(no subject)
So there I was surfing on ebay, like you do, when I found the answer to something that has irked me.
Back story: My paternal grandmother was born in Carini, Sicily in 1898 (I think that's the year). She came to America when she was a little girl, and spoke English without an accent. The only times she ever spoke to me in Italian was when it involved food. To my ears, it sounded like "Manja fagrossa" ("Eat and grow fat"--a blessing where she came from) and "Manja Statseeta" ("Shut up and eat").
I tried to find the actual phrase using on-line translators without success. My father said that it was probably a regional dialect. The on-line translators use Italian, and my grandmother was adamant that we are Sicilian, not Italian. I guess there is a difference.
I was on ebay looking for cheap knick-knacks. I have been slowly decorating the house (we've been here a year come November). For some reason, I've had the urge to feather my nest lately. The Tuscan style appeals to me, so I typed "Tuscany" into ebay's search engine. I found a sign that I may have to buy (when I save up a bit). It says "Mangia E Statti Zitti", which the page translates as "Shut up and eat".
I may have finally found out what my grandmother was saying all those years...
Back story: My paternal grandmother was born in Carini, Sicily in 1898 (I think that's the year). She came to America when she was a little girl, and spoke English without an accent. The only times she ever spoke to me in Italian was when it involved food. To my ears, it sounded like "Manja fagrossa" ("Eat and grow fat"--a blessing where she came from) and "Manja Statseeta" ("Shut up and eat").
I tried to find the actual phrase using on-line translators without success. My father said that it was probably a regional dialect. The on-line translators use Italian, and my grandmother was adamant that we are Sicilian, not Italian. I guess there is a difference.
I was on ebay looking for cheap knick-knacks. I have been slowly decorating the house (we've been here a year come November). For some reason, I've had the urge to feather my nest lately. The Tuscan style appeals to me, so I typed "Tuscany" into ebay's search engine. I found a sign that I may have to buy (when I save up a bit). It says "Mangia E Statti Zitti", which the page translates as "Shut up and eat".
I may have finally found out what my grandmother was saying all those years...