According to New America Media, the "Italian word clandestino has become a term of hot debate." Used as a reference to illegal immigrants—specifically, the country's more than one million immigrants without papers—the word has negative connotations, leading "Italian media observers to ask if the word itself is not fanning flames of xenophobia."

The Italian edition of Rolling Stone has named Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi its "rock star of the year," paying tribute to his "lifestyle worthy of the greatest rock star."

An illustration of a smiling Berlusconi, who weathered a summer of scandals over his relations with an 18-year-old underwear model and allegations he slept with a prostitute after a party, emblazons the cover of the Rolling Stone's December issue, against the backdrop of the Italian flag.

Carlo Antonelli, editor of Rolling Stone Italia, said the 73-year-old media mogul had been chosen unanimously by the magazine's editorial staff.

Recently this space explained that the term GTO—as in Pontiac GTO—was an Italian acronym for the phrase "Gran Turismo Omologato." Even more fascinating, Wordsmith points out that omologato comes from the verb homologate. Etymologically, it's from Latin homologare (to agree); from Greek homologein (to agree or allow). The verb—omologare in Italian—means: "to register a specific model of a motor vehicle to make it eligible to take part in a racing competition."

According to Adnkronos International, the first 'official' copies in the Italian language of the Islamic holy book, the Koran, will be published in the Saudi Arabian city of Medina next year. "Compared to the previous translation that sold thousands of copies in Italy, the Saudi version will have fewer annotations, and the Italian translation will also contain the original Arabic equivalent," according to Hamza Piccardo, former secretary of one of Italy's largest Muslim groups, UCOII.