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Avere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto

Meaning: To be unable to see what is right in front of you.

Language: Italian

Literally: To have eyes lined with ham

Category: The Absurd

Origin: Recorded in Roman and Tuscan popular humor since the 19th century — slices of ham as the most Italian blindfold imaginable.

More idioms — The Absurd

  • Viajar na maionese — To talk nonsense or drift off into your own dream world.
  • Skägget i brevlådan — Caught red-handed in an awkward, embarrassing position.
  • يعمل من الحبة قبة — To blow something tiny completely out of proportion.
  • Helt texas — Utterly wild, chaotic or out of control.
  • Det blæser en halv pelikan — It is extremely windy.
  • Ei ole kaikki muumit laaksossa — Someone isn't quite all there.

More Italian idioms

  • Fare le corna — To ward off bad luck — or to signal that a partner is being unfaithful.
  • Tagliare la testa al toro — To settle a matter decisively, once and for all.
  • Avere le mani in pasta — To be deeply involved in something.
  • Stare con le mani in mano — To stand around doing nothing while others work.
  • Non ci piove — There's no doubt about it whatsoever.
  • Non avere peli sulla lingua — To speak bluntly and hold nothing back.

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