Was It Something I Said?

Becoming Italian Word by Word, a blog by Dianne Hales, is an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in Italian and Italians. Hales discusses the nuances of words and phrases, provides cultural insights, and talks about the history and structure of the Italian language, all in a way that is both entertaining and intelligent. As a native speaker of Italian who may not always grasp the English speaker’s mindset, my Italian teacher often finds it difficult (or impossible) to explain all those idioms, irregularities and idiosyncrasies to the satisfaction of his students. He shrugs his shoulders and says, “That’s just how we say it. It is the way it is.” Hales digs deeper and gives us a better of idea of why it is that way and what we can do with it. Take a look.