Tom in London Aug 17, 2012:

soixante-neuf The notion that the Italians learned how to do 69 from the Americans is rather amusing. But I must admit I've never tried to do "70". So much to learn.....

P.L.F. Persio Aug 17, 2012:

@Cedric With all due respect, I'm a 46 y.o. Italian-native lady and 69 doesn't look an innocent number to me, not only because I deal with English on a daily basis. In Italy it's a synonymous for reciprocal oral sex not less than it is in the English-speaking world, for both young and old people, and it's always been like that, as far as I know. I can even remember an old Italian joke about a man who goes to a prostitute: they try to perform a 69, then he says: "No, let's do a 70; 69 is too small for me!" (It's really stupid, I know!)

Cedric Randolph Aug 17, 2012:

Sixty-nine I have no doubt that many Italians, especially those who have had dealings with English speakers, know the usual risqué meaning of 69. However, I asked several native speaker Italian people who were between 40 and 60 about the name of the restaurant - Ristorante 69- and whether it had any special connotations to them. All of them said that it didn't and most guessed that that was the street number where the restaurant was found - a very common usage, I might add. Therefore, my initial "no" has been supported. I would go even further and say that most young people, unless they have been to NY/London etc. on their own and speak fluent English would not see this as a blatantly sexual innuendo in Italy in regard to the name of a restaurant - context is significant in this case. I believe the term would need to be explicitly linked to a sexual act or context to be seen as such and then there are many Italians who most certainly would not know. I still do not believe that this is as common a term in Italy, in that sense, as it is in the US or UK: hence no sexual connotation here.

P.L.F. Persio Aug 17, 2012:

Ford, have you got your towel with you?;-)

bluenoric Aug 17, 2012:

@ Ford lol
greetings from an almost sunny Hamburg (I know, it won´t last...)

Ford Prefect (asker) Aug 17, 2012:

Ah, if only I were still a hormone-crazed early teen ager. Maybe I just have a dirty mind.

bluenoric Aug 17, 2012:

Even if 69 does have a sexual connotation, I think in this case only hormone-crazed early teen agers would see it in "Ristorante 69"... I think they just used the street number, as in
http://www.firenzerestaurant.it/English/Area-inglese/Restaur...

Elena Zanetti Aug 17, 2012:

69 in Italy has a sexual connotation but not in this case... I think...

Elena Zanetti Aug 17, 2012:

Ristorante 69... I don't think there is a sexual connotation... maybe.. 69 is a meaning in the "smorfia napoletana" or 69 has a meaning in the dreams...