Italian expression of the day: 'Senza infamia e senza lode'

Spend much time on Italian-language Tripadvisor, and you're bound to eventually come across the phrase senza infamia e senza lode - 'without infamy or praise'. (Find the pronunciation here.)

It's used to describe something mediocre, with no major defects but also no particular qualities to recommend it.

You'll often come across it in online reviews of hotels or restaurants, though you might also hear it used to describe books or films.

It generally refers something that's a bit bland and lacks originality (in spoken Italian, it's usually used by older generations).

- Il cibo non era niente di speciale - senza infamia e senza lode.
- The food was nothing to write home about - just OK.

- Com'era il film ieri sera?
- Eh, senza infamia e senza lode.

- How was the film last night?
- Eh, pretty mediocre.

The expression has somewhat loftier origins than its modern-day use in Google reviews, however, having been penned by none other than the father of the Italian language, Dante Alighieri.

Specifically, 'senza infamia e senza lode' is the expression Dante uses in his Divine Comedy to describe the ignavi, or Lukewarms/Apathetics.

Contemptible, cowardly beings who stayed on the sidelines throughout their lives, standing for neither good nor evil, the ignavi are admitted neither to heaven or hell but are exiled to the Anti-Inferno.

There they are condemned to forever run around naked chasing a banner buffeted by gusts of wind (representing a cause they never took up), tormented by stinging wasps and hornets (trying to startle them into action), while maggots suck their blood mixed with their tears.

Says Virgil to Dante:

Questo misero modo
tegnon l’anime triste di coloro
che visser sanza ’nfamia e sanza lodo.

Mischiate sono a quel cattivo coro
de li angeli che non furon ribelli
né fur fedeli a Dio, ma per sé fuoro.

Caccianli i ciel per non esser men belli,
né lo profondo inferno li riceve,
ch’alcuna gloria i rei avrebber d’elli...

Fama di loro il mondo esser non lassa;
misericordia e giustizia li sdegna:
non ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa

This wretched state
The sorry souls of those endure
Who without shame and without honor lived.

They are commingled with that caitiff crew
Of angels, who neither rebels were,
Nor true to God, but for themselves.

In order not to be less beautiful,
Heaven drove them out; the deeps of Hell receive them not,
Lest damned souls should glory over them...

The world does not permit report of them;
Mercy and Justice disdain them:
Speak not of them, but look and pass.

Dante was famously permanently exiled from his hometown of Florence after speaking out against the pope (despite being offered an amnesty if he agreed to admit his guilt and pay a fine) - so his disdain for those unwilling to ever risk anything for their beliefs is understandable.

Of course, if you come across the phrase today you don't think of tormented souls: over the centuries, it's become watered down to its meaning in popular usage of 'mediocre/middling'.

But the next time you see or hear senza infamia e senza lode used to describe a disappointing meal out, you'll know where the expression comes from - and the strength of feeling behind it.

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