"salotto buono"

English translation: elite clutch of industrial, financial, and political power brokers that have controlled Italian industry since the war

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:"salotto buono"
English translation:elite clutch of industrial, financial, and political power brokers that have controlled Italian industry since the war
Entered by: Linda 969

14:31 Aug 19, 2005
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
Italian term or phrase: "salotto buono"
Appears in an article on estate agents and newpaper coverage thereof.
I giornail sono pieni di polemiche sugli immobiliaristi. Gli uni contro gli altri, anche. I vecchi (quelli del cosidetto "Salotto buono") contro i nuovi. There are lots of references to "salotto buono" on the net but I can't quite think of the English equivalent.
Jean Martin
Local time: 11:06
*salotto buono*, the elite clutch of established power brokers
Explanation:
This is how the BBC and Business Week define the *salotto buono*:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2692771.stm
Mr Agnelli made his career snugly within the "salotto buono", the well-heeled clique of bankers, industrialists and politicians that still dominate Italian economic life

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_25/b3737148....
An outsider to Italy's salotto buono, the elite clutch of industrial, financial, and political power brokers that have controlled Italian industry since the war, Zaleski, 68, is more entrepreneur than raider

I think either solution can be easily adapted to yr context

The FT translates it literally:

news.ft.com/cms/s/ e38b122a-f240-11d9-8e69-00000e2511c8,ft_acl=.html
What used to be called the salotto buono,the "good drawing room" of Italian business, is fast becoming an ill-mannered saloon bar, with old and new members ...

Selected response from:

Linda 969
Local time: 12:06
Grading comment
Thanks to you both - I could have used either answer but thought this was slightly more appropriate for the context.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6*salotto buono*, the elite clutch of established power brokers
Linda 969
4 +5Old boys club
odochartaigh (X)


  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Old boys club


Explanation:
"Salotto buono" refers to the old idea of a closed club of refined gentlemen dicussing business over brandy and cigars. Today it is used to refer to an elite bourgeoisie who meet informally to discuss business and other matters of common concern.

odochartaigh (X)
Local time: 12:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Peter Cox: perhaps "exclusive club"
16 mins
  -> thanks!

agree  Amy Taylor: also "old boy network".
56 mins
  -> thanks!

agree  CLS Lexi-tech: beautiful!
19 hrs
  -> thanks!

agree  Anthony Green
1 day 1 hr
  -> thanks!

agree  philgoddard: Thanks!
3945 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

49 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
salotto buono
*salotto buono*, the elite clutch of established power brokers


Explanation:
This is how the BBC and Business Week define the *salotto buono*:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2692771.stm
Mr Agnelli made his career snugly within the "salotto buono", the well-heeled clique of bankers, industrialists and politicians that still dominate Italian economic life

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_25/b3737148....
An outsider to Italy's salotto buono, the elite clutch of industrial, financial, and political power brokers that have controlled Italian industry since the war, Zaleski, 68, is more entrepreneur than raider

I think either solution can be easily adapted to yr context

The FT translates it literally:

news.ft.com/cms/s/ e38b122a-f240-11d9-8e69-00000e2511c8,ft_acl=.html
What used to be called the salotto buono,the "good drawing room" of Italian business, is fast becoming an ill-mannered saloon bar, with old and new members ...



Linda 969
Local time: 12:06
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 33
Grading comment
Thanks to you both - I could have used either answer but thought this was slightly more appropriate for the context.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kieran McCann: I think the 'well-heeled', haute borgeoisie element is important here and not necessarily implied by 'old school tie/network/exclusive club' etc
2 hrs
  -> thanks Kieran

agree  Catherine Bolton
3 hrs
  -> thanks Catherine

agree  silvia b (X)
6 hrs
  -> thanks, Silvia

agree  paolamonaco
18 hrs
  -> thanks, paola

agree  Daniela Tosi
21 hrs
  -> thanks, Daniela

agree  Anthony Green
1 day 29 mins
  -> thanks, Anthony
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