[johnny7]

“While many Italian-Americans have picked up this way of speaking from their parents and grandparents, I suspect many of them just watch way too much television.”

Hell... that's how all my moms side of the family spoke... they were mimmicking my granpa... giovanni7. “Eh... youz 'wanna sang-a-weech? Go look in 'da frig-a-daire” ;)

[veronica]

At it's worst, The Sopranos is still arguably the best drama ever produced for TV. And the reason is James Gandolfini. He doesn't act the role, he inhabits the role of Tony Soprano. No actor on earth could do a better job. The show deflated when he was silent, in the hospital bed for a few episodes last season. I had the pleasure of knowing (and working for) John Patterson, who directed many of the episodes, and to whom the final episode of this past year was dedicated, as he passed away in February. John once told me that Gandolfini was born to play that role, it was his destiny. He said it with reverence. And you have to credit the writers and casting director too. It all just comes together in a magical way.

[Jacvin]

My parents never dropped the last letter but always used a 'G" sound in place of a "C". I never knew why until I went to Sicily a few times and learned that the "C" sound is difficult for Sicilians to pronounce so they replace it with a "G' sound. My family is of Sicilian origin.

[Jhensy]

My old Grandpa's pronunciation of 'hamburger': ham-BOY-ga.

[MaDeuce]

I am happy to say I have never seen one episode of that "show".
It sounds like a Godfather wan-a-bee show.

Enough of these NY/NJ shows ... these are other parts of the US to do a show about other than those two miserable cesspit's.

[KC Burke]

and...when you say, "pasta", you better fudge the "p" to sound somewhat like a "b". Practice it by saying "bahst-a".

[tiredoflaundry]

Sauce or Gravy?

[metesky]

In Massachusetts' Merrimack Valley many people still say "sangwich". Axe anybody. And many still say "ice box".

[denydenydeny]

Nowadays in nearly all of Italy the final vowel is always pronounced, even in the south, thanks to the homogenizing influence of Italian television.

Italians are greatly amused by Americans who say "pro-shoot" and "mana-got" and think they're being authentically Italian.

The one that bothers me most is bruschetta, which is invariably pronounced "broo-shetta." I can't tell you how many times I've said "broo-sketta" (the actual Italian pronunciation) and been gently corrected.

[Eagles Talon IV]

"Go look in 'da frig-a-daire”

No, no, the correct terminology is "Go anna look ina da ice-a-box"

I claim100% "Itralian" ancestry, was born in "da Bronex" and learned the language from all the aunts and uncles.

FUHGEDDABOUDITT!!

[Rummyfan]

If you're like me and wondering why they're even bothering after last season's soap opera that was more a story about a psychotic gay murderer

The SOPRANOS has totally jumped the shark. The gay subplot was too much.

[Shooter 2.5]

The thing I like best about the Soprano's is I can't wait for all of the characters to die a horrible and painful death.

[Pharmboy]

Great. Maybe you can tell me what "cappa-coo" is (Tony opening up refrigerator and staring for a minute, then shouting "Carm...where's the cappa-coo?"

[Mannaggia l'America]

Hell... that's how all my moms side of the family spoke... they were mimmicking my granpa... giovanni7. “Eh... youz 'wanna sang-a-weech?

Same here - sangweech = sandwich, ishascrrream (roll the "r") = ice cream, buzzaleego = basil, meat-a-ball, shpahget = spaghetti, ah-beetz = pizza.

No "medigahn" (American) stuff cooked in that house...

Check out the sign:

[Question_Assumptions]

The way an Italian co-worker (from Sicily, by the way) put it was that he really couldn't understand very much of what Italian-Americans would say to him (he lived in New York City) because they spoke a 100 year-old dialect that nobody in Italy still speaks. In fact, his "Italian Accent" sounded more Eastern European than Italian to me.

[zip]

ping