ItalianCadere a fagiolo
Meaning: To arrive at exactly the perfect moment.
Literally: To fall like a bean
Example: “Il tuo messaggio è caduto a fagiolo: stavo per chiamarti.” — Your message came right on cue; I was about to call you.
English equivalent: Right on cue
Origin: Andare a fagiolo is documented in written Italian as early as the 1400s, but its precise origin has never been settled, and at least four competing theories circulate without any single one being convincing enough to end the debate. Linguist Niccolò Tommaseo suggested it simply reflects Florentines' well-known fondness for beans as food. A second theory points to the old practice of using white and black beans as ballots in public assemblies, with landing a fagiolo meaning arriving at a favorable outcome in a vote. A third reaches for agriculture: fully ripened beans detach from the plant at the lightest touch, making "falling like a bean" a natural image for anything obtained easily, right when needed. A fourth, more symbolic theory notes that legumes carried ancient associations with fertility, extending the bean into a broader metaphor for good, well-timed fortune.
Equivalents in other languages
Dutch: Met de neus in de boter vallen Literally: To fall with your nose in the butter
English: in the nick of time- English: right on cue
More Italian idioms
- Fare il diavolo a quattro To raise absolute hell; to cause a huge scene.
- Essere al verde To be broke; to have no money left.
- avere la coda di paglia Feel guilty about something because you're afraid of being discovered or criticized.
- mangiare la foglia Understand someone's hidden intentions or see through their deception immediately.
- avere un diavolo per capello Be extremely angry or agitated, ready to argue with anyone about anything.
- essere un osso duro Be a difficult, stubborn person who is challenging to deal with or influence.
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