Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with italian

Spell my mother's frustration!

houseofdanie — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:27:21 -0800

How do you spell the Italian-Americanisms my Mom used to yell at us when we were kids? For Christmas, I'm compiling a humorous list of things my mother used to yell at my brother and me when we were children. Her father was Italian, so a fair amount of these things are Italian-Americanisms like, "Oh, Madonna!" My question is, how do you spell the word pronounced like "stoonad," as in, "damn idiot?"

If you can think of things your own Italian-American parents used to mutter in frustration, please feel free to share. I'm sure there are many common things my mother used to say that I've forgotten.

Best Italian South Shore of Boston?

eggman — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:57:45 -0800

What's th best Italian restaurant on the South Shore of Boston? Bonus points for proximity to Quincy . . .

A Two-Part Question About Italian Dialects and The Mechanics of Breaking Glass Windows

jason's_planet — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:51:50 -0800

This is a two-part question about a video on YouTube. The first part of the question is about the Sicilian dialect of the Italian language; the second part deals with the mechanics of breaking a glass window with a crowbar. (You don't have to watch the whole video if you don't want to; there are two sections I'm curious about and each one only runs for a few seconds.)

Here's the video: the opening sequence of the early-seventies Italian crimesploitation flick "Il Cittadino Si Ribella", featuring the song "Goodbye My Friend."

Now, at about :51, there are a group of hooligans trashing an apartment. One of them happens upon a poster on the wall with the words "Italiani Ribellatevi". He mutters something that sounds like "Italiani Ribel-ad" before he tears it off the wall. Is this meant to be Sicilian dialect? I ask because it reminds me of the bits of New York Italian slang I've heard here and there, with "Gallamad" for "Calamari" and so on and so forth.

From 1:50 to about 2:10, there's a scene where a guy smashes a shop window with a crowbar. Prior to doing so, he wraps the crowbar in newspaper. Now why would he do that? Is that for personal safety? Is the newsprint supposed to protect him from shards of broken glass flying back at him? Or is there some other reason?

So there you have it. A question involving the Italian language and breaking glass windows. And the song "Goodbye My Friend." I submit that this question is unique in the six-year history of Ask MetaFilter.

As always, many thanks in advance.

Italiano?

LittleMissItneg — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:00:56 -0800

Can you please help me translate this phrase: cominciâ a butâ da bande, ce che ho ai dentri e nol è gno Thank you very much!

Make me an offer I can't refuse

scrutiny — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:07:01 -0800

NYC Food Filter: I am leaving New York City and want to get some great Italian food in the Bronx's version of Little Italy on Arthur Avenue before I go. What are your favorites? I'm willing to spend some money, but not a crazy amount. I'm thinking $15-20 per entree, tops, though I could be convinced to go higher if the food was really that good. I want a sit down place with the works, not just a pizzeria.

looking for italian church art.

titanium_geek — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:13:20 -0800

religious-art-filter: looking for a specific image of Christ rising from the grave. I saw it on a TV program and I'd like to see it again. From what I remember, it was like a "forgotten artwork" kind of program, and they visited a small Italian church to see it.

The artwork was in the format of a painting, except 3D. So it wasn't a statue, but like a rectangular 3D sculpture on the wall. It was in a white stone- maybe marble.

The subject was Jesus rising from the grave- not the standard shiny-light-everywhere walking out, but an earthy, muscular, kind of beat up Jesus climbing out, giving the viewer a piercing glare. I think his hair was kind of snaky. I don't recall angels.

The artist wasn't a really famous on like Michelangelo or Da Vinci, I don't think.

The program talked about the techniques the artist would have used, maybe the discovery of a prototype image (??) and a bit about their artistic life. While I would love to watch the program again, the art work is what I really want to see.

TV program: Australia, 2007(2006?) most probably over the Easter period, maybe ABC or SBS.

Art work: Italian church, renaissance (?) Does it exist on the internet? Google is failing me.

Thank you.

The longest shot ever.

pjern — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:31:58 -0800

OK, something that been bugging me for a long time: Can someone identify a foreign film/tv show from the 80's given some memories of production details? The reason I'm thinking this is a longshot is that my entire memory of the details is from the production end, as that part of it was shot at the railroad museum where I worked for a while. I'm thinking that there might be clips somewhere that I would appear in. Here's the details of the scenes that I remember:

Our "hero", wearing ridiculous clown shoes, runs along the top of a moving train jumping from car to car. If I appear, I would be running the locomotive. The consist of cars for the train was patently ridiculous: A boxcar, gondola car, streamlined passenger car, wooden caboose, and a locomotive with the number "167" on the side.

