Episodios
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From Latin CATTUS
ESSERE AGILE COME UN GATTO — to be as agile as a cat
ESSERE IN 4 GATTI — To be 4 cats, to be very few people
‘C’erano solo 4 gatti allo spettacolo’- ‘There were only a few ppl at the show’
ESSERE DEL GATTO — to be ‘of the cat’, to be in a bad situation, problematic, almost hopeless
‘Siamo del gatto’ - ‘We’re screwed’
ESSERE COME IL GATTO E LA VOLPE — to be like the cat and the fox from Collodi’s Pinocchio, to be partners in crime
‘Alessio e Massimo: eccoli lì, sempre a combinarne una’ - ‘ Alessio and Massimo, here they are: always confabulating something’
QUANDO IL GATTO NON C’È I TOPI BALLANO — When the cat isn’t home, the mice dance
‘Come ci divertiamo ora che il capo and in vacanza! Quando il gatto non c’è…' - ‘We have so much fun now that our boss is on vacation! when the cat isn’t home…’
FARE LA GATTA MORTA — To play the dead female cat, to be super flirty!! or pretending to be sweet and masking the real nature. Refers to cats playing dead when trying to get their prey
‘Guarda guarda come fa la gatta morta!! Lascia qualcosa per noi!’ - ‘Look how she’s flirting!! Leave something for us!’
NON DIRE GATTO FINO A CHE NON CE L’HAI NEL SACCO — Don’t say cat until it’s on you sack! Don’t celebrate too soon
AVERE UNA BELLA GATTA DA PELARE — To have a big cat to shave, to have a big problem to solve
GATTA CI COVA! — the cat is nursing something, like a chicken is brooding the eggs, something is happening behind closed door
‘Non mi fido di quei due: qui gatta ci cova’ - ‘ I don’t trust those 2… something is boiling in the pot’
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From Latin MUSCA = FLY
ACCHIAPPARE LE MOSCHE - to catch flies, to do a useless job
"Cosa devo fare?" "Prendi una mosca e falla ballare“ - "What can I do?’ ‘Get a fly and dance with her’”
ESSERE NOIOSO/ FASTIDIOSO COME UNA MOSCA, to be annoying as a fly
‘Giovanni è fastidioso come una mosca: ha sempre da criticare!" - "Giovanni is as annoying as a fly: he’s always criticizing’
STARE A GUARDARE LE MOSCHE CHE VOLANO, to stare at flying flies, being distracted, not doing anything
“E tu? che fai? Stai a guardare le mosche che volano?" - "And you, what are you doing? looking at flies?”
NON SI SENTE VOLARE UNA MOSCA, you can’t even hear a fly flying for how much silence there is
‘Da quando il professore si è arrabbiato, non si sente volare una mosca’ - ‘Since the teacher got upset, you can’t hear a fly’
ZITTO E MOSCA! Shut up as a fly!
AVERE PAURA DI UNA MOSCA, to be afraid of a fly, of nothing
FARE DI UNA MOSCA UN ELEFANTE, to make an elephant out of a fly, to make a big deal out of nothing
‘Hai fatto di una mosca un elefante! E’ stato solo un fraintendimento!’ - ‘You made an elephant out of a fly! It was just a misunderstanding!’
RESTARE CON UN PUGNO DI MOSCHE, to be left with an handful of flies, with nothing
FAR VENIRE LA MOSCA AL NASO, to get the fly on the nose, to irritate somebody
‘Quando Giacomo mi ha risposto male, mi ha fatto venire la mosca al naso, e gli ho tirato uno schiaffo’ - ‘When Giacomo replied rudely to me, made me mad and I slap him!
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¿Faltan episodios?
