One lesson I’m trying to teach my son is not to let the other kids in his class boss him around. I want him to feel confident standing up for himself, especially if he’s being pressured into doing something he doesn’t want to do. In Italian, there’s a great expression for someone who allows themselves …
My son is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde in the mornings. Some days, he wakes up full of smiles and hugs, but on others, he has what the Italians call la luna storta – the crooked moon. When he’s like this, it’s best to stay out of his way! Avere la luna storta, …
Imagine you’ve got a 40th birthday party to plan. You handle the decorations, order the perfect cake, coordinate with friends and family, prepare the guest list, and even organise a karaoke evening and a DJ—all while juggling your usual responsibilities. (And, yes, I am speaking from personal experience!) This kind of dedication is a perfect …
A useful idiomatic expression for indicating something is absolutely certain or blatantly obvious is Non ci piove. Non ci piove! No doubt about it! The literal translation of this phrase is It doesn’t rain on it, with piove meaning “it rains” and the particle ci meaning “on it.” Some possible English equivalents include: It’s often …
Imagine you are taking part in a heated discussion at work, and all of a sudden, one of your colleagues forcefully interrupts the conversation in order to assert their opinion. When someone aggressively enters a conversation, debate or discussion without waiting for their turn, you can describe their behaviour with the idiomatic expression entrare a …
The famous Italian proverb Chi dorme non piglia pesci – which literally translates to “those who sleep don’t catch fish” – suggests that simply lounging around will get you nowhere. Just as a fisherman must remain vigilant to catch a fish when it bites, achieving success requires constant readiness and action. Chi dorme non piglia …