ItalianFare le corna
Meaning: To ward off bad luck — or to signal that a partner is being unfaithful.
Literally: To make the horns
Example: “Non abbiamo mai forato in tutto il viaggio, facciamo le corna.” — We haven't had a flat tire the whole trip, knock on wood.
English equivalent: To knock on wood
Origin: The gesture is the fist with index and little finger stuck out, like a horned head. The Hoepli dictionary gives it two quite different senses. As a charm against bad luck, it seems to come from the Romans' habit of wearing lucky rings on the index and little fingers, and horn-shaped amulets are still worn in southern Italy. As an insult, the horns are those of the cuckold, the man whose wife is unfaithful: fare or mettere le corna is being unfaithful.
Equivalents in other languages
Turkish: Nazar değmesin Literally: May the evil eye not touch it
English: knock on wood
More Italian idioms
- 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.
- Non ci piove There's no doubt about it whatsoever.
- Non avere peli sulla lingua To speak bluntly and hold nothing back.
- Liscio come l'olio To go off without a hitch.
- Fare il portoghese To sneak in without paying.
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