La Senza

[bookwormmum]

There may be a clue in the name in that this is probably a French shop hence the spelling used but this set my teeth on edge. I purchased a bra-knickers set in said shop from the 'Elegence' range.

Is it me or should that have read 'Elegance?

[WanderingTrolley]

Either way, don't get your knickers in a twist about it.

Ooh look, I'm punning, it must be time for bed...

[bookwormmum]

I won't be twisting them - they're flutey enough as it is .

[Ellbell]

The name of this shop annoys me. In Italian (which I assume it's meant to be) it means 'The Without'. WTF is that all about?

Mind you, the M&S 'Per Una' range is just as bad. That means 'For a...' (a what?).

Hope your pants are nice and elegent (???) anyway.

[bookwormmum]

Yes, they're lovely thanks .

I forgot it might be Italian.

[Ellbell]

Doesn't matter, though, it's still wrong. And Italian doesn't offer a get out, as 'elegant' = elegante, with an a!

[bookwormmum]

I might write to their head office and point this out . In an elegant way of course.

[Ellbell]

Ooh, go for it.

Talking of crimes against the Italian language, I did write to complain about the spelling of 'La Dolche [sic] Vita', when they opened a cafe on our campus. It just looks so wrong. They replied saying that it was 'a marketing strategy' or some such bollocks nonsense.

I rebel, pointlessly, by referring to it as 'La dol-kay vita' (which is how 'dolche' would be pronounced in Italian). I wouldn't mind so much if it was some obscure word, but most people have heard of 'la dolce vita', surely?

[jojosmaman]

The company I work for supplies La Senza, I could have a quiet word with them if you want, next time I am there?!!

[francagoestohollywood]

Ellbell

[francagoestohollywood]

(mind you the Italians are responsible for crimes against the English language as well... )

[Ellbell]

True, franca... it took me a long time to put 2 and 2 together and realise why there was a shamrock rather than an iris on the 'Iris Pub' that I used to walk past in Florence. I thought that the person who owned the pub knew that an iris was a flower but just didn't know what sort. [dense emoticon]

[francagoestohollywood]

do you know why Italians call tea "te" and write sala da the???

[Ellbell]

Good question, franca. I assumed 'the' was a francesismo; but why?

[branflake81]

I always thought "per una" meant "for one", as in the female one (as opposed to "uno") but perhaps I think too deeply about these things.

[Ellbell]

Yes, it does, branflake .. but one feminine what?

(I don't think it means 'one' in the sense of the impersonal subject pronoun: (a) because Italian doesn't really use 'uno' much in that sense - though it is possible -; it uses the impersonal 'si' instead, and (b) because 'uno' in that sense is, precisely, impersonal, and therefore ungendered.)