Why just say something “clearly” when you could declare it papal papal and make it sound like a divine decree? Or call a silly argument “pointless” when you could roll your eyes and dismiss it as goat’s wool?
In Italian, idioms like these are everywhere, making our speech super colourful… though they often sound hilariously nonsensical when translated literally!
So, here are 15 fun expressions to discover, enjoy, and – why not – start dropping into your Italian conversations.
1. Fare le cose alla carlona
Literally: to do things “the carlona way”
What it really means: to do things carelessly, sloppily, without much attention to detail.
This is one of those old-fashioned phrases we love to throw at kids (or anyone whose “best effort” looks a little improvised). And yes, carlona does sound like Carlo or Carla, for good reason. The word traces back to none other than Charlemagne himself, known in Italian as Carlo Magno.
Now, Charlemagne wasn’t sloppy at all, but in medieval poems and parodies, he was turned into Carlone, a rather unrefined, clumsy character. That’s how fare le cose alla carlona entered everyday speech to mean doing things without care.
There’s also a popular anecdote behind the expression: during a hunting trip, all the nobles showed up dressed to impress, while Charlemagne arrived in the simplest clothes. When it started to rain, all those fancy outfits were ruined, and let’s just say only one person didn’t regret his wardrobe choice. So, I wouldn’t say he was sloppy… just very, very practical!
Non sopporto quando la gente fa le cose alla carlona!
I can’t stand it when people do things sloppily!
2. Partire in quarta
Literally: to start off in fourth gear
What it really means: to start something at full throttle, to rush into something too quickly
You know that feeling when you get so excited about something that you throw yourself into it headfirst (and often burn out just as fast)? That’s partire in quarta! The phrase comes from the world of cars: imagine starting your car directly in fourth gear instead of working your way up from the first one, charging ahead at full speed when you probably should’ve eased into it.
A similar saying you’ll hear in Italian is partire in tromba, which literally means “to start with a trumpet.” It also has automotive roots: in the past, the car horn was called tromba (these days it’s clacson), and drivers would give it a good honk to make sure pedestrians and carriages got out of the way.
Parto sempre in quarta con i buoni propositi di Capodanno, poi dopo una settimana mollo tutto.
I always start the year at full throttle with my New Year resolutions, then give up after a week.
3. Buonanotte al secchio
Literally: goodnight to the bucket
What it really means: and that’s that, game over, nothing more to be done
We say buonanotte al secchio when a situation is hopeless, the damage is done, and all that’s left to do is chuckle and move on. A great mix of resignation and humor!
The origin of this saying goes back to the days when people had to draw water from wells using a bucket tied to a rope. If the rope broke, the bucket was gone for good, and that was that: buonanotte al secchio! Over time, this became a lighthearted way to accept things with a smile.
Se il fornitore non consegna oggi, salta tutta la produzione, e buonanotte al secchio!
If the supplier doesn’t deliver today, production stops, and that’s game over!
4. Papale papale
Literally: Papal Papal
What it really means: plain and simple, clearly and directly
You know when someone just says it like it is, no filters, just the plain truth? That’s what papale papale means. As you can probably guess, it comes from Papa, meaning “Pope.” After all, when the Pope speaks, his words are expected to be honest, direct, and crystal clear.
So papale papale is not about religion; it’s about speaking with that same confident, no-nonsense honesty as the Pope!
Te lo dico papale papale: secondo me stai sbagliando con Marco.
I’m just going to be straight with you: I think you’re making a mistake with Marco.
5. Farsi infinocchiare
Literally: to get “fennel-ed”
What it really means: to be fooled, tricked
This funny Italian idiom has its roots in the kitchen: infinocchiare literally means “to season with fennel,” that crunchy vegetable we use in salads, sip in digestives, and snack on when la prova costume (swimsuit test) season hits. But fennel also has a strong, distinctive flavour that can easily mask other tastes, even the bad ones!
Back in medieval times, tavern keepers took full advantage of this: when their meat wasn’t exactly market fresh, they’d season it heavily with fennel or fennel seeds to disguise the taste. And just like that, l’inganno era servito (the trick was served!).
Pensavamo di aver fatto un affare, invece ci siamo fatti infinocchiare alla grande!
We thought we’d made a great deal, but we got totally fooled!
6. Una questione di lana caprina
Literally: a matter of goat’s wool
What it really means: a futile argument, a pointless discussion
When something is so trivial it’s barely worth the breath it takes to discuss it, we sometimes call it una questione di lana caprina. Why goats? Because their wool is rough and scratchy, so not exactly premium material. The perfect image for a pointless debate!
The phrase actually goes back to the Roman poet Horace, who used it in his Epistles to make fun of idle people who wasted their time debating things so meaningless they could be compared to goat’s wool.
