Baracca sounds somewhat similar to "barrack." Barracks (a plural word often expressed in the singular) refer to a building or group of buildings that house large groups of people, often military personnel. It comes from the 17th-century French word "baraque," which in turn comes from the Catalan "barraca" (hut), of uncertain origin. The Italian word is baracca. It's a humble word about a humble place, but Italians use the word to mean a variety of things and not always humble ones.

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It's hard to know what uses came before others, but let's first look at a very common Italian expression that might not make sense to a non-native.

Baracca e burattini

We can imagine, perhaps, street performers who set up a little theater (baracca) with puppets or marionettes (burattini). Then the police come their way and they have to fold it up quickly and skedaddle. Or, perhaps the audience is booing. The puppeteers grab their things and hightail it. So in this case, la baracca is another word for teatro di burattini (marionette theater).

So when you up and leave with your stuff, you can say:

Chiudo baracca e burattini e me ne vado. I'm closing up shop and leaving. 

Note that some people use the verb piantare, which aside from meaning "to plant," can also mean "to abandon."

Pia, la mia colf, mi ha piantato. Dice che non vuole vivere in campagna.

Pia, my nanny, ditched me. She says that she doesn't want to live in the country.

Caption 21, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP1 - Casa nuova - Part 5

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Piantare baracca e burattini. Using the verb piantare really gives the idea of just up and leaving: abandoning ship. 

If we look at some Italian dictionaries they mention that the expression chiudere/piantare baracca e burattini implies a brusque interruption of whatever the status quo is, for example, leaving a job all of a sudden, quitting school, or leaving one's family. On a broader, figurative level, it can mean completely changing the horizons of one's existence. 

Baracca e burattini e si torna a casa, hai capito?

Theater and puppets [leave the whole shebang] and you go home, you get it?

Caption 54, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 6

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The nurse left off the first word of the expression, which would have been either chiudi or pianta. In English, we might even say, "You take your toys and go home..."

La baracca

With this common and beloved expression out of the way, let's look at situations where the word baracca is used on its own. 

In the following example, we're talking about a state-run health center:

Intanto questa baracca ha un responsabile e si dà il caso che sia io.

In any case this shack has a person in charge and it happens to be me.

Caption 33, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP1 - Casa nuova - Part 6

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In this example, la baracca represents a business:

Poi Bianciardi muore, viene ammazzato, e Lei diventa proprietario di tutta la baracca, che dice?

Then Bianciardi dies, he gets killed, and you become owner of the whole shebang, what do you say?

Captions 16-17, Il Commissario Manara S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso - Part 10

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Here, it's a household: 

Come farà Libero con i piccoli? Eh, hai fatto bene a pensarlo, perché non è facile qua, la baracca...

How will Libero manage with the little ones? Uh, you were right to think about that, because it's not easy here, the shack...

Captions 25-27, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP1: Ciao famiglia - Part 8

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Here, it is another business:

Melody non ha la responsabilità di mandare avanti la baracca.

Melody isn't responsible for keeping the shack [things] going.

Caption 31, Sposami EP 4 - Part 6

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The expression mandare avanti la baracca is a very common expression with the word baracca, meaning "to keep the show going." Literally, "to send it along."

Keep your eyes and ears open for more expressions with baracca. Now you know what it means!

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Let's look at a false friend. Not always false, but frequently. 

Una disgrazia

When something bad happens, like an accident, or a natural disaster, one word Italians commonly use is una disgrazia. È successa una disgrazia (something bad happened/there's been an accident).

Domani, me [mi] capiterà 'na [una] disgrazia.

Tomorrow, some calamity will happen to me.

-Che disgrazia?

What calamity?

-Qualcosa de [di] male.

-Something bad.

Perché oggi sto troppo bene, canterino.

Because, today, I feel too good, songbird.

Captions 3-6, Fratelli Taviani - La passione e l'utopia

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The woman says it: something bad. In the following example, a suspect is describing someone dying as a terrible accident, not a murder.

È caduto e ha battuto la testa, ma non volevo!

He fell and hit his head but I didn't want that.

È stata, è stata 'na [una] disgrazia!

It was, it was a terrible accident.

Captions 20-21, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena

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Here, again, a terrible tragedy:

Era sull'autobus dove è successa la disgrazia.

She was on the bus where the tragedy occurred.

Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata

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The cognate is, of course, "a disgrace," but if we look up disgrace, we see other words that are used more commonly, such as una vergogna.

Tu sei la vergogna della nostra famiglia.

You are the disgrace of our family.

Vergognati!

Shame on you!

Captions 46-47, La Ladra - EP. 8 - Il momento giusto

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So, disgrazia often refers to a natural disaster or someone dying suddenly. It's just something to keep in mind (tenere a mente or tenere presente).  Because it might happen that when you are traveling in Italy, you'll get some bad news. It's important to know that disgrazia might refer to a tragedy, an accident, a misfortune. Not necessarily will the speaker be talking about a disgrace.

