If you live in a region with unpredictable weather patterns, you likely understand the importance of layering your clothing. In Italian, this practice of donning multiple layers is aptly described as vestirsi a cipolla. vestirsi a cipolla to dress in layers The phrase vestirsi a cipolla literally means “to dress like an onion.” This expression …
Imagine you find yourself adrift on a choppy sea in the middle of nowhere, with no means to call for help. It’s from this vivid image that we get the Italian idiom essere in alto mare, which literally translates to “to be on the high seas” in English. essere in alto mare to be in …
Zizzania, commonly referred to as darnel, poison darnel, darnel ryegrass, or cockle in English, is an herbaceous weed similar to wheat found in cultivated fields. It adversely affects the plants in the surrounding soil, causing damage to agricultural crops. Thus, the expression seminare zizzania literally translates to “sowing darnel.” seminare zizzania to sow discord This …
Today we are investigating an idiomatic expression with an exact English equivalent, just to make life a little easier on you! The idiom is ammazzare il tempo, which literally means to kill time. ammazzare il tempo to kill time Ammazzare is a verb in Italian that signifies to kill or murder. While uccidere is a …
In Italian, fischiare le orecchie literally means “to whistle in the ears,” and it refers to the persistent ringing or buzzing sound in one’s ears, often associated with tinnitus. Mi fischiano le orecchie! My ears are ringing / buzzing! However, this expression, when preceded by the verb sentirsi (to feel), can also be used figuratively to describe the …
I’m sure we’ve all encountered gossip or news at some point in our lives that has left us gaping in disbelief. In Italian, there’s a fantastic idiom you can employ to capture that feeling—rimanere di stucco—which essentially means being flabbergasted / dumbfounded. rimanere di stucco to be flabbergasted / dumbfounded Stucco is the Italian word …