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Chi dorme non piglia pesci

Meaning: You snooze, you lose.

Language: Italian

Literally: He who sleeps doesn't catch fish

Category: Animals

Origin: Italian fishing village wisdom.

More idioms — Animals

  • 우물 안 개구리 — Someone with a narrow, limited worldview.
  • 꿩 먹고 알 먹고 — Getting two benefits from one action.
  • Когда рак на горе свистнет — When pigs fly; never.
  • Медвежья услуга — Help that actually makes things worse.
  • Тянуть кота за хвост — To procrastinate; to drag something out.
  • Делать из мухи слона — To blow things way out of proportion.

More Italian idioms

  • Acqua in bocca — Keep it secret; don't tell anyone.
  • 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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