Intrattenimento

The six syllable word above means ‘entertainment’ (four syllables) and it has been irritating me. It’s one of those classic English-speaker-knows-best moments. As in, ‘How could you possibly know that great mouthful of syllables could mean entertainment. Well, really, the Italians just do it to catch you out.’

So then I think, ‘entertainment’ - where the heck does that come from. And it’s from Old French: entretenir - which literary means ‘to hold or bring together’. Entertainment was not the stage act but the effect it had of bringing or holding people together.

So back to the Italian and voilà it also comes from intrattenere as in bringing or holding together.

Anyway, as I’m sure you know the photo is of spindle tree flowers. Or so I momentarily thought as a bout of sneezing overtook me. I’ve had this on and off cold since the flight back - some oaf sneezed all over me.

But you, nimble reader, will have quickly spotted my error. ‘Flowers in November?’ I dare say you will be muttering. Because, yes, of course, these are the wonderful fruit of the spindle tree.

As for allergies apparently the wood dust can cause a hayfever-like reaction and the crumbled dried fruits were used against mange. It’s all more or less toxic but a lovely tree often indicating ancient woodland. They grow like topsy round here.

Topsy, you might ask; why ‘grow like tipsy’? But that is for another day.

I leave you with an extra of a fennel bulb freshly pulled from the garden. Possibly of brief interest but hardly entertaining.