A related term: disgraziato

As we have mentioned in the past, Italian and English don't always correspond regarding parts of speech.

Italians love to call each other names (just like lots of folks). One way to say that someone did something you totally do not approve of is to call them a disgraziato (a disgraceful fellow). We have to be a bit careful because it can either mean someone who has fallen on misfortune, but it can also mean someone who ought to be ashamed of himself, so context is key.

Don't take our word for it.  Let's look at some examples:

Disgraziato, ti ho scoperto con le mani dentro al sacco!

You bastard, I've discovered you with your hands in the bag!

Caption 50, Un medico in famiglia S1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka

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Io non sono come quei disgraziati che parte [sic: partono] per fame, ma'.

I'm not like those poor guys who leave because they're hungry, Ma.

Io vado a Roma per fare lu [pugliese: il] cinema, ma',

I'm going to Rome to make movies, Ma,

sia chiaro, eh, cinema.

to be clear, uh, the movies.

Captions 41-43, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno

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Keep in mind that when you want to call someone a disgraziato, you need to distinguish between masculine and feminine and singular and plural.

Disgraziato can be used as an adjective or as a noun. We could say that as an adjective it is more likely referring to misfortune:

Tu cosa diresti? -Be'...

What would you say? -Well...

direi... povera disgraziata la signora! -Eh. -Eheh!

I would say... poor unlucky lady! -Uh-huh. -Uh-huh!

Captions 49-50, Un medico in famiglia S1 - EP1 - Casa nuova

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As a noun (especially if well-articulated) it might very well be talking about a "bad" person:

Disgraziato! Delinquente! Assassino!

Scoundrel! Delinquent! Murderer!

Caption 58, Psicovip - Super Minivip - Ep 17

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Or it can be a combination.

Speriamo la prossima stazione di questo disgraziato sia qui vicino.

Let's hope the poor bastard's next stop is near here.

Caption 60, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva

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Strappare (to tear, to yank, to rip) is an interesting Italian verb, with a useful, related noun uno strappo (the act of ripping up) that goes hand in hand with it.

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Sembrerebbe un tuo capello.

It seems like one of your hairs.

Va be', dai, strappami il capello, forza. Strappa 'sto capello.

OK, come on, pull out a hair, come on. Yank this strand out.

Dai, ai!

Come on, ow!

Captions 37-40, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP3 - Delitto tra le lenzuola

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The previous example is literal and you can easily visualize the act. The following example could be literal, but not necessarily. It describes a somewhat violent act, but this grandfather might be speaking figuratively.

Insomma, mi hanno strappato via la mia nipotina dalle braccia.

In short, they tore my little granddaughter from my arms.

Caption 84, Un medico in famiglia - S1 EP1 - Casa nuova

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Even when we're talking about hair, strappare can be used figuratively.

Guarda, mi strappo i capelli da, proprio...

Look, I'm really tearing my hair out from, right...

Caption 24, L'Eredità -Quiz TV - La sfida dei sei. Puntata 1

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In this week's segment of La Ladra, there is a wonderful Italian expression with the noun strappo.

Ma sono vegetariano.

But I am a vegetarian.

Ma non fai mai uno strappo alla regola?

But don't you ever make an exception to the rule?

Qualche volta.

Sometimes.

E... allora potresti venire nel mio ristorante, naturalmente saresti mio ospite.

And... so you could come to my restaurant, you'll be my guest, naturally.

Con piacere.

With pleasure.

Captions 61-64, La Ladra - EP. 8 - Il momento giusto

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Did you hear the percussive T, the well-articulated R, and the double, percussive P? It's a fun word to say. Remember that in Italian a double P sounds different from a single P. To hear the difference, go back to the examples about hair. There's a double P in strappare, or strappo, but there is a single P in capello or capelli. Tricky!

Strappare (to tear, to rip, to yank) is very close to rompere (to break) or even spezzare (to break, to snap, to split). So fare uno strappo alle regole, means "to break a rule," "to make an exception." 

Another expression with the same noun — strappo — is dare uno strappo (to give [someone] a lift). 

Ti do uno strappo a casa?

Shall I give you a lift home?

Caption 51, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso

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The more conventional word would be un passaggio. Read more about passaggio here.

Practice:

Here are some situations in which you might want to use the verb strappare or the noun strappo:

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You want someone to tear off a page from their notebook or pad. Mi strappi una pagina? (Would you tear off a page for me?)

You want someone to give you a lift home. Mi dai uno strappo? (Will you give me a lift?)

You hardly ever eat ice cream, but today, you'll make an exception. Faccio uno strappo alla regola. Mangerò un gelato! (I'll make an exception. I'm going to have ice cream!)

You are very frustrated with listening to someone complain. Quando comincia con certi discorsi mi viene voglia di strapparmi i capelli. (When he/she starts up with that story, I get the urge to tear my hair out.)

Try fitting in these new words to your Italian practice. Send in your suggestions and we'll correct them or comment on them.