6 False Italianisms That Will Not Get You What Think Asked For In Italy (sub)

Tutorial Transcript

Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel! Today we'll talk about false Italianisms that are used in English. A false Italianism is a word that is taken from the Italian language and used in another language with a completely different meaning from the original. Why do I want to talk about these false Italianisms in this video? Because it is important to know that these are false Italianisms, we cannot use these words in Italian the same way they are used in English and therefore to avoid misunderstandings, it is good to know that these are false Italianisms. The first false Italianism we see is "biscotti". "Biscotti" is the Italian words for biscuits/cookies composed of flour, sugar and fat with the possible addition of eggs and flavoring, it is therefore a generic term to refer to this category of food. I know that this word in English is used to name only those typical Tuscan biscuits that we call "cantucci". What are cantucci? Cantucci are the typical biscuits of Tuscany, obtained by processing a baked dough based on flour, sweet almonds, sugar, eggs, butter, honey and sometimes even cocoa powder. The problem that arises here is that if you come to Italy and ask for "biscotti", it is a very general request, you will not receive cantucci specifically, if you ask "I would like some biscotti", surely you will be asked "what cookies?", because there are many to choose from. So if you want these, you have to ask for cantucci. Then, the second false Italianism that we see together is "alfresco". This phrase that I saw in English written as if it were a single word, but also as two separate words, in Italian as a single word it does not exist, there is "al fresco" in the phrase "to put someone al fresco", which is an idiomatic expression, if you will, to say "put someone in jail", in prison. So you'll understand that it is a bit strange to hear this phrase used to refer to the outside of a restaurant, where there are outdoor tables. So in Italy, if you want to sit outside in the restaurant, where there are outdoor tables, you just have to ask to sit outside, so don't sit inside, but sit outside. Or the phrase "all'aperto" is also frequently used, "mangiare all'aperto". Then the third false Italianism is the word "pepperoni", which written this way does not exist, in Italian there is the word written with a single p, which is the pepper plant. I know that this pseudo Italianism is used in the name "pepperoni pizza". If you come to Italy and ask for a "pepperoni pizza", you will receive a pizza with the peppers on top. So what do you have to order if you want that pizza? You have to order a pizza with spicy salami. The best known and most eaten spicy salami in Italy are the Calabrian ones. Or ask for "pizza alla diavola", which is what we call pizza with spicy salami. Then we have to the fourth false Italianism, which is actually a half false Italianism. And it is the word "latte". So, in English you order a "latte" and you get the drink with milk and coffee. But if you come to Italy and ask for a "latte", you will receive a glass of milk at the bar, "milk" is the translation in English of the word "latte". So what do you have to ask at an Italian bar if you want a "latte"? You have to ask for a "latte macchiato" or a "caffellatte". Write this down, because I'm sure it will be extremely useful! Then the fifth false Italianism is the word "stiletto"; in English this word is used to refer to shoes with heels. In Italian we call those shoes "heeled shoes" or simply "heels", heels. So what is a stiletto in Italian, it is a pointed weapon, similar to a dagger. So make sure, when you go shoe shoppin in Italy and want heels, to ask for "tacchi"! The last false Italianism of today is the phrase or expression "tutti-frutti", which it simply doesn't exist in Italian; it's two Italian words put together that result in a very English construction and absolutely foreign to Italian. A bit like the "spaghetti bolognese" combination. How would we say the same thing in Italian? We would simply say, if it were ice cream, "ice cream with pieces of fresh, dried or candied fruit" or in any case more generally anything "with pieces of fresh, dried or candied fruit". Or in the case of candy, let's just say "fruit flavored candies" or "fruit candies". These are the most popular false Italianisms, I would say, and the ones that actually may mislead you when you are here in Italy: either they do not exist or have a completely different meaning. So why did I make this video? To help you. To help you feel comfortable in your conversations and to tell you what is the appropriate solution when you want to ask for one of these things here in Italy. I hope you find this video useful and I hope you enjoyed it. And I don't know, let me know in the comments below if you have ever used these false Italianisms while here in Italy and tell me what happened in the conversation! I thank you for watching this video and I'll see you in the next one. See you soon, bye!