A scene or two of gangsters with Tommy guns shooting up a wooden boxcar with a modern Norfolk and Western logo on it (The locomotive on the rght in the linked picture has it). The 'boxcar' was a fake structure built on top of a real flat car, gaffed with squibs and rigged to slowly "collapse" after absorbing enough gunfire to sink a battleship.

At least one scene of 'mobsters' lined up firing guns at the faux boxcar, and one of them discovering a trap door that the hero must have escaped through in the wreckage.

This was done for an Italian production company, there was a lot of joking about "spaghetti railroading" etc, while we were working on the project: I had the impression that it might have been a series of some kind, or a childrens (!) show over there. Time frame, early 1980's.

I'm pretty damn certain that this never showed up on the air in the US, still, with the worldwide audience here at Ask, there's just the chance that this will fire a neuron somewhere in the hive mind.

I was in a number of productions while I was at the museum, to include a few print ads and one Burt Reynolds movie, but I remember this one for the sheer amount of fun we had while doing it. I never even learned the name of the movie/show, and have been kicking myself for a long time because of that.

porco eccittato just does not sound tasty delicous

Wavelet — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:10:37 -0800

So, we have been invited to a party which celebrates 100 years of Italian Futurism... and I am not sure what kind of food to bring. Guests have been charged with bringing something from (or inspired by) the Futurist Cookbook. I've read this synopsis of the Futurist Cookbook recipes, and to be honest, nothing is jumping out as particularly yummy. What are your suggestions for futuristic Italian food which don't involve stuffing a chicken with ball bearings?

Semi-romantic, awesome places to eat in Boston's North End?

bondcliff — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:37:33 -0800

Where in Boston's North End should my wife and I have our anniversary dinner? Twelfth anniversary is next week and we've decided on the North End because we love it and don't eat there enough. I've seen this thread and I've looked at other Boston food threads but found nothing. We don't need to break the bank but want something more than pizza.

Money isn't an issue. We'll eat anything, we love most things, and we want more than spaghetti and red sauce. We prefer "really fucking good" more than trendy though trendy AND really fucking good is fine. I'd prefer decent sized portions to "this single walnut is infused with saffron oil and the tears from orphaned Italian children"

They'll need to accept reservations and not be so popular they'll be booked a week in advance.

So? Semi-romantic, awesome places to eat in Boston's North End?

"Italian grapes" - they're neither Italian nor grapes. Discuss!

chan.caro — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:47:21 -0800

[Identify this fruit filter] What fruit is this? I just started eating this fruit, and can't get enough of it. It's a very deep purple, the skin is quite thick and somewhat tannic, and the juice is so fragrant my head spins when I have one. Inside are a few small, green seeds (the tiny out-of-focus thing in the foreground of the photo). There is also a green variety that has a slightly thinner skin and is little more tart, but almost nearly indistinguishable. The meat is grape-like in that it has the signature texture and vein-iness. What's also striking is how round they are - each one is a perfect sphere.

I unfortunately only know the Chinese name of it - "Italian grape" - and google-fu fails me when the only things I have to work with are "Italian," "grape," and "Chinese." Also, unsurprisingly, I've only been able to find them at Chinese groceries/supermarkets.

What are these tasty buggers?

I love you, fresh egg

chalbe — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:34:01 -0800

What cooking secrets take your food to the almost-pro level? I love food; making it, reading about it, eating it. I already do a few basics, like shopping the NYC Union Square farmers' market, using fresh leafy herbs and garlic, squeezing lemon juice, cooking meat the right temperature, adding enough salt + pepper, grating Parmigiano-Reggiano, etc. Even so, my cooking still tastes a little flat and two-dimensional.

What practices or ingredients do you use to elevate your cooking? Spice mixes? Marinades? I prefer answers that skew towards the complex-but-tasty and avoid processed goods. Bonus points if you are a professional cook or culinary school student.

To get us started, here are some ideas I've been wanting to try:
- Making brown veal stock and remoullage, for braising and sauces
- Making yogurt from scratch milk + starter
- Making herbed butter and herb-infused oils

What are some of the best Italian movies of the last 30 years?

katemonster — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:15:39 -0800

What Italian movies am I missing out on? I'm familiar with the post-war classics, but it's hard to come by more modern stuff in the States. DVD region is not an issue for me; English subtitle availability is nice but non-essential, as my Italian will suffice. I'm not particular about subject matter or genre -- children's movies, action flicks, documentaries, whatever -- I just want to know what's out there in Italian film that's worth seeing, particularly from the last 30 years or so.

