Italian Idioms
A curated set of 34 idioms in Italian — literal translations, real meanings, and where each one comes from.
- In bocca al lupo — Good luck! (replied with 'Crepi!' — may it die). Literally: Into the mouth of the wolf.
- Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco — Things don't always go as planned. Literally: Not all donuts come out with a hole.
- Avere le braccine corte — To be stingy; to never reach for the check. Literally: To have short little arms.
- Cadere a fagiolo — To arrive at exactly the perfect moment. Literally: To fall like a bean.
- Fare il diavolo a quattro — To raise absolute hell; to cause a huge scene. Literally: To make the devil times four.
- Chi dorme non piglia pesci — You snooze, you lose. Literally: He who sleeps doesn't catch fish.
- Acqua in bocca — Keep it secret; don't tell anyone. Literally: Water in the mouth.
- Essere al verde — To be broke; to have no money left. Literally: To be at the green.
- avere la coda di paglia — Feel guilty about something because you're afraid of being discovered or criticized. Literally: to have a straw tail.
- mangiare la foglia — Understand someone's hidden intentions or see through their deception immediately. Literally: to eat the leaf.
- avere un diavolo per capello — Be extremely angry or agitated, ready to argue with anyone about anything. Literally: to have a devil for each hair.
- essere un osso duro — Be a difficult, stubborn person who is challenging to deal with or influence. Literally: to be a hard bone.
- piangere sul latte versato — Waste time regretting something that cannot be changed or undone. Literally: to cry over spilled milk.
- Prendere due piccioni con una fava — To achieve two goals with a single effort. Literally: To catch two pigeons with one fava bean.
- Avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca — To want to have it both ways. Literally: To have the barrel full and the wife drunk.
- Ogni morte di papa — Extremely rarely; once in a blue moon. Literally: Every death of a pope.
- Avere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto — To be unable to see what is right in front of you. Literally: To have eyes lined with ham.
- Fare le corna — To ward off bad luck — or to signal that a partner is being unfaithful. Literally: To make the horns.
- Tagliare la testa al toro — To settle a matter decisively, once and for all. Literally: To cut the bull's head off.
- Avere le mani in pasta — To be deeply involved in something. Literally: To have your hands in the dough.
- Stare con le mani in mano — To stand around doing nothing while others work. Literally: To stand with your hands in your hand.
- Non ci piove — There's no doubt about it whatsoever. Literally: It doesn't rain on it.
- Non avere peli sulla lingua — To speak bluntly and hold nothing back. Literally: To have no hairs on your tongue.
- Liscio come l'olio — To go off without a hitch. Literally: Smooth as oil.
- Fare il portoghese — To sneak in without paying. Literally: To do the Portuguese.
- Avere le mani bucate — To be a spendthrift. Literally: To have holed hands.
- Prendere lucciole per lanterne — To be completely and badly mistaken. Literally: To mistake fireflies for lanterns.
- Rimanere in mutande — To be left penniless. Literally: To be left in your underwear.
- Tutto fa brodo — Every little bit helps. Literally: Everything makes broth.
- Capire fischi per fiaschi — To misunderstand completely. Literally: To understand whistles as flasks.
- Essere in gamba — To be sharp, capable and on the ball. Literally: To be in leg.
- Fare orecchie da mercante — To turn a deaf ear deliberately. Literally: To make merchant's ears.
- Non sapere che pesci pigliare — To be at a complete loss what to do. Literally: To not know which fish to catch.
- Avere un chiodo fisso — To be obsessed with one idea. Literally: To have a fixed nail.
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