The evolution of the straw

Posted on December 5, 2019 by babbityjean

In the beginning, straws were actually made of straw…well, actually rye grass.  Then, in the 1880s, a resident of Washington, DC, decided he didn’t like the residue that the straw left in his mint julep.  So he made his own device by wrapping strips of paper around a pencil.  He then removed the pencil and glued the paper strips together.

His paper straw invention became the standard until the 1960s when more durable plastic straws began to dominate the market.  Other American innovations came to market like the flexible straw and flavored straws that dissolved as milk passed through them creating, for example, a chocolate-flavored drink.  Then the bright idea came to develop a line of cereal straws.  The idea was to drink milk through one large, tubular Fruit Loop or Cocoa Krispie.  Reviews were unkind.

Today plastic straws are on the cutting block.   American and Italian cities are banning their use for good reason.  They don’t decompose easily, and they are a major culprit in the 8 million metric tons of plastic that end up in the ocean each year.  Even McDonald’s substituted paper straws for plastic straws, and many people are trying to find alternatives—including those made from metal, bamboo, corn, and rice–to stop the flow of plastic pollution into the environment.

Italian ingenuity has come up with a solution:  pasta.  Bars in Italy are using bucatini—straight, tubular lengths of uncooked pasta—for all types of cold drinks.  Like paper, pasta straws last about an hour before softening up, but it decomposes overnight unlike paper straws, which take 30 to 60 days.  It is tasteless in cold drinks; it is not advisable for use in hot drinks unless you want a noodle dish or a tongue burn.

And now two companies are producing pasta straws:  Stroodles based in London and The Amazing Pasta Straw based in Malibu, California.  They are vegan, but not gluten-free.

Why do we need so many straws?  Of course, we need them for people who are not independent.  And they seem useful for smoothies. In the past, kids used candy sticks with a porous center to slurp juice from real lemons.  And some kids today bite off the ends and use red vines as straws.  For adults, drinking soft drinks and coffee in the car can be considered driving while distracted.

For Italy and the rest of Europe, the European Commission has gone further than the United States.  Following the initiative on plastic bags launched in 2015, the European Union is now turning its attention to all disposable plastic products which, together, represent 70% of marine litter in the oceans, seas and beaches of Europe.  The new rules will cover the prohibition of certain plastic products, in particular those where there are easily available and economically accessible alternatives.  Single-use plastic products will be excluded from the market; for example, the ban will apply to cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, beverage mixers and balloon rods—products that must be manufactured in the future exclusively with sustainable materials.

Brava, Europe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Abitudini, California, Cucina italiana, English, Foto, Italia, Storia | 1 Comment

Espressioni inglesi che confondono gli italiani

Posted on November 28, 2019 by babbityjean

Le espressioni idiomatiche possono essere difficili per gli studenti di qualsiasi lingua; possono essere confuse e semplici da incasinare, a volte con risultati divertenti o imbarazzanti. Ecco alcune espressioni inglesi che non possono essere tradotte in italiano con lo stesso significato. Le origini sono sorprendenti anche per alcuni madrelingua inglese.

Break a leg

Quando si dice a qualcuno in inglese di rompersi una gamba, si augura buona fortuna a quella persona. L’espressione ironica viene usata principalmente a teatro. Secondo la maggior parte delle superstizioni, una semplice buona fortuna in quel contesto avrebbe l’effetto opposto. Sebbene ricca di teorie che risalgono all’antica Grecia, l’origine è incerta. Uno dei più credibili origini si riferisce alla linea che divideva il palco dal dietro le quinte, che era conosciuta come leg o leg line. Superarla (rompere) significava far parte dello spettacolo, esibirsi di fronte al pubblico e, di conseguenza, essere pagati. In Italia, l’espressione più simile è “in bocca al lupo”. (Vedete il post del 3 gennaio 2019 sulle superstizioni.)

Get the wrong end of the stick

“Prendere l’estremità sbagliata del bastone” significa fare un cattivo affare, o talvolta fraintendere un’azione o una situazione, spesso con conseguenze spiacevoli. Il detto si riferisce ai bastoni da passeggio, in particolare, l’estremità che poggia a terra, che è spesso sporca e ricoperta di fango. Secondo alcuni, l’espressione proviene da un oggetto usato in epoca romana: un bastone con un pezzo di tessuto all’estremità che un tempo veniva usato nei bagni pubblici al posto della carta igienica. Prenderlo dalla parte sbagliata non era certamente gradevole. L’espressione italiana più simile è “prendere fischi per fiaschi”.

It’s raining cats and dogs“Piovono cani e gatti” deriva dall’antica abitudine di far riposare cani e gatti sui tetti delle case durante la stagione fredda. Quando pioveva pesantemente, gli animali trovavano difficile rimanere in equilibrio o ancorati al tetto e, di conseguenza, a volte cadevano a terra spaventando chi camminavano lungo i marciapiedi o i bordi della strada. L’espressione più simile in italiano è “piove a dirotto o piove a catinelle”.

It’s not my cup of tea“Non è la mia tazza di tè” nata nel diciannovesimo secolo, questa espressione è legata alla tradizione britannica del tè alle cinque. All’inizio era in senso positivo indicare qualcosa di veramente apprezzato o adatto. Negli anni venti del ventesimo secolo, la negazione fu aggiunta per indicare che qualcosa non è per noi o non importa. L’espressione italiana più simile è “non andare a genio” come in “questa tua idea non mi va a genio”, o “questa tua idea non mi va bene o non mi sta bene”.

