Te Ne Vai Posted by Geoff on Sep 18, 2014
Ne is one of those famous tricky little words that is guaranteed to frustrate any student of Italian. A few years ago we wrote THIS BLOG on the subject, and I strongly advise anyone who is having problems with the use of ne to read it through thoroughly. Today though, I’m going to follow Mary…
Are You Paying Attention? Posted by Geoff on Sep 17, 2014
Are you paying attention, and if so, how much are you paying? Here in Italy, we don’t pay attention, we lend attention (prestiamo attenzione). This leads me onto the interesting topic of lending and borrowing. Interesting, because in Italian we use one verb for both actions: prestare. Let’s have a look at how it works…
The Story of Lucky Number Seven – Part 1: Lost and Found Posted by Serena on Sep 16, 2014
Mercoledì scorso, nel pomeriggio, ero seduta in cucina a rammendare le calze di Geoff quando ho sentito uno strano suono, una specie di squittio. Ho alzato la testa e ho visto Geoff scendere le scale con qualcosa in mano. Last Wednesday afternoon I was sitting in the kitchen mending Geoff’s socks when I heard a…
What’s in a Name? Posted by Geoff on Sep 11, 2014
I’ve always been fascinated by etymology, and in particular the origin of names. As a child, growing up in Suffolk, England, the surnames that I heard most often included Smith, Cooper, Baker, Farmer, Cook, and Butcher, all of which can be traced back to the trades that give origin to the name. Click on any…
Pier Paolo Pasolini Posted by Serena on Sep 10, 2014
Last week, at the 72nd edition of the Venice Film Festival, the American director Abel Ferrara (of Italian origin) presented his latest film: Pasolini. Interpreted by Willem Dafoe, the film portrays the final hours and tragic death in 1975 of the Italian film director, writer, poet and Marxist intellectual Pier Paolo Pasolini, whom Abel Ferrara…
I Would Have Liked … Posted by Geoff on Sep 8, 2014
A while ago I wrote an article entitled I Would Like in which I discussed how to use the conditional of the verb piacere (to please). If you feel you need to revise the use of piacere, I suggest that you read this blog. Now, if you feel fairly comfortable using ‘I like’ and ‘I…
La Peperonata Posted by Serena on Sep 4, 2014
It’s the end of summer, and the sweet capsicums are all ripening on the plants in the orto (vegetable garden): beautiful red and yellow fleshy peppers with their interesting contorted shapes. What can you do with so many peppers? you can grill or roast them, you can stuff them with breadcrumbs following this recipe, you…