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From Latin PISCIS
ESSERE SANO COME UN PESCE - to be as healthy as a fish
NUOTARE COME UN PESCE - to swim like a fish, to be a perfect swimmer
NON ESSERE NE’ CARNE NE’ PESC - to be neither meat or fish, to be in between, to not have a specific flavor, personality, etc
ANDARE A FARE COMPAGNIA AI PESCI - to go keep company to the fish, to drown
NON SAPERE CHE PESCI PRENDERE - literally not knowing which fish to catch, to fish, to have ran out of options, therefore being uncertain about a the future
‘Non riesco a trovare a trovare lavoro! Ho provato dappertutto! Non so più che pesci prendere’
‘I can’t find a job, I tried everywhere, I don’t know what to fish anymore!ESSERE COME UN PESCE FUOR D’ACQUA, to feel like a fish outside the water, very uncomfortable
‘Mamma mia, ieri alla festa mi sono sentita un pesce fuor d’acqua! Erano tutti dottori e scienziati e non sapevo neanche di cosa parlassero!'
‘Oh my God, last night at the party I felt like a fish out of the water(out of its element) they were all scientists and doctors and I didn’t even know what they were talking about’TRATTARE QUALCUNO A PESCI FACCIA, to slap somebody with a fish, to treat them BADLY
‘Wow, sono andata in banca per chiedere un prestito, e mi hanno trattata a pesci in faccia’
‘Wow, I went to the bank to ask for a loan, and they treated me horribly’
CHI DORME NON PIGLIA PESCI, the one who sleeps doesn’t catch fish
ESSERE MUTO COME UN PESCE, to be as mute as a fish, won’t talk, won’t reveal a secret
BUTTARSI a PESCE, to throw yourself as a fish into something or into doing something
‘Ha cominciato il nuovo lavoro ci si è buttato a pesce’ ‘He started a new job and thew himself in it, like a fish’
FARE L’OCCHIO A PESCE MORTO, to give the dead fish eye, which, despite what the image would suggest, refers to looking at somebody in a seductive// very sweet way
PESCE D’ APRILE, what English speakers call April fool
L’OSPITE È COME IL PESCE: DOPO 3 GIORNI PUZZA, A guest is like fish, on the third day it starts to smell — can’t stay more than 3 days as a guest!
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From Latin CANIS
FIGLIO DI UNA CANE!! Son of a dog!!
VITA DA CANI, dogs’ life, bad life
Lavorare, vivere, mangiare, dormire DA CANI — work, live, eat, sleep badly
FA UN FREDDO CANE, it’s damn cold, literally a dog kind of cold
UN MALE CANE! - A dog's pain
‘La gamba mi fa un male cane’ ‘My leg hurts like crazy’
COME UN CANE BASTONATO, as a beaten dog
‘Quando gli ho detto potevo aiutarlo, Se n’è andato come un cane bastonato’ - ‘When I told him I couldn’t help him, he left like a beaten dog, defeated and sad’
NON C’È UN CANE - When a place it’s empty, deserted, literally ‘Not even dogs are here’
‘Mamma mia, non c’è un cane in città, sono tutti in vacanza’- ‘wow, the city is empty, everybody is on vacation’
ESSERE SOLO COME UN CANE, as lonely as a dog
MENARE IL CAN PER L’AIA, to carry, to lead the dog around the farmyard, to waste time, to drag things for too long
CAN CHE ABBAIA NON MORDE, barking dog doesn’t bite
NON SVEGLIARE IL CAN CHE DORME, don’t wake up a sleeping dog
UN CANE CHE SI MORDE LA CODA, a dog biting its tail literally, meaning a vicious cycle
CANINO - Canine, our sharp tooth
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From the late Latin ‘cranio, testa’, originally with the meaning of ‘shell, vase’, TESTA is the Italian for HEAD.
La TESTA can be PICCOLA // GROSSA // A PERA // A PUNTA // BIANCA // PELATA // BIONDA // RICCIUTA
TESTA DURA — hard head, stubborn
TESTA DI CAVOLO! TESTA DI C****! — CAULIFLOWER/ D*** HEAD!
