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VIDEO: Italian MP makes circumcision gaffe

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VIDEO: Italian MP makes circumcision gaffe
Davide Tripiedi is a Five Star Movement (M5S) MP for the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Screengrab: YouTube

An Italian politician made an embarrassing linguistic gaffe in parliament on Tuesday when he reassured fellow MPs that he would be "brief and circumcised".

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Normally it’s foreigners who are guilty of making embarrassing mistakes when trying to express themselves in Italian. 

But the recent slip of the tongue by an Italian MP will at least show foreign speakers that even native Italians make the occasional mistake – even the most professional of public speakers, it would seem.

SEE ALSO: Top 10: Ways to learn Italian

In a debate on employment in the Italian Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, Davide Tripiedi, a Five Star Movement (M5S) MP for the Lombardy region of northern Italy, had meant to tell fellow MPs he would keep his speech brief. 

Unfortunately for Tripiedi, however, his thoughts didn’t come out the way he intended.

“I will be brief and circumcised,” he informed parliament, confusing the word “concise” (in Italian, "conciso") with “circonciso”.

Apparently unaware of the gaffe, the hapless politician continues with his speech until he is cut short by the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, Simone Baldelli.

“Conciso,” Baldelli corrects him, adding, “That’s another thing…”

“I made a mistake,” replies the embarrassed MP, to a chorus of laughter.

But not all Italians saw the funny side.

"Thanks Tripiedi from the M5S, with your 'I will be brief and circumcised' help Italians to understand that your party is all based on ignorance," tweeted @Mobius89. 

This isn’t the first high-profile gaffe to hit headlines this month.

On March 2nd, Pope Francis made a rare linguistic error during his weekly blessing on Sunday, when he accidentally muddled “caso” (“case”) with “cazzo” (“fuck”).

“If each one of us does not amass riches only for oneself, but half for the service of others, in this fuck [pause], in this case the providence of God will become visible through this gesture of solidarity,” he told followers amassed in St Peter’s Square.

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