You’re in Italy. You’ve just finished to eat an incredible meal with a bunch of friends and it’s time to pay the bill. Needless to say, someone will say the magic words: facciamo alla Romana? I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, or its sisterpagare alla Romana:  both of them mean to split the bill equally among all diners. 

Simple meaning, but the point is: why the expression, why alla Romana, if the habit is common across the country and, in fact, across the world, where similar locutions based on nationality are also popular (more about it later)?