Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
high maintenance
Italian translation:
primadonna - richiedere continue attenzioni - impossibile da accontentare - (cara da mantenere)
English term
to be high maintenance
Grazie!
Claudia
Sep 28, 2005 14:24: CLS Lexi-tech changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
PRO (3): Alessandro Marchesello, Diana Donzelli-Gaudet, CLS Lexi-tech
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Proposed translations
cara da mantenere/abitudini dispendiose
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Note added at 5 hrs 16 mins (2005-09-28 19:28:55 GMT)
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BEEP! BEEP! BEEEP! error! error! error!
come spiego in nota a Paola ho preso una cantonata! Un bel calco coi fiocchi.
Grazie per aver apprezzato la mia espressione italiana, peccato che non abbia niente a che fare con l'originale, o meglio: esprime solo una delle sfaccettature di questa tipologia.
un'estesa descrizione di HMM è in http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=High maintenance
il testo di cui Paola cita poche righe, vale la pena leggerlo tutto, divertente.
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Vittorio Preite
: cara da mantenere mi piace moltissimo, povero chi la trova!
4 mins
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infatti la frase d'ordinanza che segue è "poveretto chi se la sposa" :-) grazie Vittorio
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Stefano Papaleo
: donne:))) hehe prego.. beh direi meglio le "minigonne":)))
42 mins
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che vuoi, le cromature :-))) grazie stefano
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PatriziaM.
1 hr
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grazie patrizia
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CLS Lexi-tech
: I hardly ever disagree with answers, but I feel compelled to in this case.
3 hrs
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thanks Paola!
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liviagiu
18 hrs
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The right word at the right time!
Native in: Italian (Variants: Standard-Italy, Milanese) 
, French (Variant: Standard-France)
Works in: English to Italian, French to Italian, Italian to French, and 3 more.
avere un tenore di vita lussuoso
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Note added at 6 mins (2005-09-28 14:19:13 GMT)
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Trattarsi bene
Non farsi mancare nulla
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CLS Lexi-tech
: As I said to Luisa, I hardly ever disagree with the answers of my colleagues, but in this case, this is a common slang, and it has nothing to do with luxury, at least in our everyday use in an English-speaking country.
3 hrs
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Thanks, Paola.
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Language innovations for the future
Native in: Italian 
Works in: English to Italian, French to Italian, Italian, and 3 more.
il centro del mondo
Direi che si stente il centro del mondo
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Note added at 12 mins (2005-09-28 14:25:37 GMT)
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Dimenticavo di aggiungere che nell'uso quotidiano che ne faccio, il riferimento al lusso e' molto meno marcato
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Note added at 3 hrs 47 mins (2005-09-28 18:00:45 GMT)
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I must live in a different world, but in the English speaking country where I live, high-maintenance has little reference to luxury and perhaps it is used in the wrong sense in the asker's text. Here is one example:
h, high-maintenance people! You’ve hit upon one of my favorite topics and least favorite type of people. They are the slow-growing cancers in your life. If you don’t recognize them early and learn to deal with them effectively, they’ll metastasize through everything that’s good about your life, professionally and personally.
I’m betting several names will pop into your mind as soon as I mention their two most notable characteristics: they are difficult to please and easy to disappoint. Other identifiable traits are their constant whining, complaining, pouting, sulking, irritability and downright negative behavior.
And even referred to cars, it means not that it is expensive, but that it requires constant attention and maintenance.
http://www.shrwood.com/sound_advice_08.html
http://entertainment.news.com.au/story/0,10221,16618943-2280...
A high maintenance woman is a drama queen. Something or someone is always ruffling her feathers. Her emotions never seem to be centered. A low maintenance woman is the center of calm in any storm.
At a restaurant, a high maintenance woman complains about her food and sends back meals. A low maintenance woman will make a note never to come back to the restaurant again, but will continue to eat and make conversation as if nothing had happened.
If you're in bed, and she says, "Don't touch the hair," she's high maintenance.
If she doesn't want to kiss you because it might smudge her lipstick, she's high maintenance.
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Luisa Piussi
: Grazie Paola, the wrong example in the asker's text mislead me into a calque! Italian also: " primadonna", "difficile/impossibile da accontentare, "AL centro del mondo". Feedback opportunity is the greatest gift of these forums :-)
5 hrs
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United States
Medical and Natural Sciences translator
Native in: English , Italian
Works in: English to Italian, Italian to English
essere bisognoso/a di attenzioni/cure
Italy
travel & tourism specialist
Native in: Italian , French
Works in: French to Italian, Italian to French, English to Italian, and 3 more.
ad alto mantenimento
Su Google ho trovato molte occorrenze, ti lascio il link.
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Note added at 23 hrs 16 mins (2005-09-29 13:29:05 GMT)
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Spulciando meglio... pare che fosse una definizione usata nel film "Harry ti presento Sally".
Discussion
ciao