Movies I've seen and loved:
I cento passi (The Hundred Steps)
Caterina va in citta'
Mio fratello e' figlio unico (My Brother is an Only Child)
Pane e tulipane (Bread and Tulips)
Il ladro di bambini (Stolen Children)
Mediterraneo
Il postino
Hamam (Steam)
Cinema Paradiso
Johnny Stecchino
La vita e' bella (Life is Beautiful)
Kaos

And as a minor subquestion, does anyone have any recommendations for online sources for Italian DVDs that will ship to the US? I've used ibs.it in the past for books, but don't know if there are any other viable options for DVDs.

How do I make the best cannoli filling ever?

jroybal — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:34:13 -0800

Headline says it all: how do I make the best cannoli filling? Ricotta+powdered sugar+vanilla? How much of each (or other ingredients) should I use? I made it last night with 1.5 lb ricotta, 1 c powdered sugar, and 1/4 tsp vanilla, using a recipe in some old Italian cookbook, but it came out a bit chalky and not as thick/creamy as it is when it comes from a restaurant. Any specific pointers (or any particularly great add-ins)? Lots of Google hits, but I'm trying to filter out the noise. Thanks in advance.

Seeking recomendation for immigration attorney in Los Angeles for Italian citizenship by descent case

Asparagirl — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:58:02 -0800

Please recommend an attorney -- preferably one in the Los Angeles area -- for an unusual Italian citizenship by descent case. Looking for one with knowledge of complicated 20th Century treaties regarding the former Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey, Italy, and Greece, and experience dealing with a lack of some typical primary citizenship evidence. Short version:
Know a good immigration/citizenship attorney, or someone with experience with the Italian consulate system, preferably in Los Angeles? If so, please drop a note.

Long version:
My mother-in-law "Jane" was born in California in 1949. Her family are Sephardic Jews who lived for hundreds of years on the island of Rhodes, which is just off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea. Rhodes was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. Much of the population was Greek and following the break-up of the Empire, the island was "supposed to" go to Greece. However, it was illegally seized by Italy in 1912 and, seeing as possession is 9/10 of the law, was formally made a part of Italy under the Treaty of Lausanne in July 1923. This treaty gave Italian citizenship to the people of Rhodes, and according to knowledgeable sources I've talked to in the Rhodes genealogy community, this new citizenship also applied to people born on the island even if they weren't actually living there at the time of the treaty signing.

Jane's maternal grandfather Ray was born on Rhodes in either 1895 or 1896 (reports vary), and immigrated to the US in 1913. Jane's maternal grandmother Amelia was born either on Rhodes or in Milas, Turkey (reports vary) in 1904 and immigrated to the US in 1916. They got married in Los Angeles in August 1923 and had their first child, Jane's mother Esther, in Los Angeles in late 1924.

Ray filed his Declaration of Intention for US naturalization and citizenship in 1916. He and his family believed he became a US citizen shortly thereafter. However, he apparently didn't actually file his final papers for citizenship until the 1950's and did not become a full US citizen until 1955. (Copies of all the papers have been obtained from the Department of Homeland Security under an FOIA request.) This raises questions about his citizenship status in the 1916-1955 period, and whether that citizenship can be passed down to his children and/or grandchildren.

Specifically, Italian citizenship is one of the rare European nationalities that can pass down by descent. It used to be that only men could pass it down, but after 1948, women can also pass it down to children who were born after 1948.

As mentioned, Ray was born 1895/1896. Assuming that he became an Italian citizen in July 1923, then Amelia also unknowingly became an Italian citizen upon marrying him a month later in August 1923 -- although she probably assumed that she was becoming an American citizen upon her marriage, under the Cable Act of 1922. Their daughter Esther was born in the US in 1924, at a time when both her parents apparently had Italian citizenship, thus making her a dual citizen. As she likely never knew this, she never formally renounced her Italian citizenship. Esther married Ralph in 1944, also from Rhodes and also an Italian citizen, who had come to the US in 1937, fleeing Mussolini. Ralph became a US citizen in 1945. Their daughter "Jane" was born 1949 -- and so could have inherited Italian citizenship from Esther under the post-1948 law allowing female lines to carry citizenship.

