Foreign Phrases Commonly Used in English   Phrases of Italian Origin    Home Page   Browse by First Letter   Browse by Language   Arabic   French   German   Greek   Italian   Japanese   Latin   Persian   Portuguese   Russian   Sanskrit   Spanish   Swahili   Yiddish  Search for Foreign Phrase Meaning All Search tips Language Phrase Meaning Italian al dente chewy, not overcooked Italian al fresco open air Italian basta enough Italian chiaroscuro light and dark Italian conoscenti connoisseurs, experts Italian cosa nostra the Mafia Italian da capo from the beginning Italian dolce vita the sweet life Italian fiasco disaster Italian graffiti images or lettering on public walls Italian lingua franca common language Italian ma non troppo but not too much Italian prima donna temperamental performer Italian sotto voce quietly