A panini

[GrannyHaddock]

Am I wrong to die a little when I hear someone ask for a panini? One panino, two or more panini. I am afraid the toothpaste is out of the tube now and we'll never get it back in again. What do Italian speakers think of this?

Yes! You’re totally right @grannyhaddock. I’ve been saying this for years and everyone ignores me (I’m not Italian, it’s just logical).

My local posh deli had 'panini's' on a blackboard.

It was so doubly wrong, I had to tell them. My children hate me, but really!

I don't know any different. I also feel a bit shit at the idea you 'die a little bit' when you hear people call it a panini. Cafes/coffee shops all over the UK market them as that so that's what I know it as.

It happens from English too, 'brownies ' is used as the singular form where i live (non English speaking)

Depends. Do you order two cappuccinos, or two cappuccini? Do you say these spaghetti or this spaghetti? In the original Italian, you're correct of course, but we're not speaking Italian.

I mean, as a pedant I feel you, but this isn't an Italian-speaking country, we don't do our singular and plural endings that way, and functionally "panini" is the singular form in English, so insisting is frankly just a bit arseholeish. Let it go.

I know your right and I silently say it to myself, but I've never in real life heard anyone say panino.

Panini is English for Panino.

I opened this thread thinking it was about football stickers.

Panini doesn’t really bother me, because as starzig says panini has become the English word for panino. I cannot stand the American pronunciation of bruschetta though, which is now becoming prevalent in the UK as well. (Brew-shetta)

I almost think that I would rather people used panino and paninos (like your cappucinos, Regan).

I think once words become incorporated into the English language then they go by English rules, so I have no problem with 'a panini'. I wouldn't say 2 paninis though. I'd use panini for both singular and plural (in the same way that 'sheep' can be singular and plural).

Similarly, I'm very happy when choirs refer to eg sopranos and altos (sometimes do hear soprani and alti, but rarely and usually with a mock Italian accent).

I'm equally happy with referendums and octopuses.

There's no problem with sopranos etc, because the word begins as a singular noun and has an English plural ending added. For me, it just doesn't work in reverse.

So when we use foreign words do we retain their pronunciation? I know (exceptionally) basic Spanish but know that they pronounce LL as Y - so gets me cross with all the people saying pie-ella and not pie-ey-ya. AIBU? Of course I am - I'm a pedant and proud!

I'm a chef and I tried in vain to get everyone in a restaurant I worked at to say "brew-sketta" but they all thought I was just an arsehole and carried on saying "brew-shetta".

I was only 3rd chef. I begged them to let me proofread the menu before printing, but they just thought I was totally up myself....

Eaten Mess, anyone?

My Italian friend always orders us two cappucini and the looks she gets are unbelievable.