Be prepared to read many Italian words

Fancy a cup o’ Joe? 10 terms any coffee lover should know

Credit: Frank Leuderalbert

There was a time when coffee was coffee, everywhere we went. Cup o’ Joe, java, wake-up juice, you name it, it was pretty much all the same beverage. And then, specialty coffee barista bars appeared and things got more complicated. Whether you walk into a Starbucks or any other coffee shop, the list can be intimidating. The following ten are some of the most common suspects. How many of these have you tried?

Credit: tabitha turner

We start our coffee list with maybe the most famous representative: the espresso. This beverage is a concentrated type of coffee made with specially roasted beans and an espresso machine.

Finely ground beans are packed into a portafilter, which is then locked into the base of the espresso machine. Very high pressure (a necessity for espresso) forces water through the packed grounds to pull one- or two-ounce shots of creamy, thick espresso. The only difference between espresso and coffee is in the beans and the brewing methods.

Credit: Lex Sirikiat

The Italian word for milk, latte is not actually a coffee drink. A latte or caffè latte is a milk coffee that boasts a silky layer of foam. A true latte will be made up of one or two shots of espresso, steamed milk, and a final, thin layer of frothed milk on top.

On the other hand, the caffe latte often has less foam than a cappuccino and is usually served in a taller cup or glass. A caffe latte is an espresso with milk. In Italy, a Caffe is an espresso. Latte is milk. Ideally served with latte art on top and not too much foam.

Credit: engin akyurt

A latte macchiato is slightly different. Macchiato means marked or stained. A latte macchiato is a milk marked with an espresso. It has the same ingredients as a caffe latte but it is made and looks different. A good latte macchiato is served in a tall glass and has distinctive layers between the foam, espresso, and milk with the foam on top, espresso below the foam, and milk at the bottom.

Credit: Jez Timms

Another famous Italian coffee name, cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink that is traditionally prepared with steamed milk including a layer of milk foam. Other versions involve the use of cream instead of milk, non-dairy milk substitutes, and flavoring with cocoa powder or cinnamon.

It is typically smaller in volume than the latte we just described and topped with a thick layer of foam rather than being made with microfoam.

The name comes from the Capuchin friars, referring to the color of their habits, and in this context, referring to the color of the beverage when milk is added in small portion to dark, brewed coffee.

Credit: kim ick

Maybe not a coffee 100% but it makes an appearance on this list because it is an extremely ubiquitous item in coffee shops. The affogato is a dessert made with two main ingredients: vanilla ice cream and espresso. Originally invented in Italy, the word "affogato" literally translates as "drowned" in English. This is fitting, as the affogato is no more than a scoop of ice cream "drowned" in espresso.

While it is mainly viewed as a dessert, some restaurants and cafés in Italy still categorize the affogato as a beverage.

Credit: Lex Sirikiat

In case anyone was wondering, yes, Americano is the Italian word for American. An Americano coffee is made by pouring hot water over one or two espresso shots, resulting in a drink of similar volume and strength to regular coffee.

The key to an Americano is that it starts with espresso and adopts the flavors and aromas of the espresso, but with a less powerful taste.

Credit: Mariano Sanchez

A close cousin of the espresso, a ristretto is an espresso shot. It uses less hot water which creates a sweeter flavor compared to the bitter taste of a traditional shot of espresso or a doppio.

Ristretto means "restricted." Ristretto is all about quality over quantity. When less hot water is forced through the finely ground coffee beans, the result is a more concentrated flavor. The coffee tastes sweeter and less bitter because of the shorter extraction time.

Credit: Mick Haupt

The first non-Italian entry in this list consists of black coffee, whiskey, and sugar, topped with whipped cream. Many drinks of hot coffee with a distilled spirit, and cream floated on top are given names derived from Irish coffee, although the names are not standardized.

Irish cream coffee can be considered a variant of Irish coffee but involves the use of Irish cream as a "pre-mixed" substitute for the whisky, cream, and sugar.

Credit: rocknwool

Think of a cappuccino without the foam or chocolate sprinkle. Basically, a flat white is an espresso drink with steamed milk. It generally has a higher proportion of espresso to milk than a caffè latte and lacks the thick layer of foam in a cappuccino. While the origin of the flat white is unclear, various café owners in Australia and New Zealand claim its invention.

Credit: Yosuke Ota

The second non-Italian name on the list, Café au lait is French for "coffee with milk". It is coffee with hot milk added. It differs from white coffee, which is coffee with cold milk or other whiteners added. In many American coffeehouses, a café au lait is a drink of strong drip brewed or French-pressed coffee, to which steamed milk is added. American café au lait is generally served in a cup, as with brewed coffee.

Can you "dig" this vocabulary?

Do you remember these "groovy" words from the 60s?

Credit: Vasilios Muselimis

The 60s were truly a magical time, weren’t they? If there’s one word that truly defined this decade, it would be the word "freedom": After all, the 60s were defined by their revolutionary new takes on music, art, and society in general. In fact, this era was so groundbreaking that it even changed the world we speak, introducing timeless terms to the English language. With that in mind, we have selected 10 terms that gained traction during the 60s. Some of them might seem outdated, while others are still relevant in this day and age: Regardless, all these words defined what it meant to live in the 60s. Enjoy!

