawyer who makes a living by cheating insurance companies through personal injury claims. Any suggestions about an English equivalent for this term?
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 pettifogger, shyster
3 +4 ambulance chaser
3 ambulance chaser
3 ambulance chaser

Discussion

simona dachille (asker) Mar 6, 2011:
There is no more context... A Roman guy is calling a lawyer who makes his living by cheating insurance companies through personal injury claims a 'parafangaro'. In the end I went for 'shyster' as it was shorter. Thanks to everyone.
philgoddard Mar 2, 2011:
I think we should end this discussion as we don't have any context.
Ernestine Shargool Mar 1, 2011:
ambulance chaser v. shyster I think ambulance chaser = opportunist (vulture):
US slang a lawyer who seeks to encourage and profit from the lawsuits of accident victims
while
shyster = cheat (bird of prey)
shyster noun, N Amer, especially US slang 1 an unscrupulous or disreputable lawyer. 2 an unscrupulous or disreputable person in any business.
Rachel Fell Mar 1, 2011:
My 1st thought was ambulance chaser too, but they aren't nec. cheaters, so 2nd thought was shyster.
philgoddard Mar 1, 2011:
Yes, Daniela, so it could also be "bottom feeder", but we still don't have any context. An ambulance chaser could be a perfectly respectable lawyer who uses marketing methods that are legitimate, but which many people would disapprove of.
Daniela Zambrini Mar 1, 2011:
not necessarily a cheater I agree with phil, I have a friend who is a top class corporate lawyer and she refers to "parafangari" as bottom-level lawyers, with little court experience and taking on easy clients (then, if you mean that they know how beat the system...I guess that could be a sort of cheating)
Helen Pringle Mar 1, 2011:
shyster lawyer a general term, also 'ambulance chaser'. Not considered high class people! Yes, philgoddard, in Italy there are lawyers who actually cheat insurance companies - alas! I do agree with Daniela, but we are on the border of morality!
philgoddard Mar 1, 2011:
Are you sure it's someone who actually cheats insurance companies? That's not what it says here:
http://www.corriere.it/cronache/09_marzo_19/focus_dottoressa...
We really need some Italian context please - otherwise all we have is your interpretation.
simona dachille (asker) Mar 1, 2011:
In Roman slang... this term is used to describe lawyers who specialize in road accidents.

Proposed translations

+1
2 hrs
Selected

pettifogger, shyster

some more ideas

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pettifogger
http://traduzione.dictionarist.com/pettifogger
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Pettifogger


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2011-03-02 07:36:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Pettifogger definition:
A petty or underhanded lawyer or an attorney who sustains a professional livelihood on disreputable or dishonorable business.
Peer comment(s):
neutral KayW : I agree that an "ambulance chaser" is not necessarily cheating. Both these terms are better translations, but "pettifogger" is rather obscure and "shyster" very American, so it depends on the context.
1 hr
True, the term is not used much now, but I think it's very descriptive and apt. And I love the way it sounds :)
agree Rachel Fell : shyster is used in the UK too; my dict. says pettifogger = a paltry, cavilling lawyer
4 days
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "In the end I chose SHYSTER as AC was too long. Thanks."
+4
9 mins

ambulance chaser

ambulance chaser
n
US slang a lawyer who seeks to encourage and profit from the lawsuits of accident victims
ambulance chasing n
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ambulance chaser

I hear the term used in British English too. There are probably equivalents but this is the first that comes to mind. If there's a specific term for victims of road accidents I can't think of it at the moment...
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : We don't have full context - just two different explanations of what it might mean - but I bet this is it.
4 mins
:-)
agree Daniela Zambrini : parafangaro is not necessarily a cheater, though, just a lawyer who probably never even goes into court, exams passed with low marks, etc etc ;-)
23 mins
:-)
agree Yvonne Gallagher
19 hrs
:-)
agree Lara Barnett
1 day 15 hrs
Something went wrong...
10 mins

ambulance chaser

this is the equivalent term - they don't really cheat but their work is on the edge of being ethical
Something went wrong...
14 mins

ambulance chaser

Got this froma search for derogatory names for lawyers. You might see this:

http://accedas-ad-curiam.blogspot.com/2010/06/derogatory-nam...

which also gives "sore-back lawyer"

or do a search for other sources of derogatory names.
Peer comment(s):
neutral philgoddard : That's interesting! I wonder what derogatory names there are for translators.
54 mins
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