RIEMPIRE LA TESTA, To fill the head with something
‘Mi ha riempito la testa di stupidaggini’ —
‘He filled my head with stupid things’
DARE ALLA TESTA, to go to one’s head
‘Il successo gli ha dato alla testa’ —
‘Success went to his head’
NON FASCIARSI LA TESTA PRIMA DI ESSERSELA ROTTA — Don’t bandage your head before breaking it. Don’t worry, don’t be alarmed before knowing if something bad is actually gonna happen
‘E se non passo l’esame?’ ‘Dai, non ti fasciare la testa prima di romperla! Andrà benissimo!’ —
‘What if I don’t pass the exam?’ ‘Come on, don’t worry about it before it has even happened! It’s gonna be great!’
TAGLIARE LA TESTA AL TORO, to cut the bull’s head, to finally make a decision
‘Basta! Sono due ore che cerchiamo di decidere: tagliamo la testa al toro! Andiamo a mangiare al messicano’ —
‘Enough’ we’ve been deciding for 2 hours: let’s cut the bull’s head and let’s go to the Mexican restaurant’
PERDERE LA TESTA, to lose your mind
‘Quando si sono conosciuti, Davide ha perso la testa per Claudia: non riusciva a smettere di parlare di lei!’ —
‘When they met, David lost his mind over Claudia: he couldn’t stop talking about her!’
AVERE LA TESTA FRA LE NUVOLE, to have your head in the clouds
‘Mio padre ha sempre la testa tra le nuvole: è un miracolo che non sia ancora caduto in un tombino!’ —
‘My dad is always with his head on the clouds: it’s a miracle he hasn’t fallen in a manhole!’
MONTARSI LA TESTA, literally ’to build your head’, meaning to get ahead of yourself
‘Da quando ha vinto un Grammy, si è davvero montato la testa’ —
‘Since he won a Grammy, he got ahead of himself’
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PIEDE
From Latin PES, PEDIS, it’s the Italian for FOOT!
UN PIEDE can be LUNGO// CORTO// STRETTO// LARGO
AI PIEDI DEL MONTE // COLLE at the foot of the hill
IN PIEDI = Standing, on your feet
A PIEDI = by foot, walking
‘Tutti in piedi!’ — ‘Everyone stand!’,
‘Non mi reggo in piedi’ — ‘I can’t hold my self up’, said someone after one too many drinks
IN PUNTA DI PIEDI — On tiptoe
‘Se n’è andato in punta di piedi, non l’ho nemmeno sentito uscire!’ — ‘He walked out on tiptoe, I didn’t even hear him leaving!’
BATTERE I PIEDI , To stamp (your feet), usually as a sign of impatience
‘Francesco batte i piedi ogni volta che vuole il gelato. Che palle!’ —
‘Francesco stamps every time he wants gelato. What a pain!’
PESTARE I PIEDI A QUALCUNO, To step on someone’s toes
‘Alessio ha cambiato città. Forse ha pestato i piedi alle persone sbagliate’ —
‘Alessio moved to another city. Maybe he stepped on the wrong people’s toes.
‘Non farti pestare i piedi da nessuno!’ — ‘Don’t let anyone step on your toes’
METTERE I PIEDI IN TESTA, To put the feet on someone’s head as a sign of power, superiority. To walk over somebody
‘Non farti mettere i piedi in testa’ — ‘Don’t let anyone walk over you!’
ESSERE TRA I PIEDI, To be between the feet, meaning to get into each other’s way
‘Mamma mia! Sei sempre tra i piedi! Ma non puoi uscire un po’?’ — ‘Oh God, you’re always on my way! Can’t you just go out of the house for a little?’
CAMMINARE CON I PIEDI DI PIOMBO, To walk with feet made of lead, to take it slow, cautiously
‘Lei mi piace tantissimo, ma ci vado con i piedi di piombo perché ci conosciamo da poco e non voglio illudermi’ —
‘I like her a lot but I’ll take it slow cause we just met and I don’t want to be mislead’
DARSI LA ZAPPA SUI PIEDI, To make your situation worse in the attempt to make it better, literally to throw the hoe on your foot, shooting yourself in the foot
PRENDERE PIEDE, To take over, catch on
‘La moda del selfie ha preso piede con l’arrivo dei social media’ —
‘The selfies trend caught on thanks to social media’
METTERE IN PIEDI, To establish, to put together
‘Serena ha messo in piedi una compagnia di catering da zero!’ —
‘Serena built a catering company from scratch!’