Credit: Thomas M. Evans

We’ll start with what many consider to be the quintessential 60s word. The word "groovy" (or any of its variations like "groovey" or "groovie") is an extremely versatile term that was mostly used as a synonym for excellent. However, depending on the context, "groovy" could also be used to describe an incredibly fashionable piece of clothing, or an intricate and powerful melody.

According to music historians, this word comes from the world of jazz in the 20s, where the term "groove" was used to describe a mixture of a music’s rhythm and the response by the audience. As you would expect, many songs and albums from the 60s and 70s mention the word "groovy", including bands like Simon & Garfunkel, The Clash, and The Mamas & the Papas.

Credit: FollowersofTheShepherd

We might as well consider the words "far out" and "groovy" as synonyms: They are both used to describe something amazing, and they both come from the world of jazz. However, since "far out" can also mean something strange or unconventional, this word also conveys a certain feeling of innovation or creativity.

By the time the 1960s came around, the counterculture movements of this decade picked up this term and popularized it: An inventive beatnik poem or a piece of hippie art could be easily considered to be "far out".

Credit: Sarah Kilian

The first negative word in this article, "bummer" is used to describe something disappointing, although it is usually reserved for things that aren’t particularly serious. For instance, a canceled date, an ice-cream cone that fell to the ground, or missing closing time at a coffee shop are all great examples of a bummer.

Interestingly, this term’s first recorded appearance comes from journalist Tom Wolfe, who mentioned the term in his book about the notorious motorcycle gang, the Hell’s Angels. In due time, "bummer" became an extremely popular word, which is still being used today.

Credit: Manja Vitolic

No, we are not talking about our favorite feline friends. The term "cat" or "cats" gained prominence in the 60s and 70s as a way to refer to someone particularly cool: In fact, this is actually an abbreviation from the phrase "cool cat". This term was extremely popular during these decades and was referenced in lyrics by iconic artists like David Bowie or Pink Floyd.

"Cat" is yet another '60s term that comes from the world of jazz, where the term was used to describe a lover of jazz music, or someone who was up to date with the latest trends and styles.

Credit: Enrico Mantegazza

Keeping in line with our previous entry, an egghead is the exact opposite of a "cool cat". We realize how strange it is to call a farm product the opposite of a common pet, but bear with us, we can assure you it makes sense. The slang word "egghead" describes someone who is, in essence, boring or overly studious. In the 80s, eggheads would be called "squares", while in our current parlance, they would be called a "nerd".

We can see how in the 60s, a decade ruled by long and luscious hairstyles, being called an egghead could be considered a devastating insult: Egghead has the added image of someone who has gone bald from studying too much.

Credit: cottonbro studio

If "groovy" was the quintessential word from the 60s, then "Flower power" was the slogan that defined this decade. This phrase was everywhere: Painted in vans, walls and on protest signs all around the world. "Flower power" became the ultimate representation of non-violent and passive resistance movements that were sprouting across America in the 60s.

The phrase was first coined by American poet Allen Ginsberg: In an essay published in 1965, Ginsberg proposed that protesters should hand out flowers to policemen in order to both make a statement and also reduce the tension inherent to a protest. These sorts of flashy practices quickly became popular, leading to the emergence of the term "Flower power".

Credit: Andrey Metelev

If someone asks you if you can "dig it", they are not politely asking to grab a shovel and find a buried treasure nearby: What this confusing little phrase means is closer to saying "Do you understand what I’m saying?". However, much like with "groovy", "digging" something relates more to feeling than to knowledge: It basically asks whether you can put yourself in your partner’s shoes.

As you probably guessed by now, this phrase was extremely popular in the 1930s, before gaining a resurgence thanks to the Beatnik movement. However, some believe that it actually dates further back than the 30s: Linguists believe that the phrase comes from the Irish expression an dTuigeann Tú, which means "do you understand?" Since the word dTuigeann sounds remarkably like the verb "dig", many believe that this similarity is the origin of the slang phrase.

Credit: Kate Remmer

No, we are not saying that the 60s literally invented bread, which is undoubtedly one of the oldest types of food known to man. The bread we are referring to comes from a slang term that first originated in the 1930s and came back into prominence in the 1960s.

In case you are not familiar with this word, "bread" is slang for money. This use of bread gained traction after being featured in several '60s books, including Hunter S. Thompson’s non-fiction book "Hell’s Angels".

Credit: Jakob Owens

While nowadays this term is heavily ingrained in surfer culture, many forget that the 60s are considered to be the heyday of this aquatic sport. In that sense, the phrase "hang loose" (and its associated hand sign) describes one of the most essential aspects of surfing: Having a laid-back attitude that helps you tackle the many difficulties of this sport with a smile on your face.

As expected, the "hang loose" sign comes from the birthplace of modern surfing: Hawaii. Known as the "shaka" sign, this gesture is used by residents of Hawaii to convey friendliness and understanding.

Credit: Chang Duong

We’ll end this article by bringing back a term almost lost to time. While we have featured several words that have retained their relevance to modern times, we can’t confidently state that "ginchy" is still as fresh as it was in the late 50s and the 60s. This word, which is used to describe something excellent, was subsequently replaced by the far more popular "cool".

However, there’s much to be said about "ginchy". For one, its original meaning has an aspect that cool doesn’t really represent: "Ginchy" is also used to describe someone attractive or downright beautiful. So, if you ever need a new and unusual word to pay a compliment to a special someone, look no further and help us bring "ginchy" back in style!