Da capo

Posted by Lewis on June 02, 2003

In Reply to: Da capo posted by DaFallen on June 02, 2003

: : : Florence Nightingale in a book published in 1863 gave a sardonic description of a British soldier's day, ending with "...drink, bed, and da capo". Can someone help with 'da capo'? Nightingale was fluent in several European languages, including Italian - I wonder if the reference in previous discussion (fish to fry) indicates the sense - e.g. of 'doing something else'

: : : Thanks.

: : "Da capo" is a direction in music, written on a score. It's Italian for "from the top" (literally, from the head): the players are to repeat the passage from the beginning. In the context you describe, it must mean "and then the next morning he gets up and does the same thing all over again."

: "Da Capo" is also of course da honorific title given to da head of a Mafia family, as both Coppola and Sopranos buffs will know.

Da Capo is da fing wot holds da strings down on a ghee-tar, so dat if youse only know 1 key, youse can still play it inna nuther. capice?

(apologies for dat engleesh!

• Da capo - thanks Stephen Gourlay 06/02/03