Italian-Americans are different than regular Americans in a lot of ways! We pretty much have our own language…
1. Pasta
What it usually means: A noodle dish, usually topped with sauce.
What it means to Italian-Americans: Something you eat just about every day of your life.
2. Tupperware
What it usually means: A storage container for foods and condiments.
What it means to Italian-Americans: That thing your family brings with them to all family functions to store leftovers in.
3. Wooden Spoon
What it usually means: A tool used for cooking.
What it means to Italian-Americans: A tool used for cooking… or for chasing misbehaving children around the house.
4. Sandwich
What it usually means: What your parents packed in your lunchbox, usually filled with ham, bologna, or turkey with cheese.
What it means to Italian-Americans: What your parents packed in your lunchbox, usually filled with mortadella, prosciutto, or capicola, with mozzarella.
5. Gravy
What it usually means: A brownish sauce made from the juices of cooked meat.
What it means to Italian-Americans: Another name for marinara sauce, much to the confusion of all your non-Italian-American friends.
6. Mother
What it usually means: A female parent.
What it means to Italian-Americans: That woman who calls you at least once a day to ask if you’ve eaten.
7. Tony
What it usually means: A boy’s name.
What it means to Italian-Americans: The name of all your uncles and male cousins.
8. Sunday
What it usually means: The day before Monday, usually meant for relaxing.
What it means to Italian-Americans: A day on which all your plans got canceled for an all-out feast with the famiglia.
9. Espresso
What it usually means: A strong, concentrated coffee.
What it means to Italian-Americans: Coffee made by your nonna with effects comparable to crystal meth.
10. Plastic
What it usually means: A material used for making many common objects.
What it means to Italian-Americans: That thing that prevented you from ever knowing what the soft touch of a couch felt like as a child.
11. Moving Out
What it usually means: The thing you do when you graduate college and/or have a job that allows you to be financially independent.
What it means to Italian-Americans: That thing you never do.
12. Conversation
What it usually means: Words spoken between two or more people.
What it means to Italian-Americans: Yelling combined with hand gestures.
13. Grandmother
What it usually means: The mother of one of your parents.
What it means to Italian-Americans: Your nonna, the person who is responsible for your gaining at least 5 pounds every time you visit her.
14. Food
What it usually means: The stuff you consume regularly in order to live and function properly.
What it means to Italian-Americans: The stuff your nonna forces to you eat until the plate is clean — or else you’ll get yelled at or be asked, “You didn’t like it?”
15. Marriage
What it usually means: When two people in a loving relationship are wed.
What it means to Italian-Americans: The thing your older relatives believe should be your main goal in life and press you about every time they see you.
16. Christmas
What it usually means: A celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
What it means to Italian-Americans: An excuse to eat 15lbs of food (especially seafood, on Christmas Eve).
17. The Mob
What it usually means: A secret organized group of criminals.
What it means to Italian-Americans: The thing that one uncle who only makes appearances at weddings and funerals might be involved with.
18. Indoor Voice
What it usually means: A softer way of speaking when you’re somewhere quiet/don’t want to disturb people.
What it means to Italian-Americans: Sorry, this word does not exist in Italian-American vocab.
Sources
- Adapted from Buzzfeed
