Italian word
tangente
a bribe; a kickback; also the mathematical tangent
Looks like
tangent
touching at one point (geometry); going off on a tangent (digressing)
⚠️ The trap
In Italian, 'tangente' has a very common colloquial meaning: a bribe or kickback. 'Tangentopoli' ('Bribesville') was the name given to Italy's massive 1992 corruption scandal. English 'tangent' never means a bribe.
To say "touching at one point (geometry); going off on a tangent (digressing)" in Italian:
tangente
"tangente" in English means:
a bribe; a kickback; also the mathematical tangent
Example
"Il funzionario ha chiesto una tangente per accelerare la pratica."
"The official asked for a bribe to speed up the paperwork."
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