What is meant by tutto d'un pezzo? It's an expression we hear that describes someone. 

Ferruccio, Ferruccio era un uomo tutto d'un pezzo.

Ferruccio, Ferruccio was a man of integrity.

Caption 15, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 3

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The short word, the contraction, is made of up di (of) and un (a or one).

Then we have tutto which can be a noun meaning "all" or "everything." It can also be an adverb or adjective meaning "all," "totally," or "entirely."

Then we have pezzo, a noun meaning "piece."

If we translate the expression literally, we obtain "all of a piece." It only partially makes sense. We can think of something whole, integral. 

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The expression traditionally describes a man, un uomo: un uomo tutto d'un pezzo. But of course, it could also be a woman!
 
 

The important thing is that this tutto d'un pezzo implies someone with integrity, a "straight shooter," to use an American expression, or "a person of integrity," "an honest and forthright person." We're primarily referring to the morals of a person. 

The expression is usually positive. It might also describe a person who is "his own man," but not necessarily a good man. 

Someone who is tutto d'un pezzo says what he means and means what he says. He doesn't compromise.

If we think of characters in Yabla videos, we might think of Adriano Olivetti, or Ispettore Lojacono from I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone. In fact, here is an exchange between Lojacono's new boss and a colleague of hers. 

Senti, tu lo conosci l'Ispettore di Polizia che si chiama Giuseppe Lojacono? -Peppino Lojacono? E certo che lo conosco, figurati. È un poliziotto tutto d'un pezzo.

Listen, do you know the police detective whose name is Giuseppe Lojacono? -Peppino Lojacono? Of course I know him, are you kidding? He's a straight shooter of a policeman.

Captions 38-40, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 7

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Without opening a new chapter, we'll mention another word to describe a person of integrity. Here, the speaker has used the absolute superlative form of integro. The suffix -errimo comes from the Latin suffix "-errimus," used with adjectives that end in R., such as "integer" - integro (whole).

Elsa è una donna integerrima, ha dedicato tutta la vita a quel museo.

Elsa's a woman of the utmost integrity. She's dedicated her whole life to that museum.

Caption 4, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 8

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Around the 21st century, people began using this suffix informally, and often jokingly, with all sorts of words to be even more superlative than an absolute superlative, ordinarily expressed with the suffix -issimo.  

Officially, the suffix -errimo is used with a short list of adjectives.

acre (acrid, pungent) — acerrimo 
celebre (renowned) —  celeberrimo
integro  (whole, of integrity) — integerrimo
misero  (miserable, wretched) — miserrimo
salubre  (salubrious, healthful, healthy, wholesome) — saluberrimo

Also, aspro (sour, tart) asperrimo (along with asprissimo)

Advanced learners might enjoy reading an article by the Accademia della Crusca about this suffix.

We might think tutto d'un pezzo could translate as "out of whole cloth" But we would be wrong. "Out of whole cloth" has a story, and has come to mean something similar to campato in aria. In other words, fabricated from nothing. Here is a short article. 

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Let's look at three words that can mean pretty much the same thing. They all have to do with bother.

nouns: il disturbo, il fastidio, la noia  

verbs: disturbare, dare fastidio, dare noia

adjectives: fastidioso, noioso

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il disturbo - disturbare

The easiest word to understand is the verb disturbare. It looks similar to the English word "to disturb" and is a true cognate. But the noun il disturbo (the disturbance, the interruption) is used a lot, too. 

Ci scusi il disturbo, il commissario Manara vorrebbe farle qualche domanda.

Please excuse the interruption; Commissioner Manara would like to ask you few questions.

Caption 3, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 12

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When we feel we have overstayed our welcome or we feel it's time to leave, we can say:

Noi allora togliamo il disturbo. Dovesse venirvi in mente qualcosa, chiamateci.

We'll leave you then [we'll take away the disturbance]. If anything should come to mind, call us.

Captions 78-79, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3

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When you have a medical problem, such as an upset stomach, you can refer to it as un disturbo (an ailment).

We've learned that it's polite to say Permesso (may I come in or "Is it permissible to come in?") when entering an office or someone's home, but sometimes there is another kind of situation, such as a phone call and you want to know if it's a good time... Disturbo (am I disturbing you)?

Carissima. -Ti disturbo? -Ma quando mai.

Dearest. -Am I disturbing you? -Not in the least.

Captions 33-34, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 7

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We can use disturbare reflexively (disturbarsi) to mean "to go to the trouble."

Ma non ti disturbare, chiamo un taxi.

Don't go to any trouble. I'll call a cab.

Caption 12, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 8

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Il fastidio - fastidioso

Il fastidio is a noun, and we usually say dare fastidio (to be a bother, to bother), literally, "to give bother." 

When a health worker is about to give you an injection, he or she might say,

Questo ti darà un po' fastidio (this will pinch just a bit). 

Eh, finché sono fuori e non danno fastidio, signora.

Eh, as long as they're outside and they're not bothering anyone, Ma'am.

Caption 5, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 2

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Ma mica è un gatto, scusa. Che fastidio ti dà?

But she's not a cat, pardon me. How is she bothering you?

Caption 4, Sposami EP 2 - Part 4

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We can also use the adjective fastidioso. This can refer to a noise, such as the noise of a blender or coffee grinder, or too much light, when you open the shutters on a sunny morning. It can be a sensation, as when you are testing for Covid and you or someone sticks a swap up your nose. 

È davvero molto fastidioso. Hai ragione".

It's really very bothersome. You are right."

Caption 73, COVID-19 5) I tamponi

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It can often refer to a very specific pain, like a mosquito bite, or the prick of a needle.

Il fastidio and fastidioso are very common words, but in certain parts of Italy, such as Tuscany, they use the la noia and noioso to mean pretty much the same thing. 

Erano alberi che davano noia e basta, e quindi questo è l'ultimo rimasto,

They were trees that were a bother and nothing more, and so this was the last one remaining,

Captions 30-31, Gianni si racconta L'olivo e i rovi

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Ah, quanto siete noiosi.

Ah, you are all so annoying.

Caption 23, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 16

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For more about noioso, see this lesson, because if you look up noioso in the dictionary, it will say "boring." So the context will help you determine if something is annoying, bothersome, or boring. Sometimes it's all three. But perhaps annoying is the most similar word in terms of sound, so it might be the easiest to remember. 

Now that you are tuned into these words, notice how they're used in Yabla videos. When you see and hear a sentence that can be applied to a familiar situation, write it down, say it, try to make it your own. 

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