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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Here are some examples of the expression Che c'entra (what does that have to do with it)?  along with related expressions and alternate translations. 

Note that in Italian, che c'entra can be posed and structured as question, but it's not always the case, especially in the middle of a sentence. It often connects to the rest of a sentence with a comma, such as in this first example. In English, it's clearer with a question mark. Sometimes che c'entra means the same as non c'entra niente. 

Che c'entra, io sono il fratello.

What does that have to do with it? I'm her brother.

Caption 13, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 6

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Here, cosa is used in place of che, but it means the same thing. Learn more in this lesson. 

Ma questo cosa c'entra con la domanda che Le ho fatto?

But this, what does it have to do with the question I asked you?

Caption 72, Non è mai troppo tardi EP1 - Part 6

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Here, rather than "it" being the implied subject of the sentence, as in the previous examples, the subject is "that delinquent." We might also translate it as, "How is that delinquent involved in this story?" 

Perché, cosa c'entra quel delinquente?

Why? What does that delinquent have to do with anything?

Caption 29, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 3

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Here, che c'entra is a way of saying, "So what?"

Ah ma', ma te [romanesco: mamma, ma ti] sei vista? Ma che c'entra, è una maschera di bellezza.

Hey, Mom, but have you looked at yourself? But so what? It's a beauty mask.

Captions 16-17, La Ladra EP. 10 - Un ignobile ricatto - Part 4

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Here are some examples of different conjugations of this expression:

In this example, there is no question at all. And there is no che!

Magari c'entra con quella bambina.

Maybe it has something to do with that little girl.

Caption 60, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 9

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Here is an example of an affirmation in the negative first person singular.

Io con quella pistola non c'entro niente, ve lo giuro.

I have nothing to do with that handgun, I swear.

Caption 91, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 13

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And here is a question in the first person singular followed by an affirmation in the second person singular.  

E che c'entro io? -E be', c'entri.

And what do I have to do with it? -Well, you do have something to do with it.

Captions 12-13, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP2 - Un nuovo medico in famiglia - Part 17

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Here is the same question, but the answer is said differently, with another question. 

Ma io che c'entro? -Ma come che c'entri, Giorgio?

But what do I have to do with that? -But what do you mean, what do you have to do with it, Giorgio?

Captions 33-34, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 5

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These examples use the imperfetto. 

Figurati se non c'entrava lei.

No way she wasn't involved.

Caption 13, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 25

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Ma che c'entravo io con quello che faceva mio padre?

But what did I have to do with what my father did?

Caption 38, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 6

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We hope this little overview has given you a better understanding of this common Italian turn of phrase!

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An adverb modifies, or describes, a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. But in Italian (as in other languages), we sometimes mix and match. Sometimes we use an adjective like an adverb and vice versa. Let's look at a few of the common adjectives that fall into this category. 

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One of these cases is the adjective leggero (light, lightweight). It might be more correct to say Guarda come vola in modo leggero, (look how she is flying, as light as a feather). Or we could consider leggera (lightweight) as modifying the noun, in this case, una farfalle (a butterfly). 

Guarda come vola leggera.

See how weightlessly it's flying.

Caption 19, Gatto Mirò EP 10 Piantiamo un albero

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Another is forte. It's basically an adjective, as in the following example.

Orfeo era... aveva un carattere forte.

Orfeo was... He had a strong personality.

Caption 35, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 4

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But forte is used quite often as an adverb, especially after a verb. In the following example, it's translated as "great," also primarily an adjective, but we use it as an adverb, too.

Sto andando forte, eh?

I'm doing great, right?

Caption 24, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 12

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Fortemente exists as an adverb and is used in some contexts, especially before the adjective it happens to be modifying. 

Io non le ho prese. -Non lo so, ma sei fortemente indiziata! -Ma!

I didn't take them. -I don't know, but you're a very strong suspect [strongly suspected]. -Well!

Caption 62, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 4

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But it's very common to use the forte when it comes to modifying verbs. Fortemente would sound wrong. 

Dai papà, alza la testa e fai resistenza mentre io ti spingo giù, ispirando forte.

Come on Daddy, lift your head and press while I push you down, inhaling deeply.

Captions 18-19, Provaci ancora prof! S2E3 Dietro la porta - Part 22

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Like forte, veloce is often used in place of the adverb velocemente. 

Dixi l'aveva soprannominata saetta, perché andava veloce come un fulmine.

Dixi nicknamed it "Saetta" (lightning bolt), because it went fast like lightning.

Captions 8-9, Dixiland In bicicletta

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E perché, vado troppo veloce?

And why? Am I going too fast?

Caption 56, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 3

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Oh cowboy, se tu cambi obiettivo così velocemente, la selvaggina scappa!

Oh, cowboy, if you change your target so quickly, the game gets away!

Caption 35, Il Commissario Manara S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 6

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Piano is the opposite of both forte and veloce. There is no specific adverbial version, but it can be used both as an adjective and an adverb. Piano has different meanings, so it's not always clear, even from the context, which meaning it has. 

Ciao. -A presto. Vai piano.

Bye. -See you soon. Go slowly.

Captions 48-49, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 6

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Luca, non senza autorizzazione! -Shh. Parla piano.

Luca, not without authorization! -Shh, speak softly.

Captions 46-47, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 12

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Let's keep in mind that adjectives used as adjectives need to agree with the nouns they modify, but when they are used as adverbs, they stay just the way they are. In the following example, forte is used as an adjective to describe i sentimenti (the feelings).

Spero solo che anche i suoi sentimenti siano altrettanto forti.

I only hope that his feelings are as strong as yours.

Caption 12, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 11

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Lo spada è uno dei pesci più veloci esistenti,

Swordfish is one of the fastest fish in existence.

Caption 10, Linea Blu Sicilia - Part 3

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Some cases don't seem to fit the pattern. In this final example, veloce seems to be used as an adverb, but its plural ending agrees with the plural noun like an adjective. 

Poi dice che sono gli etiopi che corrono veloci, eh.

Then they say that the Ethiopians are the ones who run fast, huh.

Caption 42, Sposami EP 6 - Part 4

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