"Jane" would like to claim her Italian citizenship by descent, if in fact she is entitled to it (as we believe she may be). However, we're going to need a good immigration lawyer for this case, preferably in the Los Angeles area, because of several complicating factors:

- Applying for Italian citizenship by descent usually includes getting copies of your Italian ancestors' birth certificates, as proof. However, there are no known birth certificates for people born on Rhodes under the Ottoman rule -- the Empire was kind of lax about record-keeping by that point. Furthermore, it is unclear (but unlikely) that any formal documents, such as passports, were issued to the people of Rhodes when they became Italian citizens en masse in 1923. Therefore we have little primary evidence for Ray and/or Amelia's Italian citizenship.

- There are probably only two surviving modern censuses of Rhodes under Italian rule, one from the 1920's and one from the late 1930's. They contain minimal information on the population outside of names and birthdates (or in some cases estimated birth years). Ray had already left the island by that point and while he may have had family members show up in the census records, he himself would not. So, more lack of primary evidence of citizenship.

- Around 1943/1944, the Italian anti-Semitic governor of Rhodes illegally stripped all the local Jews of their Italian citizenship, above and beyond the impositions already placed on them by Italian Racial Laws. This meant that some then supposedly reverted to Turkish citizenship again...or not? It was unclear at the time. In any case, the Jews of Rhodes were shipped to Auschwitz in 1944 and nearly all murdered there. So there is very little previous "case law" before the Italian consulates on the subject of Italian citizenship for Rhodes descendants, as only a few people chose to apply for it in the intervening years.

- In 1948, Rhodes was formally transferred from Italy to Greece, and the people of Rhodes were now given Greek citizenship. However, unlike the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, this only applied to people who were actually living on the island at this time...probably. This is a sticky wicket that needs research by a good attorney.

- Finally, copies of all US-based evidence -- birth certificates, US citizen papers, etc. -- have already been collected, but apostilles are still needed.

So, names of immigration/citizenship attorneys, people involved with the Italian consulate system, and suggestions on how to proceed are welcomed. Thanks, MeFi!

Whats you best Italian recipe?

knockoutking — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:54:35 -0800

italiancookingfilter: give me your best Italian recipe - can be authentic Italian or Italian-American...doesn't matter one way or another! just looking for good Italian recipes -- already have some in my repitore but as much as i enjoy cooking and enjoy Italian food i want to expand my horizons -- so hit me with your best recipe!

side note, can include just about anything (located in DC so i can find it) -- also i do cook a fair amount so pretty much anything you can think of, and that you enjoy, i can make and enjoy myself!

Fancier way of saying "paired with" for Italian wine menu?

chudmonkey — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:28:03 -0800

In the context of an Italian-themed wine & food pairing menu, is there a more elegant way to say or express the phrase "paired with"? My pairing menu currently has a bunch of entries that go like this:

Food X
paired with
Wine X

For whatever reason, the "paired with" is really clunking in my head. Every dish and wine on the menu has an Italian name, so maybe I'm finding the banal English phrase too incongruous.

Any any rate, can you suggest something better? Bonus points for something with some Italian verisimilitude, but anything more elegant or old-world would be appreciated.

It would totally ideal if there was some sort of symbol that communicatess this, like a fancier version "w/".

Thanks in advance for any ideas you can share.

(Also: more/better tags for this post?)

Family Style is a plus.

Oktober — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:46:07 -0800

Looking for an affordable restaurant in/around Little Italy NYC that can comfortably accommodate 10 people for an early June graduation dinner. Ideally we'd like to keep it under $35 a head, and one of the 10 is a 2-year-old, so those are added complications. Family-style dining is a plus. Thanks!

Itchy runs afoul of an Irishman.

Ramithorn — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:10:02 -0800

A (non-Italian, non-Irish) friend of mine insists that pronouncing "Italian" as "eye-talian" or calling an Irish man an "Irishman" has racial undertones. Is this true? Are any Italians or Irish offended by those terms?

When a cowboy dreams of pasta, what is he playing on his guitar?

ajarbaday — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:22:37 -0800

What are some good songs for an Italian / cowboy playlist? We're hosting a "spaghetti western" potluck in a few days, and I wanted to put together a good playlist for the event. This thread had some good suggestions for cowboy music, and I found a little bit of information on spaghetti western soundtracks through google. I would love to find a few songs that sounded both distinctly cowboy and italian.

Bonus points for:
songs that are available through the public domain.
songs that include references to moustaches.
songs that will make people dance.

