During our most recent trip to Montepulciano, a word that came up multiple times during our wine tasting session at Cantina Crociani was grappolo, the word for a bunch of grapes, but also other things that come in groups as we’ll discover below. grappolo bunch / cluster Grappolo is a masculine noun that takes the …
If there is one thing that stops us from becoming more confident speakers of Italian, it’s that ever-looming sense of doubt in our own abilities. Doubt in Italian can be translated as dubbio, which should be easy to remember given how similar they look and sound. dubbio doubt The origin of dubbio is straightforward – …
Have you ever heard of a Tuscan pasta dish called gnudi? They’re basically ravioli with no pasta wrapper, just the delicious filling, served as it is. Naked dumplings, if you will. Which brings us—quite naturally and very deliciously—to today’s word: nudo. nudo In Italian, nudo can work both as an adjective and as a masculine …
Do you need to scrub the floor to remove that stubborn stain? Maybe you’ve realized they made you pay way too much for that coffee? Or perhaps someone grabbed the last taxi right under your nose? In Italian, we have one verb that perfectly captures the frustration (and action!) in all these situations: fregare. fregare …
As beautiful as it can be, love often brings a side of drama, jealousy, and the occasional betrayal that makes you want to throw your partner’s belongings out the window. And that leads us to today’s word: cornuto In a nutshell, cornuto in Italian means “cuckold:” it’s the betrayed one, the unfortunate soul who is …
Whilst touring Montepulciano, one of our guides recounted the story of how, in 2016, a man had entered La Chiesa di San Biagio and after broking the protective glass in front of the fresco depicting the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus, stole her crowns. Unfortunately, the thief was never apprehended, nor were the crowns ever …