Sent on by an Italian BFF in New Haven, CT--so reminiscent of Oneonta--
On Wed, Apr 29, 2020 at 3:40 PM
If someone in your family grows beyond 5' 9", it is presumed his Mother had an affair.
There were more than 28 people in your bridal party.You netted more than $50,000 on your first communion
.And you REALLY, REALLY know you're Italian when . . . .Your grandfather had a fig tree.Y ou eat Sunday dinner at 2:00 . Christmas Eve . . . only fish. Your mom's meatballs are the best. You've been hit with a wooden spoon or had a shoe thrown at you. Clear plastic covers on all the furniture. You know how to pronounce "manicotti" and "mozzarella." You fight over whether it's called "sauce" or "gravy." You've called someone a "mamaluke."And you understand "bada bing". This is why I love the Italian culture... they are very natural and earthy…
Please enjoy this truth about Italians. Enjoy!Italians have a $40,000 kitchen, use the $259 stove from Sears in the basement to cook. There is some sort of religious statue in the hallway, living room, bedroom, front porch and backyard. The living room is filled with old wedding favors with poofy net bows and stale almonds (they are too pretty to open). A portrait of the Pope and Frank Sinatra hang in the dining room. God, forbid if anyone EVER attempted to eat 'Chef Boy-ar-dee', 'Franco American', 'Ragu', 'Prego', or anything else labeled as Italian in a jar or can. Meatballs are made with pork, veal and beef. Italians do not care about cholesterol. Turkey is served on Thanksgiving AFTER the manicotti, gnocchi, lasagna, and minestrone or shcarole soup. If anyone EVER says ESCAROLE, slap 'em in the face -- it's SHCAROLE. Sunday dinner was at 2:00PM sharp. The meal went like this... The table was set with everyday dishes. It doesn't matter if they don't match. They're clean; what more do you want? All the utensils go on the right side of the plate and the napkin goes on the left. A clean kitchen towel was put at Nonna's & Papa's plates because they won't use napkins.Homemade wine and bottles of 7-UP are on the table. First course, Antipasto... Change plates. Second course, macaroni.All pasta was called macaroni...Change plates. Third course, roast beef, potatoes and vegetables... Change plates. THEN, and only then - NEVER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEAL - would you eat the salad drenched in homemade oil & vinegar dressing... Change plates. Next course, fruit & nuts - in the shell - on paper plates because you ran out of the real ones. Last was coffee with anisette espresso for Nonna, 'American' coffee for the rest - with hard cookies (biscotti) to dunk in the coffee. The kids would go out to play.The men would go lay down. They slept so soundly you could do brain surgery on them without anesthesia. The women cleaned the kitchen.We got screamed at by Mom or Nonna, and half of the sentences were English, the other half Italian. Italian mothers never threw a baseball in their life, but could nail you in the head with a shoe thrown from the kitchen while you were in the living room
.Other things particular to Italians...The prom dress Zia Ceserina made you cost only $20.00, which was for the material. The prom hairdo was done free by Cousin Angela. Turning around at the prom to see your entire family, including your Godparents, standing in the back of the gym...PRICELESS! True Italians will love this.Those of you who are married to Italians will understand this. And those who wish they were Italian, and those who are friends with Italians, will remember with a smile. Then they'll forward this to their Italian friends with love or a reasonable facsimile.
On Wed, Apr 29, 2020 at 3:40 PM
Hi SheilaReceived this from my brother and sister-in-law (who is Italian through and through). Thought you would enjoy!Love, Maria Graham
Do you know why most men from Italy are named Tony? On the boat over to America they put a sticker on them that said (To New York ) TO NY (this is a true fact)You know you're Italian when . . . You can bench press 325 pounds, shave twice a day and still cry when your mother yells at you. You carry your lunch in a produce bag because you can't fit two cappicola sandwiches, 4 oranges, 2 bananas and pizzelles into a regular lunch bag. Your mechanic, plumber, electrician, accountant, travel agent and lawyer are all your cousins.You have at least 5 cousins living in the same town or on the same block. All five of those cousins are named after your grandfather or grandmother.You are on a first name basis with at least 8 banquet hall owners.You only get one good shave from a disposable razor. Your wife can get at least 10. poofy prom dresses
If someone in your family grows beyond 5' 9", it is presumed his Mother had an affair.
There were more than 28 people in your bridal party.You netted more than $50,000 on your first communion
.And you REALLY, REALLY know you're Italian when . . . .Your grandfather had a fig tree.Y ou eat Sunday dinner at 2:00 . Christmas Eve . . . only fish. Your mom's meatballs are the best. You've been hit with a wooden spoon or had a shoe thrown at you. Clear plastic covers on all the furniture. You know how to pronounce "manicotti" and "mozzarella." You fight over whether it's called "sauce" or "gravy." You've called someone a "mamaluke."And you understand "bada bing". This is why I love the Italian culture... they are very natural and earthy…
Please enjoy this truth about Italians. Enjoy!Italians have a $40,000 kitchen, use the $259 stove from Sears in the basement to cook. There is some sort of religious statue in the hallway, living room, bedroom, front porch and backyard. The living room is filled with old wedding favors with poofy net bows and stale almonds (they are too pretty to open). A portrait of the Pope and Frank Sinatra hang in the dining room. God, forbid if anyone EVER attempted to eat 'Chef Boy-ar-dee', 'Franco American', 'Ragu', 'Prego', or anything else labeled as Italian in a jar or can. Meatballs are made with pork, veal and beef. Italians do not care about cholesterol. Turkey is served on Thanksgiving AFTER the manicotti, gnocchi, lasagna, and minestrone or shcarole soup. If anyone EVER says ESCAROLE, slap 'em in the face -- it's SHCAROLE. Sunday dinner was at 2:00PM sharp. The meal went like this... The table was set with everyday dishes. It doesn't matter if they don't match. They're clean; what more do you want? All the utensils go on the right side of the plate and the napkin goes on the left. A clean kitchen towel was put at Nonna's & Papa's plates because they won't use napkins.Homemade wine and bottles of 7-UP are on the table. First course, Antipasto... Change plates. Second course, macaroni.All pasta was called macaroni...Change plates. Third course, roast beef, potatoes and vegetables... Change plates. THEN, and only then - NEVER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEAL - would you eat the salad drenched in homemade oil & vinegar dressing... Change plates. Next course, fruit & nuts - in the shell - on paper plates because you ran out of the real ones. Last was coffee with anisette espresso for Nonna, 'American' coffee for the rest - with hard cookies (biscotti) to dunk in the coffee. The kids would go out to play.The men would go lay down. They slept so soundly you could do brain surgery on them without anesthesia. The women cleaned the kitchen.We got screamed at by Mom or Nonna, and half of the sentences were English, the other half Italian. Italian mothers never threw a baseball in their life, but could nail you in the head with a shoe thrown from the kitchen while you were in the living room
.Other things particular to Italians...The prom dress Zia Ceserina made you cost only $20.00, which was for the material. The prom hairdo was done free by Cousin Angela. Turning around at the prom to see your entire family, including your Godparents, standing in the back of the gym...PRICELESS! True Italians will love this.Those of you who are married to Italians will understand this. And those who wish they were Italian, and those who are friends with Italians, will remember with a smile. Then they'll forward this to their Italian friends with love or a reasonable facsimile.