Italian Word of the Day: Picnic

Meaning: Picnic or outdoor meal

Part of Speech: noun

Translation: With the nice weather of late April, many families have a picnic in the park.

Context: Con il bel tempo di fine aprile, molte famiglie fanno un picnic al parco.

Cultural nugget: While 'picnic' is borrowed from English, Italians have transformed it into a distinctly Italian experience. A proper Italian picnic features carefully prepared dishes rather than sandwiches - frittatas, rice salads, and small focaccias - always accompanied by wine in proper glasses, even outdoors.