Heather Broster
Since I began learning languages over 20 years ago, one thing that has always struck me is how often different languages have idioms or proverbs that convey the same idea, yet express it in completely different ways. A good example is today’s proverb, Il mattino ha l’oro in bocca, which roughly corresponds to the English …
When I’m not working in front of the computer or working out at the leisure centre, I take great pleasure in tending to our local community allotment. Every year we plant different kinds of verdure (vegetables) to share with our community fridge – though admittedly some years have been more successful than others! On occasion …
Today’s idiomatic expression has a direct equivalent in English, yet, as we’re about to see, the two expressions couldn’t be more different in imagery. In English, when we attempt something beyond our true abilities without considering the possible consequences, we’re often warned not to “bite off more than we can chew.“ Italian offers an expression …
Recently my son has become obsessed with the iconic film Muppet Treasure Island, which is celebrating its 30 year anniversary this year. Come vola il tempo! (How time flies!) If you haven’t seen it, it is definitely worth watching for Tim Curry’s performance. alone. One adorable mistake he always makes when talking about the pirates …
Today we’re going to take a look at a simple yet incredibly versatile Italian phrase: lasciare stare, which can also be written and said as lasciar stare. Literally, it translates as “to leave it to stay” (lasciare = to leave, stare = to stay/to be), but this obviously makes little sense in English. Let’s take …
Before or after uttering a common saying or proverb, Italians often like to drop in the idiomatic expression come si suol dire, much in the same way English speakers might make use of the expressions as they say or as the old saying goes. This idiom allows the speaker to prepare the listener or reader …