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BOCCA
From the Latin BUCCA = cheek, it then acquired the new meaning of MOUTH
La bocca, can be LARGA // STRETTA // REGOLARE //
CHE ARRIVA AGLI ORECCHI, mouth that opens up to the ears
CHE PARE UN FORNO, which looks like a oven
SDENTATA, with no teeth
We have expressions like:
A BOCCA PIENA , with a mouth full
ACQUA IN BOCCA! Water in your mouth — don’t spill the beans, don’t share this secret! BOCCONE, a bite of something
‘Mangio un boccone a casa e arrivo’
‘I’ll grab a quick bite at home and I’ll be there’.
Bocca as opening or entrance
la bocca del tunnel = the mouth of the tunnel
la bocca del vulcano = the mouth of the volcano
la bocca del vaso = the mouth of the vase
la bocca del fiume = the mouth of the river
la bocca dello stomaco = the pit of one’s stomach
ESSERE DI BOCCA BUONA, to not be a picky eater
‘Per la cena di stasera non ti preoccupare: siamo tutti di bocca buona’
‘Don’t worry about tonight’s dinner: we’re not picky eaters’
LASCIARE A BOCCA APERTA, to leave somebody open-mouthed, to surprise/ shock somebody!
‘Quando Chiara mi ha detto che si era innamorata di Dario, mi ha lasciata a bocca aperta!!’ —
‘When Chiara told me that she had fallen in love with Dario, she left me with my mouth wide open!!’
RIMANERE A BOCCA APERTA: to be left open-mouthed, utterly surprised, astonished
‘Quando ho visto il suo regalo, sono rimasta a bocca aperta! Era lo stesso che le avevo fatto io!’ —
‘When I saw her gift, I was left open-mouthed: it was the same one I had got her!’
LASCIARE/ RESTARE A BOCCA ASCIUTTA: to leave with a dry mouth, to leave somebody unsatisfied, to not give somebody what they expected or to be left with a dry mouth, unsatisfied
‘Siamo usciti per tre volte e mi ha lasciata a bocca asciutta!!’ —
‘We went on three dates and he left me with a dry mouth!’
A CAVAL DONATO NON SI GUARDA IN BOCCA, literally ‘ You don’t look inside of the mouth of a horse that has been gifted’, you can’t criticize or be too fussy about something that has been gifted to you!
FARE LA BOCCA A QUALCOSA — to get used to the idea of something (usually positive and exciting) happening.
‘Cosa? Non ci sono più biglietti per il concerto di stasera? Dai!!! Ci avevo fatto la bocca’ —
‘What? There are no more tickets for tonight’s concert? Come on!! I got used to the idea!’
‘Piove! Non possiamo andare al mare oggi! Che peccato, ci avevo fatto la bocca…’ —
‘ It’s raining, we can’t go to the beach today…what a pity! I really thought we were gonna go!’
RIFARSI LA BOCCA — Literally to redo your mouth. It’s an expression we use to say we got rid of a bad taste in our mouth. Not only literal about food, but also referring to a bad situation that has been deleted in favor of a good one
‘Dopo quell’orribile cena mi sono rifatta la bocca con un ottimo gelato!’ —
‘After that terrible dinner, I cleaned my mouth with an excellent gelato!’
‘Dopo quell’orribile appuntamento con Michele, mi sono rifatta la bocca uscendo con Carlo’ —
‘After that terrible date with Michele, I got rid of the bad sensations going out with Carlo’
TOGLIERE/ STRAPPARE LE PAROLE DI BOCCA — to to take the words out of someone’s mouth or to tear off, drag something out of somebody
‘Wow, mi hai tolto le parole di bocca…’ —
‘Wow, you took the words out of my mouth, you spoke my mind before I could even express myself’
You expressed exactly what I was thinking.
