Saturday, July 14, 2007

"Caesar" Means "Hairy"

So for a story, I forgot how to spell "Tommaso." No problem, that's what the Internet is for. I found a relevant site on the first hit and I discovered some other things too:

Calvino or "Calvin" in English, means "little bald one."

"Biaggio" means to "talk with a lisp (wha?)."

Cesare or "Caear" means "hairy." All hail Hirsute!

"Cosimo/Cosmo" means "order, beauty." Because the DeMedici's were all about order...




...theirs of course.

"Elmo" means "helmet" or "protection. Think "helm, " Matt.

"Fausto" means "lucky." I had a neighbor named Fausto in Parma and the cat was as sinister as all hell. I always equated him as the wrong end of a Faustian deal and he was far from lucky. I never did figure out just how he concealed his tail and horns, either.

What do you know? "Fonsie/Fonzie" is derived from "Alphonso" and it means "noble and ready." Though, for some reason "Potsie" seems to be conspicuously absent from the Italian language. Go fig.

16 Comments:

Blogger Coaster Punchman said...

Hours of fun. Back in the days of old fashioned reference books, I couldn't open up the dictionary to look up a word without spending an extra 20 minutes browsing. Good times.

Sat Jul 14, 06:42:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Katie Schwartz said...

you are such a word muffin. I love it, wp. my favorite is calvin "litle bald one". I have a neighbor named calvin and he's as bald as the day is long. that's bald.

Sat Jul 14, 08:35:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"..All hail Hirsute..."

Boo!

Sat Jul 14, 09:44:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

Coaster,

Good times for all the wrong reasons for me. I was one of those kids that wound up nice and distracted, looking up everything but what I was supposed to originally look up.

Katie-lah,

"I have a neighbor named calvin and he's as bald as the day is long. that's bald."

Hilar!...





...only for the next year, then people will be laughing at me.

Sterculian,

Oh, "boo" yerself!

Sat Jul 14, 02:19:00 PM PDT  
Blogger BeckEye said...

That Helmet on "Sesame Street" is such a cutie.

Sat Jul 14, 06:40:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

Becka,

Exactly...and I believe that as a helmet, he has taken one blow too many. It certainly explains why his television dances.

Sat Jul 14, 10:42:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Dale said...

Just think of all the people wearing Calvins. Bald indeed.

Sun Jul 15, 07:30:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

Dale,

Il tuo nome sarrebe "Valle" en Italiano, come "Frankie Valli and the four seasons."

Sun Jul 15, 12:58:00 PM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Matt Helm!
Shite I missed that one on the first read through.
Dean Martin was a better secret agent than Sean was. But not as good as what's his face, the original "Alfie".

Sun Jul 15, 02:25:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Cup said...

I just saw yet another naughty photo of that perv Elmo. "Helmet" seems so fitting ...

Sun Jul 15, 06:51:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

Sterculian,

"Matt Helm! Shite I missed that one on the first read through."

You wouldn't be the first. There are nuggets to be had on this blog, including free swag that no one has found yet...

"Dean Martin was a better secret agent than Sean was."

I'm partial to Sean, but Dean did a pretty good job of carrying a film with lesser women (nonetheless, still very attractive), gadgets and special effects. No one did sets and miniatures like the boys at Pinewood.

"But not as good as what's his face, the original "Alfie"."

And speaking of "no one doing it better," no one could do cold-blooded like Michael Caine. He was the most realistic of the three in terms of spy movies, though obviously Dean was doing it straight up for kicks.

Beth,

"I just saw yet another naughty photo of that perv Elmo. "Helmet" seems so fitting ..."

Why Miss Coffey, I do believe you made me blush again!

Sun Jul 15, 08:21:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Cup said...

I live to make cuties like you blush. I'm done here.

Mon Jul 16, 07:26:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since no one else has said I guess I am going to have to:

Tickle me Elmo!

There I said it.

New post now, innit?

Mon Jul 16, 10:20:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

Beth,

You do your job well.

Sterculian,

You are the Sherlock Holmes of blogging.

Mon Jul 16, 07:34:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Cup said...

Tickle me, Helmet? Sounds like a line from "Hogan's Heroes."

Mon Jul 16, 09:17:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

Beth,

"Sounds like a line from "Hogan's Heroes."

Ghost of Werner Klemperer: Coffey!

Tue Jul 17, 06:52:00 AM PDT  

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