9 Common Italian-American Slang Terms and Their Origins

Growing up in an Italian-American home, I learned words and phrases in Italian that had been passed down for generations. These colloquialisms helped shape my personal identity in a multicultural country, as they did for so many other Italian-Americans, but they also connected me to an immigrant community that extended well beyond my family and household. 

Many members of this community, however, have forgotten the origins of the slang they use every day. Italian-Ame