Non Mi Piace Piacci
Another food product with a pseudo-Italian name, courtesy of those brand naming experts who always find a way to mangle and distort the Italian language. This time it's Piacci cheese, which the press release claims "...comes from the Italian word 'piacere' which means pleasure."
While this may be true in the strictest etymological sense, piacere is a verb that means "to be pleasing" and, in general, requires a grammatical construction of inversion. For example, the sentence Agli italiani piace il formaggio literally means "Cheese is pleasing to Italians" (Italians like cheese). In fact, although there are conjugated forms of the (irregular) verb with the root piacci-, the Italian word "piacci" does not exist. Except in the minds of strategic cheese-naming wizards.
Comments
This may sound canned but I guess this makes you the REAL Cheese Wiz. (sorry!)
I have often said in frustration “we should start a petition Australia wide to have the misuse of the Italian language recognised as offensive as racial slurs because it is all the generations who re quietly embarrassed at having our precious culture stripped and figuratively raped. It doesn’t take much to confirm with a translator for correctness. A good start would be for all beverage handlers to be fined, together with the client for ordering a “LAA-TTEY” When I hear that, I silently wish the client would gurgitate on the drink ! (Then hopefully regurgitate)
I agreed wholeheartedly. A new book that came out on Rome a few months back, written in English but chock full of Italian phrases and words that are misspelled or just plain translated badly. There is no excuse in this day and age with the internet so readily available. A great tool for research. It’s a shame that authors care so little especially since this particular one says he’s “enamored of Italy”, but I guess not of the Italian language.
Agree with Joseph. People in cafes ordering a “law tair” sound really grating.