Book excerpt: Francesca ha una cotta per Giovanni! (trans.): Francesca has a crush on Giovanni! (lit.): Francesca has a baking for Giovanni! Ho mangeato in un ristorante caro, dove mi hanno spennato! (trans.): I ate at an expensive restaurant and got fleeced! (lit.): l ate at an expensive restaurant and got plucked! Mamma mia! Even after years of trying to learn Italian, you still have trouble conversing with a native speaker. Why? Because everyday Italian is filled with slang and colloquialisms. Street Italian 1 is the first in a series of slang/idiom books that teach you how to speak and understand the real language used daily on the street, in homes, offices, stores, and among family and friends. Entertaining dialogues, word games and drills, crossword puzzles, word searches, and "inside" tips will have you sounding like a native in no time at all.