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From Latin CAMBA, Greek cambè, which means curve, articulation.
Le gambe (plural) can be LUNGHE // CORTE // SOTTILI // DRITTE // STORTE FORTI // DEBOLI // ROBUSTE
ESSERE IN GAMBA, literally ‘to be in your legs’, to be in good health, strong, a very capable person!
‘Conosci Francesca? E’ davvero una ragazza in gamba: non solo va all’ Università, ha anche due lavori!’ —
‘Francesca is really smart: not only she goes to College, she also has two jobs!’
PRENDERE SOTTO GAMBA, to let things under their legs’, don’t take something seriously enough.
‘Giovanni fa sempre così: ha preso l’esame sotto gamba, non ha studiato abbastanza e non è passato!’ —
‘Giovanni is always the same: he let the exam under his legs(underestimated the exam), he didn’t study enough and he didn’t pass!’
ANDARE A GAMBE LEVATE, to run with fast legs
‘Ho visto Gigi l’altro giorno: stava scappando a gambe levate da sua moglie’ —
‘I saw Gig the other day: he was running like crazy from his wife’
CADERE A GAMBE ALL’ARIA, to fall with legs in the air
‘Che figuraccia!! Sono caduta dalla bicicletta a gambe all’aria!’ —
‘What a bad impression!! I fell from the bike, legs up!!’
CHI NON HA CERVELLO ABBIA GAMBE, who doesn’t have brain, better have legs! Before starting any activity, better to thing about it throughly before you have to run around using your legs trying to find solutions to repair the situation
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GIALLO
GIALLO = yellow, from French JAUNE
GIALLO can be LIMONE (lemon)/ ORO (gold)/ ZAFFERANO (saffron) / CANARINO (canary).
We also use GIALLO to talk about a LIBRO GIALLO or a FILM GIALLO (a yellow book or yellow movie) meaning a DETECTIVE STORY (mystery, crime).
It comes from a long-running series of pulp crime-mystery novels known as 'Il Giallo Mondadori', named such for their bright yellow covers and the name of the publisher behind them, which directly led to the birth of the Giallo film genre.
NERO
From Latin NIGER = black
UNA GIORNATA NERA = A bad day
ESSERE NERO = to be absolutely upset
SONO INCAVOLATO NERO = I’m black upset, super upset
LA MAGIA NERA = Black magic
PECORA NERA = black sheepVEDERE NERO = to see dark
‘Eh… la vedo nera’ = 'I see it dark…’ = I don’t see a good thing/situation
AVERE PENSIERI NERI = to have dark thoughts
‘Non facciamo il diavolo più nero di quello che è’ = 'let’s not paint the devil darker, more black than what it is'
Meaning ‘let’s not worry too much about the obstacle right in front of us, it’s not that bad’.
I’m gonna leave you with one of Italian most loved song of the last 2 decades.
The title is SERE NERE by Tiziano Ferro, and it goes like this, with this crazy interval
https://open.spotify.com/track/4Ovy5UkvkweOluGd9hoKsR?si=402f23d6e53e4c12 -
ROSSO
ROSSO: a fantastic color.
Il colore della passione
MATITA or PENNA ROSSA = Red pencil o pen
SEMAFORO ROSSO = Red traffic light
VINO ROSSO = Red wine
ROSSO come il FUOCO = Red as fire
ROSSO = PALLIDO (pale), ACCESO (bright), FIAMMEGGIANTE (flaming)
ROSSO COME UN PEPERONE = as red as a bell pepper or come UN POMODORO = as a tomato.
ROSSETTO = lipstick
REGIONI ROSSE (red regions)n and PARTITI ROSSI (red parties) to indicate their left, far-left, communist affiliation
'ROSSO DI SERA, BEL TEMPO SI SPERA' ….
Anybody wants to guess?
