Tag Archives: Italian proverbs
Italian Popular Sayings – A Quiz Posted by Serena on Aug 31, 2018
Here’s a fun little quiz about detti popolari (popular sayings). In Italy we have many weird and wonderful detti popolari, some of which have a similar equivalent in English, and others which need a bit of explanation in order to be understood. In the list of detti below, we’ve given their literal translation rather than…
A Blue Moon In Italy Posted by Serena on Nov 16, 2016
Last night, they told us that we’d see a very special, extra large full moon, the sort of moon that you only see una volta ogni morte di Papa (once in a blue moon). Geoff, who was out on the terrazzo gazing up a silvery disk in the limpid night sky, asked me to go…
Italian Quiz – September 2015 – Gli Animali Posted by Geoff on Sep 16, 2015
Dear Readers, we’ve been making a few changes to the e-mails that you receive from us in order to make it easier for you to comment on the articles. These changes were implemented on Monday at around the time that this quiz was originally published, and it’s possible that some of you may have missed…
Diamo i Numeri Posted by Serena on Feb 21, 2014
There are many things that we take for granted in our mother tongue, and it’s not until someone actually points them out to you that you say to yourself “hmmm, that’s interesting”. This happens a lot with me and Geoff. As Italian is Geoff’s second language he tends to spot words and expressions that I…
Dicembre Posted by Serena on Dec 2, 2011
Nome (Name): The month of dicembre (December) takes its name from the Latin word decem (ten) because it was the tenth month in the Roman calendar. Festività (Festivals): On the 8th of December we celebrate l’Immacolata Concezione (the Immaculate Conception), which commemorates the belief that the Virgin Mary was conceived free from the taint of…
Novembre Posted by Serena on Nov 2, 2011
Nome (Name): The month of novembre (November) takes its name from the Latin word novem (nine) because it was the ninth month in the Roman calendar. Festività (Festivals): On the 1st of November we celebrate Tutti i Santi (All Saints), which is a national holiday. When I was a child the 2nd of November, Tutti…
Ottobre Posted by Serena on Oct 3, 2011
Nome (Name): The month of ottobre (October) takes its name from the Latin word octo (eight) because it was the eighth month in the Roman calendar. Festività (Festivals): On the 4th of October we celebrate San Francesco d’Assisi patrono d’Italia (Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy). When I was a child the 4th…