ItalianEssere al verde
Meaning: To be broke; to have no money left.
Literally: To be at the green
Example: “Dopo le vacanze sono al verde fino allo stipendio.” — After the holidays I'm flat broke until payday.
English equivalent: Flat broke
Origin: The most widely accepted explanation comes from 17th-century Florence, recorded by Paolo Minucci in his 1688 notes to the mock-epic Malmantile riacquistato: public auctions were timed with candles whose lower part was colored green, and when the flame burned down to the green, time was up. Being al verde is having burned down to the end, with nothing left, and the phrase spread across Italy for being broke. Other explanations, about candle stubs or theater lighting, are less well supported.
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: Гол как сокол (Gol kak sokol) Literally: Bare as a falcon
English: flat broke
French: Fauché comme les blés Literally: Mown like the wheat
More Italian idioms
- 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.
- piangere sul latte versato Waste time regretting something that cannot be changed or undone.
- Prendere due piccioni con una fava To achieve two goals with a single effort.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- 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…
Keep exploring