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BIANCO
From the German BLANK (connected with the word BLANK in English) = white, untouched, blank.
BIANCO COME LA NEVE
BIANCO COME IL LATTE
BIANCO COME UN CENCIO, as white as a rug
MOSCA BIANCA, white fly
VOCE BIANCA// VOCI BIANCHE, kids voices, falsettos
UNA SETTIMANA BIANCA, white week literally, is a skiing week
DARE CARTA BIANCA, to give a white card, to give somebody full freedom to operate as they like
BIANCHERIA, linens and bed sheets
BIANCHERIA INTIMA, underwear.
CORRECTION!!BIANCONE, nickname for the Statue of Neptune in Piazza della Signoria in Florence.
I previously said it was referred to David's Michelangelo but it wasn't correct.
APOLOGIZE FOR THE MISTAKE!! -
VERDE
From the Latin VIRIDIS, from the root of VIRERE = to be vigorous (of plants)
Think about the adjective VIRILE in relation with strength
What can be VERDE?
IL SEMAFORO = green traffic light
GLI OCCHI = the eyes
VERDE DI PAURA = green of fear
VERDE DI RABBIA O BILE = green of anger or bile
VERDE D’ INVIDIA = envy green
ESSERE AL VERDE or RESTARE AL VERDE = to end up with no money
TELEFONO VERDE = number that you call at NO COST, usually used by public companies
ESSERE NEL VERDE DEGLI ANNI = to be in the green phase of your years, to be young
CHI DI VERDE SI VESTE, DI BELTÀ (BELLEZZA) SI FIDA. Which translates to ‘who wears green trust their beauty’
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VIA
VIA (V-I-A), from Latin VIA, coming from the verb VEHERE, to transport.
VIA is the Italian for the word STREET, or WAY.
That’s the same root of WAY and the two words have, in fact, a lot of common uses.VIA (or VIALE, boulevard, when the street is bigger) is the way we call our streets.
If you’ve ever been to Italy, you have read streets names like
VIA NAZIONALE
VIA TORNABUONI
VIA DELLA STAZIONE
VIA APPIA, the Appian Way, which was Rome’s and Europe's first super highway and possibly the oldest road still in existence that is largely intact today.
We say VIA MAESTRA when we talk about a main road, literally the Master Way
VIA can be STRETTA, LARGA, LUNGA, BREVE, DRITTA, TORTUOSA (windy)
We use the expression FARE UNA VIA to say ‘follow a street’
In the Purgatory, Dante writes “Maestro mio, diss’io, che via faremo?”
There is this say in Italian : CHI LASCIA LA VIA VECCHIA PER QUELLA NUOVA, SA QUELLO CHE LASCIA MA NON SA QUELLO CHE TROVA, which I find it has a very cautious vibe, not surprising considering how Italians fear change!
TORNARE SULLA RETTA VIA, to go back to the righteous way
NON C’È ALTRA VIA, there’s no other way
NON C’È VIA D’USCITA, there’s no way out
VIA LATTEA is our beloved Milky Way (galaxìas cùclos in greek)
VIA RADIO, VIA SATELLITE, VIA EMAIL, same way English speakers use the word VIA to say ‘by means of’
ANDARE VIA, to leave, to go away — you can see how AWAY has way and therefore WAY in it!
VAI VIA!!, go away
VIA VIA, with a calm tone, means little by little
but VIA, VIA, means come on, let’s go
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PIAZZA
From the Latin PLATEA = wide street, from greek PLATEIA = PLATUS = wide
LETTO A DUE PIAZZE, a queen or king bed, a bed for two
NON URLARE! NON SEI IN PIAZZA! Don’t yell, you’re not in piazza!!
NON VOGLIO METTERE I MIEI PROBLEMI IN PIAZZA, I don’t want to put my problems out on the piazza, I don’t want to share them publicly
SCENDERE IN PIAZZA, to go down on the streets, to take the streets
PARLARE ALLE PIAZZE, to talk with the masses
QUEL CHE OFFRE LA PIAZZA, meaning what the market offers.
