But because it’s so similar to english express, which often refers to a rapid service (express train, express delivery, express lane), there’s a common belief that it has to do with speed – an espresso as a quick coffee on the go. So the ‘x’ infiltrates the spelling and pronunciation of espresso, leading to expresso … Read more
Yes and no. Espresso remains the original borrowed word for the beverage, but expresso shows enough use in English to be entered in the dictionary and is not disqualified by the lack of an x in its italian etymon. Just think of expresso as a quirky, jittery variant. Is it pronounced espresso or expresso? We’re … Read more
Whatever the source of its appeal, expresso has had a long and not entirely disreputable history. The Oxford English Dictionary lists it as an acceptable variant. Between 1945 (date of the OED’s first citation) and 1960 , it was permitted in The New York Times, with 43 uses compared with 122 for espresso. Did espresso … Read more