An idiomatic expression that came up multiple times during our latest Vero Viaggio immersion trip in Torino was prendere in giro, which means to tease, to make fun of someone, or to pull someone’s leg in Italian. prendere in giro to tease / make fun of This idiomatic expression evokes the image of spinning someone …
Have you ever sworn someone to absolute secrecy? I know I have – although I was much more inclined to do so as a teenager, when I’d confide in my best friends about my secret crushes. These days, I’m far less likely to let my secrets slip. Age has taught me that, however well-intentioned people …
Is there someone in your life with whom you had an instant connection? Perhaps that person is your spouse, or maybe he or she is a childhood friend who, through thick and thin, has stuck by your side all these years. In Italian, there is a very fitting idiom to describe this kind of relationship: …
I don’t know about you, but mi da veramente sui nervi (it really gets on my nerves) when people try to push their luck with me. There is something especially irritating about someone who decides to test my patience, even though I’ve already said no, or made it abundantly clear that they’re taking things too …
Today’s Italian expression cannot really be classified as an idiom, but it is an interesting one to explore nonetheless because a) it has a dual meaning, and b) it is an expression that often bewilders learners when they first encounter it. fare il bagno to go for a swim / dip Before we proceed any …
Have you ever done something to benefit yourself, knowing full well that your actions could put someone else at a disadvantage? Or perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of somebody’s selfish actions? Either way, there is a very appropriate expression in Italian to describe this way of behaving. tirare acqua al proprio mulino to …