Scioglilingue

I've being struggling to learn Italian verb endings today, which has scrambled my brain somewhat.

For light relief here are some Italian tongue-twisters courtesy of my very useful Lonely Planet Italian phrasebook:

O schiavo con lo schiaccianoci con che cosa schiacci? Schiaccio sei noci del vecchio noce con lo schiaccianoci.
(Oh, slave with the nutcracker what are you cracking? I am cracking six nuts from the old walnut tree with the nutcracker.)

Orrore, orrore, un ramaro verde su un muro marrone!
(Horror, horror, a green lizard on the brown wall)

Trentatre Trentini entrarono a Trento, tutti e trentatre trotterelando.
(Thirty-three Trentonians came into Trento, all thirty-three trotting.)

For the benefit of pronunciation:
Double letters don't change the sound but make the same sound longer.

Ca, Co and Cu are pronounced Ka, Ko and Koo
Ce and Ci are pronounced Che and Chee
Che and Chi are pronounced Ke and Kee
If there is an I between a C and an A, O or U, the I is not pronounced, but is used to make a Ch sound. So Cia, Cio and Ciu are Cha, Cho and Choo.

Gs similarly; a hard G with Ga, Go and Gu, a soft G (like a J) with Ge and Gi, Ghe and Ghi to make a hard Ge or Gi sound, and the invisible I rule applies here too.

Tutto chiaro?

Mornington Crescent.