Get your ducks in a rowL’espressione sembra aver avuto origine negli anni ’70 nei poligoni di tiro, che le anatre venivano utilizzate come l’obiettivi per addestrare le persone sull’uso delle armi da fuoco. Avere tutte le anatre di fila significava essere pronti a sparare. L’espressione italiana più simile è “fare mente locale”, che significa eliminare tutti gli altri pensieri e concentrarsi su una situazione o argomento. Ad esempio, se sei in ritardo e non riesci a trovare il tuo portafoglio, ti concentrerai o “farai mente locale “per cercare di ricordare dove l’hai visto l’ultima volta.

Feeling under the weatherQuesto detto è quasi sempre usato per indicare un vero malessere fisico, forse l’inizio di un raffreddore o dell’influenza, o quando si è molto stanchi; in alcuni casi, può indicare un umore o un malessere generale. L’espressione potrebbe aver avuto origine sulle navi inglesi che solcavano l’oceano; quando qualcuno a bordo si ammalava, il contagio colpiva spesso tanti marinai. I diari della nave non potevano contenere tutti i cognomi e quindi erano scritti nella colonna dedicata alle condizioni meteorologiche; cioè, sono stati scritti “sotto il tempo”. L’espressione italiana più simile è “essere giù di corda”.

Knock on woodLe persone che battano le nocche su un pezzo di legno sperano di sfuggire alla sfortuna. Si potrebbe anche usare quando una persona sta già avendo buona fortuna e non vuole rischiare il destino. L’origine è legata al folklore popolare, a rituali che coinvolgevano spiriti degli alberi sacri. Quando si cercava un po ‘di fortuna o una benedizione, era necessario svegliare gli spiriti benigni all’interno degli alberi bussando sul tronco. In Italia, l’espressione è “toccare ferro”.

Posted in Abitudini, Differenze culturali, Italia, Italiano, La Lingua, Storia | Leave a comment

English expressions that confound Italians

Posted on November 28, 2019 by babbityjean

Idiomatic expressions can be difficult for students of any language; they can be confusing, confounding, and simple to mess up, sometimes with funny or embarrassing results.  Here are several English expressions that cannot be translated into Italian with the same meaning.  The origins are surprising even for some English-language speakers.

Break a leg

When you tell someone in English to break a leg, you are wishing that person good luck.  The ironic expression is used mainly in the theater.  According to most superstitions, a simple good luck in that context would have the opposite effect.  While rich in theories that date back to ancient Greece, the origin is uncertain.  One of the most credible refers to the line that divided the stage from behind the scenes, which was known as the leg or leg line.  To overcome (break) it meant to be part of the show, performing in front of the audience, and, consequently, to be paid.  In Italy, you should avoid saying “good luck” as in buona fortuna; it’s better to say in bocca al lupo “in the mouth of the wolf.”  (See the January 3, 2019 post on superstitions.)

Get the wrong end of the stick

Getting the wrong end of the stick means getting a bad deal, or sometimes misunderstanding an action or situation, often with unpleasant consequences.  The saying refers to walking sticks, in particular, the end that rests on the ground, which is often dirty and covered with mud.  According to some, the expression comes from an object used in Roman times:  a stick with a piece of fabric at the end that was once used in public baths instead of toilet paper.  Taking it from the wrong side was certainly was not pleasant.  The closest Italian expression is prendere fischi per fiaschi, “take whistles for flasks,” which means to exchange one thing for another not necessarily with dire consequences.  For example, if you are in Italy and ordered a pizza margherita and the waiter brought you instead a pizza capricciosa, you might say il cameriere ha preso fischi per fiaschi!”

It’s raining cats and dogs

This expression came from the old custom of having dogs and cats rest on the roofs of houses during the cold season.  When it rained heavily, the animals found it difficult to stay balanced or anchored to the roof and, as a result, they sometimes feel to the ground scaring those who walked along the sidewalks or roadsides.  The most similar expression in Italian is piove a dirotto or piove a catinelle, which simply suggests it’s raining “copiously” or “basins full.”

It’s not my cup of tea

Born in the nineteenth century, this expression is linked to the British tradition of five o’clock tea.  At first it was in the positive sense to indicate something really appreciated or suitable.  In the twenties in the twentieth century, the denial was added to indicate that something is not for us or does not matter.  The most similar Italian expression is non andare a genio as in questa tua idea non mi va a genio, or “this idea of yours doesn’t suit me or doesn’t sit well with me.”

Get your ducks in a row

The expression seems to have originated in the 1970s in shooting ranges, which ducks were used as targets to train people on the use of firearms.  Having all the ducks in a row meant being ready to shoot.  The most similar Italian expression is fare mente locale, which means to eliminate all other thoughts and to concentrate on a situation or topic.  For example, if you are late and can’t find your wallet, you will fare mente locale to try to remember where you last saw it.

Feeling under the weather

This saying is almost always used to indicate a real physical illness, perhaps the beginning of a cold or flu, or when you are really tired; in some cases, it can indicate a mood or general malaise.  The expression may have originated on English ships that sailed the ocean; when someone on board fell ill, the contagion often hit many sailors.  The ship diaries couldn’t accommodate all the surnames and hence were written in the column dedicated to weather conditions; that is, they were written “under the weather.”  The most similar Italian expression is essere giù di corda, literally “to be out of rope,” meaning to be worn out or down in the dumps.

Knock on wood

People who rap their knuckles on a piece of wood are hoping to stave off bad luck.  It might be spoken when a person is already experiencing some good fortune and does not want to tempt fate.  The origin is linked to popular folklore which included rituals involving spirits of sacred trees.  When looking for a bit of luck or a blessing it was necessary to wake up the benign spirits inside the trees by knocking on the trunk.  In Italy, the expression is toccare ferro, that is, “to touch iron.”

Posted in Abitudini, Differenze culturali, English, Italia, Storia | Leave a comment