Comments on: Up For A Little Italian

By: skellie

skellie — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:19:05 +0000

The second (“quasant”) is closer. Just please don’t say “crusant!” I heard a woman say she had bought one at Burger King. (This was several years ago, I think it was not a success for BK).

By: Geoffo

Geoffo — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:20:29 +0000

How do you handle this one: French cafe, “crassant” or “quasant”?

By: Papa

Papa — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:43:16 +0000

Tommyboy, right-on, but I don’t think Philly has a corner on that position. rest assured it could be Brooklyn, Hoboken, Boston or Providence. It’s the culture or lack thereof…

By: tommyboy

tommyboy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:49:16 +0000

When in Rome it’s fruit-ee day mar-ay, in Philly it’s probably friggin shrimp.

By: venessa.levin

venessa.levin — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:25:50 +0000

In Rome (and the rest of Italy), they do not drop the vowel endings. Growing up in the Philly area with lots of Italian friends, I used to think that was the proper and authentic way to pronounce most Italian food. Until I went to live in Rome for six months and realized, not so! Romans would indeed cringe, they rather like their vowels at the end unlike our Italian American friends.

By: Jgreenberg

Jgreenberg — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:05:21 +0000

Sounds like a great meal and fine experience. And just imagine the havoc you could create in your local Vietnamese restaurant.

By: Alison

Alison — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:46:46 +0000

What fun! I can totally relate to the pronunciation conundrum. Have experienced it myself many times.
Of course, we can stump our Italian friends with rugelach (schecken, right?), kneidlach, and schmaltz.

By: Arthur Steinmetz

Arthur Steinmetz — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:33:32 +0000

“Preshoot” might be Brooklynian or New Jerseyian but I’m pretty sure a Roman would cringe.