Polpettone comes from polpetta with the addition of the augmentative suffix -one.
I have never eaten either polpettone or meatloaf, because both are famous for being particularly demanding on our digestive system, a character I dislike in food. This defining trait of polpettone explains the metaphorical use of the word to describe something muddled and boring. Movies and books are at particular risk of being condemned as polpettoni.
Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:
or launch the polpettone audio file [mp3].
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]
I'm with you on this food~not one of my favorites, either! Just a bit boring!
Posted by: jann | May 25, 2007 at 09:48 PM
How very interesting! I'm sooo lovin' your blog. I love that I learn something new here. ;-)
Paz
Posted by: Paz | May 26, 2007 at 05:37 PM
I have a meatloaf recipe that I love. I'll have to dig it out and post it. Obviously I don't make it very often. :)
Posted by: Christine | May 27, 2007 at 10:03 AM