Italianqui casca l'asino
Meaning: That is the crux of the matter; that is where the real difficulty lies.
Literally: Here the donkey falls
Example: “Nessuno controlla le fatture: qui casca l'asino.” — Nobody checks the invoices; that's the heart of the matter.
English equivalent: The heart of the matter
Equivalents in other languages
German: Da liegt der Hund begraben Literally: That's where the dog is buried
English: the heart of the matter
Origin: "This is where the donkey falls": the exact point where someone gets caught out. The Hoepli dictionary links it to the so-called ponte dell'asino (donkey's bridge), the bridge donkeys risk falling off. That is the Latin pons asinorum, the nickname for the fifth proposition of Euclid's geometry, a famous stumbling block that separated able students from the rest.
More Italian idioms
- battere la grancassa To advertise or publicize something widely and loudly; to spread news or promote somethin…
- mandare giù To accept or tolerate something unwillingly, often swallowing one's pride or doubts.
- con beneficio d'inventario To accept something with skepticism or reservations, not at face value.
- perdere il filo To lose one's train of thought or become confused about a subject during conversation or…
- smemorato di Collegno A hopelessly forgetful person.
- fare a scaricabarile To evade responsibility by shifting blame to someone else; to pass the buck.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
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- Il diavolo non è così brutto come lo si dipinge Things, or people, are usually less bad than their reputation.
- Non è bello quel che è bello, ma è bello quel che piace Beauty depends on personal taste.
- La farina del diavolo va tutta in crusca Wealth gained dishonestly brings no lasting benefit.
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