(comportarsi) a convenienza

[lylicagalatea]

Hello!

Maybe saying that someone "si comporta a convenienza" or is "un amico a convenienza" comes from some italian dialect but it is now used in italian when talking of people that behave in some way (as a friend for example) only when they can get something in return, and thus their feelings are not sincere.

I guess I could say "opportunist" but I was wondering if any of you can think of a "slang-ish" way of saying it.

Does "friends at convenience" exist? Or "behaving in some way for convenience"?

thank you

 

[k_georgiadis]

Just as we have the term a marriage of convenience, we could also say a friendship of convenience. A somewhat related term is a fair weather friend which is more accurately translated as amico di quando tutto va bene.

 

[lylicagalatea]

Thanks!

Would you say "he behaved in such a way for convenience reasons"?

 

[k_georgiadis]

Maybe one of these:

he acted that way because it was convenient
he acted that way because it suited him
he acted that way because it served his purposes/interests

 

[byrne]

[I guess I could say "opportunist" but I was wondering if any of you can think of a "slang-ish" way of saying it.QUOTE]

A very colloquial way of saying it in BE is user,

She's such a user, she only hangs out with me because she likes my brother!