L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano L a n g u a g e – w i t h all its quirks and charms – is at the very foundation of what it means to be human. It helps us con- n e c t w i t h o t h e r s , o f f e r s insights into individual cul- t u r e s a n d t r a d i t i o n s , a n d shapes how we think about the world. Some expressions are so firmly embedded that we use t h e m s e a m l e s s l y w i t h o u t wondering about their origin. But if we think about it, why shouldn't we look a gift horse in the mouth? What will hap- pen if we count our chickens before they're hatched? Now, thanks to a new book by Michela Tartaglia, a linguist and the chef-owner o f P a s t a C a s a l i n g a i n Seattle's Pike Place Market, we not only have the backsto- ries of 25 commonly used a n d c u l t u r a l l y s p e c i f i c expressions in English, but their counterparts in Italian, Spanish, and French. The result is a playful and fasci- nating look at the vagaries of language and the similarities – or differences – across cul- tures. The book, An Apple A D a y : 2 5 S u r p r i s i n g l y U n i v e r s a l I d i o m s a n d Their Origins, blends lan- guage, trivia, and world cul- ture. Before the English edi- tion was released in January by Sasquatch Books, Nomos Edizioni published the Ital- ian version under the title Una Mela Al Giorno, and a few years later, German pub- lisher Dumont purchased the German rights. T a r t a g l i a , a n a t i v e o f Italy's Piedmont region, has lived in Seattle since 2006, w h e r e s h e i s r a i s i n g t w o daughters. She got the idea for the book about a decade ago. "I was having dinner w i t h s o m e A m e r i c a n friends," she said. "At some point in the conversation, I used an expression common in Italy, which I paraphrased in English as: You cannot d r i n k y o u r w i n e a n d a l s o have the barrel full. The exact Italian phrase is: Non si può a v e r e l a b o t t e p i e n a e l a moglia ubriaca. My friends just stared at me. I repeated the phrase several times, but they still were confused." After the dinner, Tartaglia w e n t h o m e a n d b e g a n t o think about what had tran- spired that evening. "I could- n't grasp why they did not understand me," she said. "But after some research, I realized that a native-Eng- l i s h s p e a k e r w o u l d h a v e said: You can't have your cake and eat it too. It's the same general idea, but the Italian version uses totally different imagery." Tartaglia started paying more attention to everyday e x p r e s s i o n s a n d p o p u l a r idioms and how they dif- fered across cultures. Soon she had collected hundreds of phrases which she sorted into categories, such as food, weather, or animals. From t h e r e , t h e i d e a o f a b o o k evolved, one that would uti- lize her skills as an Italian language teacher and lin- guist. "I also speak Spanish and a l i t t l e F r e n c h , s o I researched the same phrases in these languages, as well," she said. "My idea was to have fun with language – not just be curious about an idiom but be willing to delve deeper into the backstory of certain phrases." An Apple a Day accom- plishes these objectives in a 132-page, small-format book r i c h l y i l l u s t r a t e d b y D a n i e l e S i m o n e l l i , a R o m e - b a s e d i l l u s t r a t o r . Each idiom is compared and contrasted in the four lan- guages and paired with one of Simonelli's colorful draw- ings. Some of the expressions remain identical from one language to the next, while others show how each lan- guage offers a unique way of seeing the world. For exam- ple, when English speakers want to convey the idea of p r o c e e d i n g w i t h c a u t i o n , they might say: "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched." In Italy, the expression is: n o n d i r e g a t t o s e n o n c e l'hai nel sacco ("Don't say cat if you don't have it in the sack"). Tartaglia explains the expression likely originated on the farm where a skittish and unpredictable cat can easily evade capture if not securely trapped. Contrast that with Span- ish, where the expression is: "Don't ride the horse before saddling it." And a French speaker would use a phrase taken from an Aesop fable popular in the Middle Ages but very out of place today: "Don't sell the bear's skin before you've killed it." On the other hand, the idiom "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is the same across all four Romance lan- guages. Coincidentally, each language also uses a pair of rhyming words when com- municating this phrase – for e x a m p l e , E n g l i s h u s e s " a day' and "away" – to make it easy to remember and fun to say. S i m i l a r l y , t h e i d i o m "Good things come in small packages" remains the same i n E n g l i s h , S p a n i s h , a n d French. Only the Italians give it a wine-related spin: N e l l a b o t t e p i c c o l a c ' e ' i l vino buono ("In the small barrel there is good wine"). A n A p p l e a D a y i s Tartaglia's second project with Sasquatch Books. In 2023, she released Pasta for All Seasons, a cook- book based on some of the r e c i p e s u s e d i n h e r P i k e Place Market eatery. The 50 recipes, divided by season, combine the classic flavors of Italy with ingredients that showcase the Pacific North- west, such as nettles, fiddle- h e a d f e r n s , a n d f r e s h seafood. Tartaglia believes her new book is perfect for language lovers and learners, world t r a v e l e r s , a n d a r m c h a i r explorers. "Learning a new language is such an empow- ering act," she said. "Lan- guage not only celebrates our diversity, but also our similarities." So, the next time you are tempted to say: It's raining cats and dogs – think about it. You might find out that in Italian, it's raining catinelle or "basins," implying a large q u a n t i t y o f w a t e r b e i n g turned upside down. Which is so much better than in S p a i n , w h e r e i t ' s r a i n i n g f r o g s a n d s n a k e s . N o t a pleasant thought for those with herpetophobia, or fear of reptiles! RITA CIPALLA Michela Tartaglia, born in Turin, Italy, moved to Seattle in 2006 for a sabbatical year and decided to stay, opening a popular eatery in Pike Place Market in 2018 (Photo: Michela Tartaglia). Bottom right, the cover of "An Apple a Day" (Photo: Sasquatch Books) New book opens the window to the witty and wonderful world of language SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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