Fare orecchie da mercante
Meaning: To turn a deaf ear deliberately.
Language: Italian
Literally: To make merchant's ears
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: Medieval merchants conveniently 'didn't hear' haggling over their prices, picturing selective deafness.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: faire la morte — literally: to play dead
- English: To turn a blind eye — literally: To look with the eye that cannot see
- Greek: Κάνω την πάπια — literally: To play the duck
More idioms — Body & Senses
- Chorar de barriga cheia — To complain when you have nothing to complain about.
- Положить зубы на полку (Polozhit' zuby na polku) — To go hungry; to tighten your belt.
- 顔から火が出る (kao kara hi ga deru) — To burn with embarrassment.
- 발 벗고 나서다 (bal beotgo naseoda) — To throw yourself into helping wholeheartedly.
- Met de mond vol tanden staan — To be tongue-tied and lost for words.
- Μασάω τα λόγια μου — To mumble and not speak plainly.
More Italian idioms
- Non sapere che pesci pigliare — To be at a complete loss what to do.
- Avere un chiodo fisso — To be obsessed with one idea.
- arrampicarsi sugli specchi — to attempt to defend an indefensible position or grasp at straws.
- per amore o per forza — by any means necessary; whether one wishes it or not.
- mettere radici — to settle in a place permanently or commit to something long-term.
- tirare l'acqua al proprio mulino — to act in self-interest, redirecting resources or advantage to oneself.
From our proverbs
- What one man despises, another craves. — Individual values differ so radically that one person's rejection becomes another's treas…
- Hanging and wiving go by destiny. — Marriage and execution are equally inevitable forces beyond individual control or choice.
- He that hath shipped the devil must make the best of him. — Once committed to a dangerous course, you must proceed with full effort rather than aband…