Non avere peli sulla lingua
Meaning: To speak bluntly and hold nothing back.
Language: Italian
Literally: To have no hairs on your tongue
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: An unobstructed tongue speaks freely; the image is proverbial across the Romance languages.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: No tener pelos en la lengua — literally: To have no hairs on the tongue
- French: Appeler un chat un chat — literally: To call a cat a cat
- Norwegian: Å snakke rett fra leveren — literally: To speak straight from the liver
- English: call a spade a spade
More idioms — Body & Senses
- Avere le mani bucate — To be a spendthrift.
- Остаться с носом (Ostat'sya s nosom) — To be left empty-handed or outwitted.
- Делать ноги (Delat' nogi) — To run away quickly.
- Заговаривать зубы (Zagovarivat' zuby) — To distract someone with smooth, evasive talk.
- 二階から目薬 (Nikai kara megusuri) — A roundabout effort that has no real effect.
- 喉から手が出る (Nodo kara te ga deru) — To want something so badly you can hardly bear it.
More Italian idioms
- Liscio come l'olio — To go off without a hitch.
- Fare il portoghese — To sneak in without paying.
- Prendere lucciole per lanterne — To be completely and badly mistaken.
- Rimanere in mutande — To be left penniless.
- Tutto fa brodo — Every little bit helps.
- Capire fischi per fiaschi — To misunderstand completely.
From our proverbs
- Even small birds must have meat. — The poorest among us require sustenance and dignity, not merely scraps or leftovers.
- If you cannot bite, never show your teeth. — Avoid displaying aggression or capability you lack; empty threats invite challenge and ri…
- He that bites on every weed must needs light on poison. — Indiscriminately sampling everything you encounter will eventually expose you to somethin…