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# A word that means two different things
- URL: https://www.readingrome.com/a-word-that-means-two-different-things/
- Published: 2026-10-10T13:46:13.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-10T13:46:13.000Z
- Author: Maria Chugrova

In Russian, контрамарка means a free ticket — something a friend gets you into. In Italian, contromarca means something else completely: the stub they hand you at intermission so you can step outside and get back in. Same word, borrowed by two languages, doing two unrelated jobs. I've used it both ways in my life. Only here does it mean "keep this or you're not getting back in."

RR