EHH, PRENDERÒ QUEL CHE OFFRE LA PIAZZA, I’ll get what the market offers
UNA PIAZZA D’ARMI, a very big space
FARE PIAZZA, to make space
FARE PIAZZA PULITA, to eliminate, to get rid of something
ESSERE SU PIAZZA, being romantically available
BRUTTO IN FASCE BELLO IN PIAZZA, ugly as a kid, beautiful as an adult
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From greek APOTHEKE = storage,warehouse
BOTTEGA DI MERCIAIO, sewing goods, DI FERRAMENTA, hardware, FORNAIO, baker
BOTTEGA DI MICHELANGELO, or BOTTEGA DI DONATELLO, del BERNINI, and all the other big ones.
DI BOTTEGA, a piece, an artwork that wasn’t probably made by the main artist himself but by his students.
CHIUDERE LA BOTTEGA, closing the business ,
HO CHIUSO BOTTEGA ALLA 6, I cose the shop at 6
ESSERE USCIO A BOTTEGA, To live where you work
ESSERE CASA E BOTTEGA, to not get distracted, to be all about work and home
METTERE IL FIGLIO A BOTTEGA, to put your son in a bottega, meaning to have him learn a profession
AVERE LA BOTTEGA APERTA! To have the bottega open, meaning to have the zipper of your pants open!
ATTENTO! HAI LA BOTTEGA APERTA! Watch out! Your zipper is open!
MANDARE AVANTI LA BOTTEGA, to keep the business ( and the money) going
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MARCIAPIEDE
From French MARCHER= to walk and PED = foot
STARE SUL MARCIAPIEDE, to be on the sidewalk),
CAMMINARE sul marciapiede, to walk on the sidewalk
MARCIAPIEDE STRETTO, narrow or LARGO, big
BATTERE IL MARCIAPIEDE, literally meaning to beat the sidewalk, exercising prostitution.
SEMAFORO
From the greek SEMA= sign, signal and FERO= port.
LE PERSONE IRRESPONSABILI PASSANO CON IL SEMAFORO ROSSO, irresponsible people pass with a red light
ANDIAMO! È SCATTATO IL (SEMAFORO) VERDE! Let’s go, the green has kicked in
Il SEMAFORO LAMPEGGIA DA STAMATTINA, the traffic light has been flashing since this morning
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ACQUA
From the Latin AQUA = water
ACQUA pura, pure // dolce, sweet water (fresh water)// salata, salt water // limpida, clear // torbida, murky
ACQUA A CATINELLE, basin/washbowls of waters, for when it’s raining profusely
L’ACQUA VIENE A DIROTTO, another way to say that the rain is pouring
PRENDERE L’ACQUA, ieri ho preso l’acqua mentre andavo a lavoro, I got water// I got rain while I was going to work
CIELO A PECORELLE, ACQUA A CATINELLE, If the clouds in the sky look like a lot of sheep, then is gonna pour rain
AVERE L’ ACQUOLINA IN BOCCA, to have a watery mouth
FRIGGERE CON L’ACQUA, QUI NON SI FRIGGE CON L’ACQUA, We don’ t fry with water, meaning we do things the right way and with class
LASCIAR CORRERE L’ACQUA, to let the water run, to let it go
ESSERE CON L’ACQUA ALLA GOLA, to have the water up until your throat, to run out of time
TIRARE L’ACQUA AL PROPRIO MULINO, to bring water to your mill, to act out of convenience
ACQUA CHETA, literally a silent water. It’s said about people who seems silent and inoffensive, but they’re actually the ones which destroy the bridges
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FUOCO
From Latin FOCUS = fire, flame
METTERE A FUOCO, to focus, in photography but also in everyday life
NON RIESCO A METTERE A FUOCO, I can’t focus, concentrate
AVERE LE MANI/FACCIA/GAMBE A FUOCO, to have hands, face etc on fire, very hot
METTERE TROPPA CARNE AL FUOCO, to put too much meat on the fire, bite off more than you can chew
SETTIMANA DI FUOCO, usuale used to define a very hectic week
VIGILI DEL FUOCO, our beloved fire fighters
FUOCO DELLA PASSIONE, the fire of passion
FAR FUOCO E FIAMME, be explosive
FOCOSO, passionate
FOCOLARE, literally the fireplace, also to express where home is
FOCALIZZARE, to focus
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TERRA
From Latin TERRA = dry part, as opposed to water part.
