B1🔤 Letters O & P
Italian word
palo
pole, post; in Italian slang: lookout for a crime
Looks like
pale (British English: a stake/post) / pole
a long cylindrical post
⚠️ The trap
In standard Italian 'palo' is just a pole or post. But colloquially 'fare il palo' means to act as a lookout during a robbery — a purely Italian slang meaning with no English equivalent. 'In alto i pali!' also appears in the phrase for lighting (light poles).
To say "a long cylindrical post" in Italian:
palo (correct)
"palo" in English means:
pole, post; in Italian slang: lookout for a crime
Example
"Stai fermo come un palo!"
"Stand still like a post! (you're rooted to the spot)"
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