Tuesday, August 01, 2006

How do you say...

"Zoo-kee-nee"

At least that's how most of us say it. And we USUALLY spell it "zucchini", unless our typing/spelling sucks.

But in swapping some veggie related emails with fun coworker Julie yesterday, Michele and I were amused to get the following response:

"Okay, you are going to be VERY sorry you went here....

Zucca is the Italian word for squash (feminine singular). Zucchina is the diminutive singular, zucchine is the plural. It's pronounced tsu-KEY-nay, but as with most Italian words (and names) adopted by English speakers things get messed up, and the e became a long e, (eee) and then changed to i, probably because someone was trying to make some "correction." So my pet peeve in my little corner of the world is the misspelling and mispronounciation of Italian words English speakers have adopted and bastardized.

I told you you'd regret it! "
Julie's great, isn't she!? Today she was giving us a lecture on Parmesian. You know - that fine dry crumbly stuff that comes in the tall green shaker can? You use it on pizza? (heh heh...I know I'll get roasted for that one!)

13 comments:

Stunned Donor said...

Maybe you put that sawdust in the green can on your food.... Oh never mind you're just baiting Peter and I.

Peter said...

Too easy, my friend, too easy....

Stunned Donor said...

By the way, your friend Julie is my new BFF. Tell hermy pronunciation is perfetto.

Jeph said...

LOL Way too easy, and he totally took it, eh Peter?

Honestly? My favorite dish? Kraft Mac n Cheese from the blue box, covered in a nice big schmear of Crisco, and then dusted in green shaker "cheese".

;-)

Jeph said...

Oh, and I'll pass that along to Julie - I know she'll be flattered!

Stunned Donor said...

My favorite dish is rescued kitten, liberally sprinkled with the stuff from the green can on a bed of zucchini bread.

Peter said...

Steven, that's freaky! I was lying in bed last night planning tonight's dinenr while I couldn't sleep, and that's exactly what I thought I'd make! Poached, of course!

Stunned Donor said...

Oh Peter, poached is the best, you can just put the kitten in a pot of cold water, put the lid on and turn on the heat and it will yowl and yowl until it boils.

I can't wait til Jeph reads THAT!

Peter said...

Poached pussy, as Mrs. Slocum might say?

Jeph said...

LOL You guys are evil!

But do you know what's even better? Kitten fried in Crisco!

Stunned Donor said...

I heart Mrs. Slocumb

Peter said...

Potatoes fried in Crisco make decent french fries. Maybe if you made a nice frosting from the Crisco that would work.

Oooooh, time for Project Runway.

Oh, and Steven, I heart the whole lot of them. I always watch the videos of it when I visit my parents.

Jeph said...

Remember, I did the Crisco frosting thing, and that didn't go over well around here! ;-)