Daily Italian

The dangers of asking for a latte or a panini in Italy

Although French and Spanish are undoubtedly the Romance languages that have influenced English vocabulary the most, Italian is not absent from our dictionary. Be it because of Italian immigration —especially in American English— or as a remnant of a time when Italian was the language of culture and knowledge, Italian words are present in our everyday speech, though not always with their original meaning. Let’s explore 10 words we inherited from Italian.

Is there anything more American than a pepperoni pizza? Most people would agree that pepperoni is an American staple, and asking for it anywhere in the U.S. would result in a spicy sausage. Not for Italians, though. American ‘pepperoni’ is a corrupted form of the Italian word peperoni, the plural for ‘bell peppers’. The shift in meaning from bell pepper to spicy sausage came from the use of paprika (made from peppers) in spicy sausage, and the double ‘p’ was influenced by the word ‘pepper’.

As many English-speaking tourists know from personal experience, asking for a ‘latte’ in Italy will get you a glass of milk. After all, latte is Italian for ‘milk’. Why do we use it for a drink of espresso and steamed milk, then? This coffee-based drink is of Italian origin, and it’s called caffè e latte or caffelatte (‘coffee and milk’). In America, it was eventually shortened to ‘latte’, but the original name is still used in Italy, which leads to many confused tourists.

The difference is quite small here: asking for a ‘panini’ in English will get you a toasted sandwich, and asking for a panini in Italian will result in more than one sandwich. In Italian, panini is the plural of panino (‘little bread’). While Italians use panino for a small bread roll, it is also a common word for a ciabatta, panino or focaccia sandwich, often filled with cold cuts, vegetables, and cheese.

From the Latin diva (‘goddess’), this Italian word became popular in the 19th century to refer to highly celebrated female singers, particularly in opera. English adopted this use and continues to call female stars ‘divas’, but the word has also gained a negative connotation thanks to the popular association of some female entertainers with entitlement and arrogance.

In Italian, vendetta means ‘vengeance’ or ‘vindication’, while in English it’s used for a long, bitter feud. Despite the difference in meaning, the English meaning of ‘vendetta’ was also coined by Italians. In the 19th century, vendetta became a common name for the bloody family feuds in Southern Italy, a meaning that entered English through Italian immigration. Although the word is many times associated with organized crime, it is also common to describe any personal or political rivalry.

If you go back to English class in high school, you might remember ‘stanzas’ as groups of verses in a poem. In Italian, stanza is derived from the Latin stantia (‘’standing or stopping place’), which resulted in the Italian word meaning ‘a place where one stays’, ergo, a ‘room’. How did it shift from ‘room’ to ‘group of verses’? While a room is a place where one stops, a poem also stops momentarily after a group of verses, and stanza is used in the literary sense in Italian as well. While the domestic meaning never made its way into English, the literary term did.

Being stabbed by a stiletto is painful in both English and Italian, but the situation described is not necessarily the same. In Italian, stiletto is the diminutive form of stilo (‘dagger’), used in the 1500s for a needle-like, narrow dagger. The name carried to the iconic shoes in the 1950s, when Salvatore Ferragamo started using steel rods to stabilize thin heels. Although English had adopted ‘stiletto’ in the 17th century in relation to the weapon, it is now mainly used in its fashion sense.

Scenario comes from the Latin scena (‘stage’ or ‘scene’), and was originally used in Italian to describe the written plot or outline of theater plays, that is, the things that happened on a stage or scene. English adopted the term with this theatrical meaning, but eventually it also came to be used for hypothetical future outcomes. In Italian, the word kept its meaning as ‘stage’ and as ‘plot outline’, but is also used with the meanings of ‘context’ and ‘landscape’.

From the Latin extravagans (‘wandering outside’), the Italian estravaganza evolved to mean ‘an oddity’ or ‘unusual behavior’. While the word was borrowed by English with this meaning in the 18th century, its spelling quickly changed into ‘extravaganza’ by association with other similar-sounding words. Used in association with theater plays, its meaning eventually shifted from ‘odd behavior’ to ‘lavish and spectacular show’.

We all know the term ‘influenza’ as the name for a respiratory virus, commonly shortened to ‘flu’. In Italian, influenza means ‘influence’, and is derived from the Latin influentia, ‘something that flows in’. Related to cosmic forces flowing from above, influenza was used in astrology to describe the pull of stars and planets, which is why, after blaming a 16th-century epidemic on a bad star alignment, the term became associated with a quick-spreading disease.

Hospital secrets

What is a "Code Gray" and what you should know if you hear it at the E.R.

A trip to the emergency room can be stressful enough without hearing doctors and nurses speak a language that sounds like a secret code. One minute, someone is asking for medication "STAT," the next there’s a "Code Gray," and another patient is suddenly "NPO." What do those words really mean? Some are official medical terms, others are insider slang, but they all help hospital staff communicate quickly when every second counts. Here are 10 of those codes explained.

