Our resident Italian-American explains the mystery behind the meat at What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?.
Everybody knows about salami, prosciutto, and bologna. The staples of the great Italian-American meat and cheese counter have become as well-known as Extra Virgin Olive Oil thanks to over-priced Starbucks breakfast sandwiches and wedding caterers nationwide. But if you were a fan of The Sopranos–which debuted more than two decades ago–you’ve probably been wondering for a very long time, what the f*ck is “gabagool? at What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?”
Although gabagool, often referred to as capicola, is not the most fashionable or well-liked Italian cold cut, saying it is the most entertaining. The likelihood is that you’ve heard the word used frequently if you were raised in New Jersey, have Italian ancestry, or have ever been in an environment where people from both cultures were present. In The Sopranos, phrases like “gabagool” and “super-sod” (soppressata) have some narrative weight because red meat is a major factor in Tony Soprano’s psychological anguish. In a memorable 2009 mafia episode titled “What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?,” Michael Scott orders “just the gabagool” to flaunt in front of his new Italian-American buddies. Even The Office makes reference to this term.
According to The Daily Meal, capicola is a “type of salumi” that’s basically a “cross between prosciutto and sausage.” Like its salt-cured sisters, capicola, which can also be called just “coppa,” is seasoned with a variety of flavors like wine, garlic, and paprika, stuffed into a meat-based casing, then smoked, slow-roasted, or in most cases, “hung for up to six months to cure.” It’s red and white, not as spicy as soppressata, but also not as creamy-tasting and mild as, say, mortadella at What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?.
Dan Nosowitz on Atlas Obscura did a deep dive on the origin of the gabagool phenomenon in his fantastic piece, How Capicola Became Gabagool: The Italian New Jersey Accent, Explained. After researching with some linguistics experts, Nosowitz discovered that, like the botched American estimations of Italian culture such as meatballs, baked ziti, or whatever Olive Garden is pretending to be, the word “gabagool” is about as Italian as apple pie at What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?.
“The word ‘gabagool’ is about as Italian as apple pie.”
According to Nosowitz’s research, many Italians in the United States descend from Southern Italians, “about 80 percent,” in fact. If you know anything about Italy, you’re probably aware that the dialects of the various regions within the country are all vastly different. Similarly, the Italian language that arrived in America back in the time of the great emigration is much different than the Italian language of today at What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?.
What we hear in places like Jersey, Staten Island, and New York is actually the result of former immigrants hanging on to their native dialect, and passing elements of that down through generations of Americans who may not even have a clue what the actual contemporary Italian language sounds like today at What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?.
In the case of gabagool, it’s a combination of end vowels being deleted, “oh” sounds being raised, and what linguists call “voiceless consonants,” namely “k” and “c” sounds, being turned into “voiced” consonants, which, in this case, amounts to “g” sounds at What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?.
So, wanna get your Soprano on? Start with capicola. Drop off the end vowel. Turn the “c”s into “g”s. And emphasize the “o” sound. Whaddya get? Gabagool. Fuhgeddaboutit at What the Hell is ‘Gabagool,’ and Why Does Tony Soprano Talk About It All the Time?.