Expressly espresso

Have you ever heard someone call espresso "expresso?" Of course, expresso is not an actual word in any language, however the word espresso actually comes from the notion that the espresso machine "makes coffee expressly for you." I suppose it might be almost correct to call it a "coffee express."

You probably already know that what we Americans think of as espresso is, in Italy, simply called caffé, which we would translate in English to coffee. When I was in Italy, if I ordered "un caffé" the barista invariably double-checked that I wanted an espresso. Apparently, it was obvious to them that I was an American, and they have grown accustomed to Americans asking for a caffé and being surprised when they get an espresso. So they often double-check.

In Italy, espresso can mean expressed, made-to-order, special delivery, or fast, so I suppose if you order an espresso they may think you are asking for them to hurry up. But more likely they will detect that you are an American, and make you a caffé.