A Tavola! Trivia Quiz

Answer: tovaglia

"Tovaglia" means "tablecloth", and "tovaglioli" is the world for "napkins". Tablecloths are commonly used in Italy, both in restaurants and at home, especially in more formal settings. "Abito" (dress or suit), "stivale" (boot) and "sciarpa" (scarf) are all items of clothing or footwear.

Answer: piatto

"Piatto" means "plate", and is obviously a cognate of the English word. Dessert plates and saucers are called "piattini". "Scodella" refers to the indented plate (not as deep as a bowl) in which pasta, rice and soups are generally served. "Vaso" (vase), "lume" (lamp) and "quadro" (framed picture) are all objects you would use to decorate a room.

Answer: coltello

"Coltello" means "knife", while "forchetta" is "fork", and "cucchiaio" is "spoon". If these items come in smaller sizes (such as dessert forks or butter knives), you would use the diminutive forms, such as "coltellino", "cucchiaino" and "forchettina". "Armadio" (wardrobe), "cassetto" (drawer) and "tappeto" are all furnishings you might find in a bedroom.

Answer: bicchiere

"Bicchiere" means "drinking glass", though the Italian word refers to the shape and purpose (no handle, and used for drinking cold liquids) rather than the material, as English and French do. For instance, a paper or plastic cup would be "bicchiere di carta" or "bicchiere di plastica". "Giornale" (newspaper), "libro" (book) and "rivista" (magazine) are all things you can read.

Answer: acqua

This shouldn't be too difficult, as the word "acqua" (water) has many cognates in English, such as the adjective "aquatic". Italians drink a lot of mineral water, which in most cases comes from natural springs. You can expect to see bottles of mineral water at the table - both "liscia" (still) and "gassata" (sparkling). "Erba" (grass), "fiore" (flower) and "foglia" (leaf) all belong to the plant kingdom.

Answer: aceto

If you know that vinegar is diluted acetic acid, then figuring out what "aceto" means should not be too hard. Red wine vinegar (aceto di vino rosso) is the one generally used to dress salad, while the white one (aceto di vino bianco) is rather used for pickling.

The other liquid, thick, and greenish-yellow in colour, is "olio" - obviously extra-virgin olive oil. No self-respecting Italian would put anything else on salad! "Aglio" (garlic), "basilico" (basil) and "rosmarino" are essential seasonings if you want to cook real Italian food; however, you do not generally put them on salad.

Answer: pepe

Another word that is very similar to its English counterpart, "pepe" means "pepper"; the other shaker will contain "sale" (salt). If you like things even spicier, you might ask for some "peperoncino" (chili pepper), which is mostly used in the cuisines of central and southern Italy. All the other items are not edible at all, though you might find them in your tool box: "vite" means "screw", "chiave" is "key" and "bullone" is "bolt" (as in "nuts and bolts").

Answer: panino

"Panino" (diminutive of "pane", bread) is another word that should be familiar to most English speakers. It can mean either "dinner roll" or "sandwich"; what is known as "panini" (which is the plural form) in English-speaking countries is called "toast" in Italy. "Pollo" (chicken), "agnello" (lamb) and "tacchino" (turkey) are all kinds of meat, as well as the corresponding animals.

Answer: budino

"Budino" is the Italian word for "pudding" - meaning a creamy dessert you generally eat with a spoon. The very popular "panna cotta" is a kind of budino, as is "crème caramel" (also known as flan). All the other words refer to items you can find on a bed: "cuscino" means "pillow", "lenzuolo" is "sheet", and "piumone" is "duvet" or "comforter".

Answer: latte

As many English-speaking tourists have had to learn, "latte" in Italian means plain milk - not those coffee-based drinks made famous (or infamous) by Starbucks and their ilk. Most Italians will drink coffee black, or with a bit of sugar ("zucchero"), though sometimes they might order a "caffè macchiato" - with a drop of hot or cold milk. "Piede" (foot), "gamba" (leg) and "occhio" are all parts of the human body.