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Learning Italian: bruschetta takes on pizza
The Italian language is everywhere, especially in the world of cooking (where Italians believe that theirs is the best cuisine on earth), and with the new year come new dictionaries around the world. While some English words are adopted into…
Big Brother Italy: Veronica hot or not?
Every series of Italy’s Big Brother has at least one hysterical housemate. Here there are two, Veronica and Gabriele, who have apparently been doing nothing but arguing since they got in there, for the joy of Italian television viewers. For…
Italian gestures in pictures: learn Italian expressions
We’ve seen world famous Italian gestures in this hilarious Italian video, and here we bring you a post on Italian gestures - in pictures! Ever wanted to know exactly what the guy was telling you when you hired your car…
Learning Italian: Antonio Cassano gives us the "cassanata"
When it comes to the Italian language, the locals know how to get creative. They can make swear words into nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs and the results are generally quite funny and more often than not, become part of…
Italian English: "customers gentile" and other fables
Far be it from me to criticise Italians for their English, this one comes from the locals themselves. I have been an English teacher in Italy and congratulate myself that none of my students would produce anything quite as creative…
Video: Italian hand gestures. How to express yourself in Italy
Italian people are famous for the expressive way of communicating. Now, they will often combine the Italian gestures in this video with fast-paced, angry soliloquys, hysterical outbursts, sweet, ironic smiles or even as part of general conversation when relating anecdotes,…
Italian words in English: "al fresco"
English and Italian borrow words from each other, with Italian words in English generally of the culinary variety. After I was roundly criticised by one commenter for making fun of Italians and their use of the word ‘trendy’, we thought…
Italian sayings: the word "dai!"
We have a quick look today at the word, or rather onomatopoeic expression, of “dai”. It’s a subtle word and its meaning changes depending entirely on inflection, tone and volume. A quick list below.“Dai” said with an irritated tone can…
Italian word of the day: limonare
Strange but true: in Italian the word “limonare” (to lemon), means to kiss. The etymology is mysterious, but according to some sources the verb derives from “lemon”, used as a synonym for tongue. The use would be something as follows,…
Funny Italian video from Heineken: mime artist attacks a drunk
A mime artist attacks a drunk guy with his juggling equipment in Heineken’s “Know the Signs” viral marketing campaign against excessive drinking. The mime artist is in Italy, and, in the funny viral commercial, the guy filming says “I’m going…
Driving in Italy: parking in Rome pisses some people off
For the Italian language, or Italian English, we’ve already seen the creative and sparky side of the Romans come out with their “clients gentile” funny photo. Here we have another example, but for something far more serious - parking in…
How to write an Italian Christmas card
Christmas in Italy is not normally a time when Italians make long lists of all the people they need to write Christmas cards to, spending a small fortune in stamps and stationery. In fact, probably because families still often live…
Learning to speak Italian: guide to gendered nouns
We were going to write some stuff on Italian men and women, but until we get around to doing that, we may as well examine the gendered nouns of the language. For English speakers learning the Italian language, there are…
Italian expressions: in Rome, living on clogs or prostitute street?
One of the more unusual streets in Rome for its name, is that of the Via delle Zoccolette. The name appears to have originally derived from the fact that on this street there was an institution for orphans, commonly called…
Learn Italian online: course in Italian sayings, word of the day "pizza"
In 1889, Raffaele Esposito (husband to the daughter of Enrico Brandi) was considered the best “pizzaiolo” or pizza chef of those times. As such, he was invited to the Reggia di Capodimonte in Naples, to make pizza for the King…
Learning Italian from Mozart: "Così fan tutte" translated "all women are like that"
Recently we spoke about Geri Halliwell’s and Fabrizio Politi’s split, and I mentioned the phrase “Così fan tutte“. The words are the title of Mozart’s famous opera set in Venice, which takes up the theme of “fiancée swapping”.In a complicated…
Italian karaoke and "la vita è bella": Shrek sings in Milanese dialect
This video comes from one of my Facebook friends and is advertised as “Shrek Karaoke dance party in Milanese [dialect]! With historic Milanese songs for those fed up with the same old Napoletan karaoke.”So for an insight into the Italian…
Italian sayings: translation of "braccine corte" when you can't reach your money
After our piece on “al bacio” as an Italian saying meaning perfection, I thought we’d look at one that might be helpful when in Italy, particularly if you find yourself in Liguria where people are known to be a little…
Learn to speak Italian: "tu" and "lei" formalities
English is quite subtle in its formal and informal registers - you say “good morning” rather than “hi”, “how are you” as opposed to “what’s happening”. But Italian has an entire grammar structure dedicated to formal language in the form…