Earth, world, as a globe, but also ground, land
CADERE PER TERRA// MI È CADUTO IL CELLULARE PER TERRA, I dropped the phone on the ground
BUTTARE A TERRA, to throw in the ground
SDRAIARSI PER TERRA , to lay down on the ground
ESSERE A TERRA, to feel down, to have a low morale
OGGI SONO A TERRA, Today I feel down
TERRA NATALE, motherland
TERRA DI NESSUNO, no man’s land
FARSI TERRA BRUCIATA, literally to burn the ground, to create desert around you, to burn bridges
AVERE UNA GOMMA A TERRA, to have a flat tire
MANCARE LA TERRA SOTTO I PIEDI, To have the ground is missing under your feet
QUANDO MI HA DATO LA NOTIZIA, MI È MANCATA LA TERRA SOTTO I PIEDI, When he gave me the news, I couldn’t feel the ground under my feet
COSE CHE NON STANNO NÈ IN CIELO NÈ IN TERRA, things that shouldn’t exist neither on land or water
TERRA TERRA, mediocre, flat.
QUEL LIBRO NON È MOLTO PROFONDO, È PIUTTOSTO TERRA TERRA, That book is not that deep, is very basic
Alessandro Manzoni,
‘Il cinque Maggio’
Ei fu. Siccome immobile,
Dato il mortal sospiro,
Stette la spoglia immemore
Orba di tanto spiro,
Così percossa, attonita
La terra al nunzio sta,
Muta pensando all’ultima
Ora dell’uom fatale;
Nè sa quando una simile
Orma di piè mortale
La sua cruenta polvere
A calpestar verrà.
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ARIA
from the greek AER = AIR.
L’ ARIA can be fine (thin) // leggera (light) // grave, pesante (heavy) // calda o fredda // tiepida (warm) or gelata (freezing)
È BELLO MANGIARE ALL’ ARIA APERTA , It’s great to eat open air, outside
ODDIO, QUI MANCA L’ARIA, Oh God, the air is missing here! There’s no air
or
NON C’È UN FILO D’ARIA , there’s not even a strand of air
CHIUDI LA PORTA, C’È CORRENTE D’ARIA , close the door, there’s a current, stream of air coming
PRENDERE UNA BOCCATA D’ ARIA , literally to go get a mouthful of air, meaning go outside so you can refresh your spirit, your lungs, your body
ORA D’ARIA it’s the “free” time inmates have in jail,
VENDERE L’ ARIA FRITTA, which means to sell fried air, that is, nothing, referring to somebody who’s deceiving you
MA VAAA! LEI VENDE ARIA FRITTA, LO SO! Come on!! She sells fried air, I know!
NON È ARIA, ‘that’s not the right moment’
LASCIA STARE MICHELE, NON È ARIA OGGI , don’t bother Michele, it’s not a good moment, it’s not the case
DARSI DELLE ARIE, to brag about something, to be full of yourself
NON SOPPORTO CHIARA PERCHÉ SI DÀ SEMPRE DELLE ARIE, I can’t stand Chiara because she’s always full of herself
MANDARE ALL’ ARIA , to f… up, to screw up, literally to send in the air
FARE CASTELLI IN ARIA, to fantasize about things, to create things in your head that don’t really exist
GUARDARE PER ARIA , referring to people who always look up
PAROLE CAMPATE IN ARIA!, words that have no foundation and probably no futureAVERE UN’ ARIA (assente, di superiorità, benigna, semplice), referring to the expression of the face, the aura etc
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