One of the things I’ve noticed here in Italy is their adoption of the use of numerous English terms for various items and services. Many of these terms often leave me scratching my head in confusion as the words used aren’t anything like what we would really say.
Some are easy to figure out though like comfort, relax, leader, etc. They just use these instead of using the appropriate word in Italian.
Some however, make you think a minute or so. Take for example the word footing. Someone once asked me in Italian if I did footing – using the actual word footing. I wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but with a little conversation, figured out that it meant jogging. The person I was talking with couldn’t figure out why I didn’t understand since, according to him, it’s an English word. I’ve never heard it called footing before, maybe it’s a British term?
Well, I recently came across another one the had me pretty puzzled — “Baby Parking”.
Now really, I wonder who comes up with these things? After all, we often use the word “park” in a somewhat negative manner. For example, I’ve heard people say to their kids, “Now you just park your butt over there and behave!” Somehow, I didn’t think it was a device for getting your child to sit still, however.
So, what could “baby parking” really be?
Well, after several web searches and after posing several questions, I’ve determined that it’s a sort of day care. But, not the kind of day care where you would normally drop your kids off on a daily basis in order to go to work, etc.. Instead, these are usually found in vacation areas. In other words, you go on vacation, drop your kids off at the “baby parking” where there’s someone to take care of them, other kids, and toys to play with.
Mystery solved, but I think I’ll just keep my child with me rather than “parking” him. Thanks anyway.
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Oh that’s a good one.
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I wondered if baby parking was an American term. It certainly isn’t British (and neither is footing). Where do they get these terms from? ! Another one is “box” – as in garage. Baby park your car in a box hahah.
Glad to hear you won’t be parking your baby.
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Footing is a French use of English for jogging! I hadn’t heard Italians use it, since we have several foot races a year hear I’m surprised no one has used the term.
Parking, footing, box, that’s just the rippled surface of a sea of strange English you can find if you try! (Box comes from its British sense of stall in a stables.) I think we have to forgive this innocent mauling of the language, because of what we do to their food.
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Judith, they’ve got tons of strange “Englishisms” here that aren’t really English. They call a playpen a box too. Imagine my surprise when O said that one of the things we would have to get for the baby was a box. I was imagining all kinds of strange Italian baby customs.
Delina, Just like you were wondering about Baby Parking being American, I was wondering about footing being British. It makes you wonder where they came up with some of these terms, doesn’t it?
Sognatrice, I’m going to have to start writing these things down when I come across them because some of them are priceless. Of course, I can never remember them when I want to though.
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