The E.R. can be hectic and unpredictable. Most patients are frightened or uncomfortable, but now and then someone becomes aggressive because of pain, confusion, mental illness, or the effects of alcohol or other substances. That’s when you can hear "Code Gray" announced over the speakers.

The code is used to summon security officers to help manage a violent or combative situation. While color codes vary from one hospital to another, Code Gray commonly signals that staff needs extra assistance to protect patients, visitors, and healthcare workers. Even if you know it now, most people in the waiting room never know what happened, and that’s exactly the point.

You have a scheduled surgery, you’re in your bed waiting to be taken to the surgery room, and you ask for a cup of coffee to make the wait lighter. The nurse will probably tell you you’re an NPO. You may think it’s serious, but it’s simply a procedure.

"NPO" is an abbreviation that comes from the Latin phrase Nil Per Os, which means "nothing by mouth." It tells patients they cannot eat, drink, or sometimes even take medication until doctors say it’s safe. The rule is most common before surgery or certain medical tests, when food or liquids could increase the risk of complications or alter the results. It may be frustrating, but it’s an important part of keeping patients safe.

You’ve probably been through the experience of visiting an emergency room, either to get checked or to visit a loved one. In that part of the hospital where everyone is rushing to save lives, you’ve probably heard a doctor asking for the R.C.P. cart or medication "STAT!" It sounds urgent, and that's because it is.

The expression comes from the Latin statim, which means "immediately" or "without delay." Hospitals have used Latin medical terms for centuries, but STAT is one of the few that remains part of everyday conversation. When a doctor says it, the request jumps to the top of the priority list. It doesn’t always refer to a life-or-death situation, but it does mean the medical team needs something done as quickly as possible.

Newborns are always a reason to celebrate at the hospital. Parents usually rest happily next to their child as they receive congratulations from close relatives. However, the hospital is always prepared to handle extremely rare emergencies under "code pink."

If you hear a "Code Pink," it usually means a baby or young child is suspected of being abducted from the hospital. Within seconds, security officers respond, exits may be monitored or blocked, and staff begins following carefully rehearsed procedures. Although different hospitals sometimes use different color codes, Code Pink has become widely recognized across North America as one of the most serious alerts a hospital can issue.

If you’ve ever spent a few days in the hospital, you’ve probably noticed that some patients are walking up and down the halls, while others need help just getting out of bed. When a nurse refers to someone as a "walkie-talkie," it’s actually good news.

This informal expression refers to patients who can walk on their own, use the bathroom without assistance, and handle most basic tasks independently. It’s not an official medical term, of course, but it’s commonly used among healthcare workers because it quickly tells the next shift that the patient requires less hands-on care than many others.

As nurses change shifts, you’ll often hear them give a quick report about each patient. One person may only need medication, while another is described as a "total."

The term is short for a patient who requires total care. They may need help eating, bathing, getting dressed, turning in bed, or moving from one place to another. Although the expression sounds impersonal, it’s simply a practical way for caregivers to communicate how much assistance someone needs.

Most people hear "frequent flyer" and think of an airline reward program. And that’s correct, but in an emergency room, the phrase has a very different meaning.

A frequent flyer is an informal nickname for patients who repeatedly return to the hospital, often due to chronic illness, recurring medical conditions, or other ongoing health issues. Behind the light-hearted nickname is often a difficult reality. Many of these patients are simply dealing with medical problems that require regular emergency care, and the expression is just a way to make the experience a bit lighter among the familiar faces of doctors and nurses.

Not all codes are for patients. The next time you’re in a hospital, look closely at what the nurse is pushing from room to room. It may look like a small rolling desk with a computer on top. Staff often call it a "WOW," short for "workstation on wheels."

As hospitals switched from paper charts to electronic medical records, these mobile computers became essential. Nurses use them to review test results, scan medications, update patient charts, and check doctors’ orders without leaving the bedside. The name sounds funny, but the technology helps caregivers spend more time with patients instead of walking back and forth to a nursing station.

After getting a shot or having blood drawn, most patients never think about where the used needle ends up. It certainly doesn't go into an ordinary trash can.

Hospitals place needles, scalpels, and other sharp medical instruments into special containers designed to prevent accidental injuries. These sturdy, puncture-resistant boxes are sealed when full and safely disposed of in accordance with strict health regulations. This not only protects nurses, but it also protects cleaning crews, waste handlers, and even the public from dangerous needle sticks. It’s one of the most important safety measures in every hospital, even though most patients never notice it.

If you’ve ever watched a medical drama, you've probably seen a patient become so agitated that several staff members rush into the room. In situations like that, a doctor or nurse may ask for a "B-52." But the name has nothing to do with numbers themselves; it actually comes from a medicine.

B-52 is hospital slang for a fast-acting injection used to calm down patients who are severely combative or at risk of harming themselves or others. The nickname comes from a commonly used combination of medications that usually include diphenhydramine, haloperidol, and lorazepam. It’s strictly reserved for when other methods of calming the patient haven’t worked.