La goccia che fa traboccare il vaso (literally “the drop that makes the vase overflow”) refers to the latest occurrence in a series of cumulative small, unpleasant events that unexpectedly triggers a significant and sudden reaction. La goccia che fa traboccare il vaso It is identical in meaning to the English idiom “the straw that …
When my young son is tired or bored, he has the tendency to orbit around me, endlessly repeating the word mamma, in an effort to grab my attention. By the hundredth repetition, I occasionally can’t resist thinking to myself, “Ma smettila di rompermi le scatole!” (Don’t worry, I never actually say this to him! 😀) …
If someone is truly getting on your nerves, you might feel tempted to tell them to get lost… or worse. In Italian, the act of telling someone to buzz off can be perfectly expressed with the idiom mandare a quel paese (literally “to send to that country / land / town”). Unlike some other coarser …
Today we will be looking at an Italian idiom that revolves around one of Italy’s favourite sweet dishes, the pera cotta (cooked, poached or stewed pear). Although pere cotte are truly delicious, especially with a light sprinkling of zucchero (sugar), being called one isn’t exactly a compliment: it has the figurative meaning of weak or …
You’re chatting with your friend about someone when suddenly and unexpectedly, that person appears around the corner. There’s a perfect Italian idiom to describe this kind of encounter: “Parli del diavolo e spuntano le corna” which translates to “Speak of the devil and the horns appear.“ This well-known idiomatic expression serves as a playful means …
As you were crossing the street, your keys fell down the storm drain. Then, to add to your frustration, you missed the last train home. In English, we often say “When it rains, it pours” (or “It never rains but it pours“) to convey the idea that when one bad thing happens, other bad things …