h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A250002

In keeping with the instruction to write in British rather than American English, I've changed all the "Zucchini" entry to "Courgettes", including the title.

Also changed "ground beef" to "minced beef".

Zucchini is Italian, not American.
When hootoo leaves the BBC will we still be using this rule about writing in British vocabulary?

That's a good question, Shagbark, and I don't know the answer. I'll have to discuss it.

Oh, and Zucchini is Italian, but calling the vegetables Zucchini in English is American rather than British.

I wonder how babelfish uses it

the answer to that is it transliterates. What ever word you use stays there.

I will be using both terms in my article
a little research turned up this

Nature morte : courgettes et bleuets
If I translate that from French to English using babelfish it reads

Still life: zucchinis and cornflowers



A couple dictionary entries

cour·gette  (kr-zht)
n. Chiefly British
A zucchini.

[French dialectal, diminutive of courge, gourd, from Old French cohourde, from Latin cucurbita


zuc·chi·ni  (z-kn)
n. pl. zucchini or zuc·chi·nis
A variety of squash having an elongated shape and a smooth, thin, dark green rind.

[Italian, pl. of zucchino, diminutive of zucca, gourd, from Late Latin cucutia.]

Calabacín – a spanish name for courgette or zucchini.

Note when Zucchini entered the American vocabulary they did not include zucchino as well.

so an Italian would say I am going to buy a zucchino
a brit would say I am going to buy a courgette
a spaniard would say I am going to buy a calabacin
an american would say I am going to buy a zucchini