In bocca al lupo
Meaning: Good luck! (replied with 'Crepi!' — may it die).
Language: Italian
Literally: Into the mouth of the wolf
Category: Animals
Origin: The Accademia della Crusca, Italy's foremost linguistic authority, does not settle on a single confirmed origin. The most commonly cited theory reaches for hunting superstition: wishing a hunter into the mouth of the very wolf he was pursuing was a deliberately ill-sounding blessing, following the old superstitious logic that wishing someone bad luck out loud would magically ward the real thing off — the traditional reply, "crepi" (may it die), keeps that same inverted logic intact. A second, more speculative theory proposes that the phrase is a corrupted borrowing from Greek émbaine álypon (odón), literally "take the path without pain," with émbaine worn down into "in bocca" and álypon into "lupo" over generations of oral transmission. Either way, the phrase functions as an antiphrasis, a wish expressed through its apparent opposite, precisely the same logic behind saying "break a leg" in English theater.
More idioms — Animals
- Chi dorme non piglia pesci — You snooze, you lose.
- 우물 안 개구리 (Umul an gaeguri) — Someone with a narrow, limited worldview.
- 꿩 먹고 알 먹고 (Kkwong meokgo al meokgo) — Getting two benefits from one action.
- Когда рак на горе свистнет (Kogda rak na gore svistnet) — When pigs fly; never.
- Медвежья услуга (Medvezhya usluga) — Help that actually makes things worse.
- Тянуть кота за хвост (Tyanut' kota za khvost) — To procrastinate; to drag something out.
More Italian idioms
- Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco — Things don't always go as planned.
- Avere le braccine corte — To be stingy; to never reach for the check.
- Cadere a fagiolo — To arrive at exactly the perfect moment.
- Fare il diavolo a quattro — To raise absolute hell; to cause a huge scene.
- Acqua in bocca — Keep it secret; don't tell anyone.
- Essere al verde — To be broke; to have no money left.
From our compliments & insults
- Hai le mani d'oro — You're extraordinarily skilled with your hands — a craftsperson, cook, or fixer of legend…
- Sei una persona d'oro — You're genuinely wonderful — kind, trustworthy, and precious to have in one's life.
- Che spettacolo! — You look absolutely stunning — a spontaneous burst of admiration for someone's appearance.