How to marry an Italian and not embarrass one's self in the process

jrichards — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:00:20 -0800

How to have an Italian wedding? I am an American getting married to my Italian fiance, in his hometown in Italy, this December. We have the legal stuff figured out and are planning to get legally married here in the states a couple weeks before traveling to Italy for the Catholic ceremony and reception.

Weddings are not really my thing, and Italian weddings are a total mystery. I want the wedding to reflect me too, but I am having a hard time figuring out what is and isn't sacred - like will everyone be horrified if I wear a simple dress with no train or veil? There seems to be less variation in Italian weddings than here in the U.S.

All of the resources I've found so far are directed at Americans who are traveling to Italy for a destination wedding and more or less planning an American wedding in Italy. My fiance keeps telling me we can do whatever we want, but I don't want to stray too far outside the lines. I've tried asking our Italian friends, but they have a hard time describing what's different about an Italian wedding, because it's the only thing they know. Oh- also my Italian is not great, so I'm having a hard time finding info online (there MUST be Italian bride blogs, right?).

Can anyone recommend a good book or website that would help me understand what usually goes on at a modern Italian wedding? Even more helpful would be something by an American who's been through this before. [ps. We are getting married outside of Rome, if you have advice about regional traditions.]

Why are there so few Italian-Americans on the West Coast?

jason's_planet — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:54:08 -0800

Why are there so few Italian-Americans on the West Coast? For that matter, why are they so heavily concentrated in the urban Northeast? Is this concentration the result of closer family ties? Tighter-knit communities?

I pose this question because most American ethnic groups seem to have spread out pretty widely throughout the country but from what I can see, Italian-Americans seem to be concentrated in the Northeast and Florida.

Why is this so?

Many thanks in advance.

What Italian dish makes the least mess?

malusmoriendumest — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:55:27 -0800

A question of eating etiquette. I'm meeting my boyfriend's mother tomorrow, and I'm anxious to make a good impression. The restaurant they've chosen is an Italian bistro, and though I love Italian food in general, I tend to veer towards unfortunately messy foods like spaghetti. Basically, I need a dish that's clean, simple and easy to eat. I've had various pasta dishes suggested, but any thoughts?

GOOD Italian resturants that deliver to Huntington, NY

juliewhite — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:23:26 -0800

What are some good vendors to have food (dinner) delivered to a residence in Huntington, NY? Predominantly US American / Italian themed - nothing Asian, Latin-American, etc. My Aunt is home recovering from a heart attach, and I want to make things a little easier for her and her husband.

The italian version of the name game. Only minus the rhyming.

rileyray3000 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:03:07 -0800

What does my last name mean in Italian? I was on with a customer service operator last week with a similar name to mine and hers, Chiara apparently meant "soft"

What does Chiorando mean in italian?

Where can I find English translations of European comics?

monkeyagent — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:13:54 -0800

Is there any database or online fan community focused on translating European comics? I recently spent a month backpacking across Europe and along the way I tried to pick up comics local to some of the countries I visited (when I could). I amassed a pretty good collection, with some fantastic artwork, but I was hoping to find some kind of fan-driven resource for translations (similar to the fan-translations manga that are so popular).

The French stuff I can mostly read fine on my own (though a translation would still be helpful), but the Czech, German, and Italian I have no hope of understanding. The list is below (title, author, ISBN - best as I could figure):

Brussels/France
Supreme Dimension (comic magazine - issue 12)
Skydoll - 978-2-84946-674-2 (Marvel just started releasing this, but only a few issues are out)
Le roi des bourdons - David de Thuin - 2-9600409-0-2
Chacun cherche sa case - delfine - 2-35123-129-5
Loup y est-tu? - Allan Barte - 2-35123-120-1

Berlin
Orang Comic Magazin #7 - The End of the World (Publisher: Reprodukt) - 978-3-938511-92-3
Klassenfahrt (Publisher: Reprodukt) - 3-938511-03-6

Prague
Kytice - Karel Jaromir Erben - 80-86955-25-7
Komiks Fest!revue (Magazine - issue 1)
Czekomiks - Stepan Kopriva (Publisher: Dlouhe PRSTY)

Venice
Giacomo Casanova - Dario Missaglia (picked this one up in the Venice tourism office - no other info is given)
Tex - Il Villaggio Assediato (#552)
Sprayliz - Luca Enoch (issue #2 - Publisher: macchia nera)
Vasco Comics - Basta Poco (Issue #1 - Panini Comics)

Even if I can't get any help with these (still very happy with them), any collected resource for European comic translations would be handy for future use.

Thanks!