Word of the Day
Pazzo (pah-tsoh) means crazy, and you’d be crazy to think it’s not a popular word. It comes from the word pazzia, a noun as poetic as it is unsettling — in all languages — associated as it is to mental …
Aspetta! What do you really know about the word aspetta? Well, we certainly know that aspetta (ah-speht-tah) comes from a mix of two Latin words, expectare, which means to wait (the same meaning of aspetta in Italian) and aspectare or …
The Fall is, without a doubt, the favorite season for a pantofolaio (pahn-toh-foh-lah-ee-oh), because they can do what they prefer, without being judged by society: staying in, coffee in hand, eating cookies and watching tv. The word comes from pantofola, …
Subito (soo-bee-toh) means “soon, “now,” or “immediately.” It is used in a variety of very common expressions so learning how to use it can be very handy! As always, it comes from the Latin subitus, an adjective similar to the …
I believe that when someone says you are a buona forchetta you should take it as a compliment. In the end, why wouldn’t you? To be a buona forchetta (boo-oh-nah for-kai-tah) doesn’t simply mean to be a good eater, it …
Speranza (spe-rahn-zah), what a beautiful word. It means “hope” and it comes from the Latin spes, a noun of the fifth declension, one that kids in school never managed to remember. Before being “speranza,” it was speme in Italian and, …
Cavolo! (cah-voh-loh) is one of those words you often don’t know whether you can or cannot say in public. When you were a child, your mom likely disapproved of you using it, while, as an adult, you understand it comes …
If they tell you sei un fannullone (pronounced fahn-nool-loh-neh) you should either reconsider the people you hang with or your work ethics. While fannullone may sound pretty funny, with all those double consonants and the –one ending — doesn’t it …
Cioè (tcho-eh) is one of Italy’s most common intercalari, those words we like to throw here and there while we talk, but hey! It has a real meaning, too. Cioè is the contraction of two words, ciò, this/that, and è, …
Basta (bah.stah) is one of those words that change their meaning depending on the voice intonation you choose. A peremptory “Basta!” is a strong order one cannot refuse to follow, while a softer, questioning “Basta?” is as gentle as a …