Word of the Day

Today’s word opens up a world of possibilities because we use it when talking about …just that: possibilities. Casomai (cah-soh-mah-ee) is the union of two terms, the noun caso (“case,” as in “just in case”) and the adverb mai (“never”). …

Ogni tanto (oh- ñee tahn-toh) is used more than sometimes in Italian! Why do I say “sometimes?” Because that’s what it means. Indeed ogni tanto stands for the English “sometimes,” or “every now and then,” which in fact may be …

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, writing about a lovers’ word came naturally.  Bacio (bah-tcho) is the most immediate sign of affection; the kiss is ubiquitous and used by everyone who wants to show – more or less passionately, depending on who you’re directing your …

Everything related to this month is settembrino (sait-tehm-bree-noh), because settembrino means “of September” or “related to September.” Italians started using settembrino back in the 18th century, so it’s a relatively young word, at least to Italian standards! There is something …

Waking up to a frosty wonderland is quite usual in October, especially if you are an early bird. It may not be snow’s soft, glistening blanket  — we must wait some more weeks for that — but you may find …

Sebbene (saib-bai-nai) means “although,” “even if,” “albeit” and pretty much all those little words you can use in English to indicate when something happens in spite of something else. As usual, it is much easier to understand with examples! Sono …

Today’s word may be a tad confusing to some, because it has more meanings and all of them are very common — well, besides one, which is probably a favorite only among Dante’s aficionados. Fiera (fee-ai-rah) is mostly used in …

Finally, most of us are vaccinated, and old-fashioned colds are no longer as fearful as they’ve been for the past two years. Yes, fall and winter malanni are back. Today’s word is malanno (mah-lahn-noh, plural  mah-lahn-nee), and we translate it …

We’ve all heard of it, but who actually tasted it? Yes, this may well be the biggest question about cappone(kap-poh-nai), capon in English, our Italian word for today. I, just like many of you I am sure, grew up with …

If we think of a recreational activity that speaks of the fall, most of us are likely to mention apple picking. A world of colorful foliage and cerulean skies, crisp air, and Saturday afternoons spent picking the juiciest fruits while …