This is a funny but useful little palindrome word. Afa is a noun we don't really have in English, and denotes a condition of high temperature and humidity. The adjective is afoso. There is a grande afa now throughout the Bel Paese, with perceived temps approaching 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 Fahrenheit.
Due to the relative scarcity of air conditioning in the country, furriners will be throwing themselves in fountains everywhere, like Swede Anita Ekberg in the famous scene from La Dolce Vita.
We have afa here in Boston, too, but nobody throws themselves in the fountains. That is so not New England. We just bite the (hot) bullet. With the help of copious mint chocolate chip ice cream.
