tostini?

[Yellow Fang]

I was in Caffe Nero this morning where I noticed these being promoted. Is this actually an Italian word? I've been wondering recently about pseudo Italian and French terminology going around in the cafe trade. I was on site at an Italian television station once, where I asked for a latte at the coffee bar. They looked at me blankly and asked if I wanted some hot milk. I am sure customers mispronounce latte usually. I used to study Italian at night school, and I am sure there is no 'ah' sound in the language. I once saw a promotion in the railway buffets that went, 'Paninis, it just sounds better in French'. I felt like pointing out that actually...

BTW, does anyone know how reproduce foreign letters on these posts?

 

[Noodley]

what are tostini? small slices of toast?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

You can install a different keyboard via Control Panel>Region and Settings (in Win7, I think they used to be under Keyboard in earlier versions). I have the ÜSÀ Intérnàtiönal keyboard installed as my default - it has the same QWERTY layout and I only have to tab back to the UK keyboard to get the pound sign.

 

[Yellow Fang]

what are tostini? small slices of toast?

I think they are toasted sandwiches.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

In italian the ending "ini" stands for something small and plural (masculine gender)
To-(a)-st is not an italian word ....
They looked at you blank when you asked for "latte" because that means "milk". If you say "caffe' latte" they will know what you mean, because of all the usa sitcoms nobody in Italy would dream to order a "latte", it's a hot drink for bambini ... and tourists
I am happy to be of some use in this forum

 

[Yellow Fang]

I suspect tostini is an Anglo-Italian portmanteau.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I suspect tostini is an Anglo-Italian portmanteau.

Si' well investigated, Sherlock!
I thought portmanteau was a french overcoat/mantle

 

[Ajay]

In italian the ending "ini" stands for something small and plural (masculine gender)
To-(a)-st is not an italian word ....
They looked at you blank when you asked for "latte" because that means "milk". If you say "caffe' latte" they will know what you mean, because of all the usa sitcoms nobody in Italy would dream to order a "latte", it's a hot drink for bambini ... and tourists
I am happy to be of some use in this forum

Absolutely, no self respecting Italian would have milk in their coffee after 11am (if at all)

 

[Yellow Fang]

I went into Caffe Nero again this morning, intending to ask the staff whether tostini was actually a real word. Then I noticed it wasn't tostini; it was tostati. So that's the premise of this thread dead. I am surprised none of you spotted it, to be honest.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I went into Caffe Nero again this morning, intending to ask the staff whether tostini was actually a real word. Then I noticed it wasn't tostini; it was tostati. So that's the premise of this thread dead. I am surprised none of you spotted it, to be honest.

You are still right about you portmanteau. I looked it up in my italian dictionary, because after all these years in the uk sometimes I forget it says the word "tosto" is an adaption of the english word "toast" - so "tostati" would be accepted in modern italian as "toasted" masculine plural. In that case we could even accept "tostini" as little toasties Language in motion!
When I was a wee girl, "tosto" was used to describe somebody stubborn, head like a brick wall
Now ...... panini (with 1 n only!) originally means " cold filled roll, sandwich": the italian/americans have a lot to answer for!

 

[colly]

Tostini. Never heard of it.

I thought it was a thread about some form of 'manual relief' given in Italy

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I thought it was panino singular, panini plural? Is that wrong?

Si', si', un panino, due panini

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Tostini. Never heard of it.

I thought it was a thread about some form of 'manual relief' given in Italy

No, no, that's "pompino/i", not manual, though ...

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Can we have the "Is it 'brushetta' or 'brusketta'?" argument now? Then we could look at tagliatelle and Campagnolo

Bruschetta - there is no sh or sk in italian.
What about tagliatelle?
Campagnolo (alla campagnola meaning "village style") is a make of bycicles?
.... Really should get on with my online health and safety training ....

 

[rich p]

Sorry, I was still on the pronunciation hobbyhorse - tagggliatelle and Campagggnolo always grate on my ears!

It's brusketta (phonetically Pat!)