a casa del diavolo
Meaning: Far away; a great distance to travel; the long way around.
Language: Italian
Literally: at the house of the devil
Category: The Absurd
Origin: The devil's house is a proverbial remote, unreachable place; to reach it and return is an absurdly long journey.
More idioms — The Absurd
- sem tamanho — enormous, immensely large.
- há algo de podre no reino da Dinamarca — something is deeply wrong or suspicious, though the truth may be hidden.
- brincar com fogo — to engage in a risky or dangerous behavior; to put oneself in harm's way.
- er met een jantje-van-leiden van afmaken — to perform a task carelessly, half-heartedly, or in a slipshod manner.
- bij de duivel te biecht gaan — to seek counsel or confide in someone who is untrustworthy, dangerous, or morally corrupt.
- van lotje getikt — To be crazy or eccentric; to be not quite sane.
More Italian idioms
- cattedrale nel deserto — A large industrial facility built in a remote, poorly-connected region that produces litt…
- In bocca al lupo — Good luck! (replied with 'Crepi!' — may it die).
- Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco — Things don't always go as planned.
- Avere le braccine corte — To be stingy; to never reach for the check.
- Cadere a fagiolo — To arrive at exactly the perfect moment.
- Fare il diavolo a quattro — To raise absolute hell; to cause a huge scene.
From our untranslatable words
- Meriggiare — To take a quiet midday rest in a cool, shaded spot, escaping the fierce afternoon sun.
- Magari — One word doing the work of 'if only', 'I wish', 'perhaps' and 'you bet' — the tone decide…
- Sprezzatura — The art of making something difficult look wholly effortless, hiding every trace of the w…