Language, movies

[Luca Boschi]

Well...

> This talk of old movies reminds me of a question I'd like to ask the native
> Italian members, who have helped me with my Italian in private e-mails.
> In the United States, the movie I Soliti ignoti is called Big Deal on Madonna
> Street. That is obviously not the real translation, but can anyone tell me
> what I Soliti ignoti means? Is it translatable? Idiomatic?

Not exactly... Literally means "The usual unknowns". It's an expression used
(maybe from the 40es on) to point the small fry crooks who made small
robberies and never go to jail...

Even better, when something is stolen by someone impoble to be recognize, we
say "sporgiamo denuncia contro ignoti" (make a trial against unknown
people).