Like, you know, ah, native Italian speakers, ah, weigh in with annoying grammatical errors in Italian. They're (or is it their?!) almost as bad as such Italian linguistic stumbles as "e insomma...," "cioè," and "no?". Whatever.

Who knew that the island of Sardegna, described in a New York Times article titled "Back to Nature, the Italian Way," as: "...deserted beaches of gold and azure, rocky landscapes strewn with Bronze Age stone igloos, sparkling resorts, unpretentious and friendly people with wonderfully expressive eyebrows...." would also be the etymological basis for the adjective sardonico (sardonic)? The term, meaning: "marked by scorn, mockery, and cynicism," is often cited as deriving from the Sardinian plant Ranunculus sardous. When eaten, it was believed to produce facial convulsions as if in a maniacal laughter.

Il Dizionario De Mauro Paravia offers the following definition for sardonico (sardonic): sar|dò|ni|co agg. che esprime derisione e ironia: sguardo, tono s., voce sardonica; maligno, beffardo: testo, discorso s., espressione sardonica.