What does the word “tiramisù” actually mean?

This tiramisù recipe never explains its own name, but it’s worth knowing: tiramisù comes from the Veneto dialect tireme sù, “tirami su” in standard Italian — literally “pull me up,” meaning “pick me up” or “cheer me up.” The name describes the effect the dessert is supposed to have, thanks to its coffee, cocoa, sugar, and eggs.

Tiramisù is a relatively young dessert by Italian standards — modern versions only became popular in restaurants from the late 1960s onward, and the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions still dispute which one actually invented it. Either way, the name has stuck as one of the most literal dessert names in Italian.