Aloha Everyone,
I have a list of favorite words either because of their meanings, but more so how these words form in my mouth. Sprezzatura is one of them. J.J. and I heard this word a couple of times during our stay in Italy and again last night when we watched an Italian film.
Its Italian origin traces back to Baldassare Castiglione's "The Baldassare Book of the Courtier." The author defines the word as, "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it."
Another definition of sprezzatura is "a form of defensive irony: the ability to disguise what one really desires, feels, thinks, and means or intends behind a mask of apparent reticence and nonchalance."
Aloha -- Cathi