Ah, you’ve always wondered how plumbers get around in Florence, Italy, didn’t you? Well, there’s more to it than the bicicletta of the Trombaio.
According to The Florentine:
Outside of Florence no one has the slightest idea what it (Trombaio) means and it is natural to associate it with a word to describe a sexual act . . . so be careful with this one!
(Tuscans and those of us pretending to be Tuscan use the word idraulico to describe the guy who comes to your house and diddles with your pipes for a huge sum of money.)
It’s amazing how many words and mispronunciations in Italian also associate with sexual terms—from sweeping to Menabrea beer. With many words, slightly mispronounce them and you’ll be met with guffaws of a rather nervous laughter, as if the boys at the bar knew it was coming and feel guilty that they encouraged you to say it. So just point to the beer, especially in Liguria, where the local dialect has a very juicy word quite similar to Menabrea I’ve heard.