Basta discutere di questioni di lana caprina, abbiamo un sacco di cose più importanti a cui pensare.
Stop arguing over pointless details; we’ve got way more important things to think about.
7. Tirare in ballo
Literally: to pull someone into the dance
What it really means: to bring something or someone into a discussion or situation, often unnecessarily.
If we take tirare in ballo literally, it sounds like someone is dragging us onto the dance floor when we were just trying to enjoy our Spritz. And in a way, that’s exactly where it comes from: those old village festivals where everyone joined group dances, and the bold ones would “pull in” the shy spectators lingering on the sidelines.
These days, though, there’s no dancing involved. Instead, we use tirare in ballo when someone drags a person or topic into a conversation or argument, especially when it’s really not necessary. You know, the classic “Why am I suddenly part of this?”
Ogni volta che litighiamo, tira sempre in ballo mia madre!
Every time we argue, she always brings my mother into it!
8. Essere ai ferri corti
Literally: to be at short irons
What it really means: to be in strong conflict with someone, to be at each other’s throats
We use this phrase to metaphorically describe a very tense relationship, but originally, essere ai ferri corti wasn’t a metaphor at all. Back in the days of duels, the two opponents would start with heavy swords (the ferri lunghi—literally, “long irons”). But if the fight went on too long, they’d toss those aside and grab their ferri corti, the short daggers made for close combat. And that’s exactly the image this idiom carries today: things getting seriously heated.
Luca e suo fratello sono ai ferri corti da settimane per via di quella stupida eredità.
Luca and his brother have been at each other’s throats for weeks over that stupid inheritance.
9. Uscire dai gangheri
Literally: to come off the hinges
What it really means: to lose one’s temper, to get really angry
Uscire dai gangheri literally means “to come off your hinges,” and figuratively, it’s what happens when you completely lose your cool. The word ganghero (plural gangheri) comes from the Greek kánkhalos, meaning “hinge,” precisely the thing that keeps a door in place.
This expression may be a little old-fashioned, but we still use it sometimes. The image is vivid: a door slammed so hard it breaks free from what holds it together. Imagine yourself, in full meltdown mode, when your inner zen just gives up. So, next time your Italian friends tell you they’re usciti dai gangheri, picture them as that poor door!
Lo sai che questa cosa mi fa uscire dai gangheri, eppure continui a farla!
You know this kind of thing drives me crazy, and yet you keep doing it!
10. Mangiare la foglia
Literally: to eat the leaf
What it really means: to catch on to something; to figure out what someone’s up to
Ever had one of those moments when someone is acting all innocent, pretending nothing is up, but you catch on instantly? That’s mangiare la foglia. Literally “you’ve eaten the leaf,” but what it really means is: nice try, I’m not that easily fooled!
As for its origin, there are a couple of theories. One points to the behaviour of silkworms, who “taste” leaves before deciding if they’re any good to eat. Another traces it all the way back to Homer’s Odyssey, when Ulysses, trapped by Circe, eats a magical leaf and becomes immune to her spell.
All’inizio non sospettava nulla, poi ha mangiato la foglia e la festa a sorpresa è saltata!
At first he didn’t suspect a thing, but then he caught on and the surprise party was ruined!
11. Avere il magone
Literally: to have the stomach
What it really means: to feel like crying, to feel a lump in your throat
When someone ha il magone, it means they’ve got that unmistakable lump-in-the-throat feeling, the kind that demands a good cry
Now, the word magone might sound like it has something to do with maghi (wizards) but no, no spells or wands involved here. This term actually comes from the old Germanic word magen, meaning “stomach.” Which makes perfect sense, because when something hurts, it’s not just our heart that feels it, it’s our stomach that churns in protest too!
Ho ancora il magone per come sono andate le cose tra noi.
I still get a lump in my throat thinking about how things went between us.
12. Stare in campana
Literally: to stay in the bell
What it really means: to stay alert, to be on your guard
Stare in campana is a friendly warning, like saying like, “hey, keep your eyes open.” It goes back to the days when church bells were the heartbeat of village life, telling people the time and, more importantly, when something was wrong, like a fire or some other emergency that sent everyone running to the square. So when someone tells you to stare in campana, they’re looking out for you. It’s something said with care, a reminder to stay smart and alert.
Se andate in quel locale, state in campana perché sbagliano spesso a fare il conto.
If you go to that restaurant, stay alert: they often mess up the bill.
13. E compagnia bella
Literally: and beautiful company
What it really means: etcetera, and all that stuff
E compagnia bella is similar to eccetera (etcetera), but more fun! You’ll hear it a lot in everyday conversations when someone wants to say “and all that kind of things” without sounding too formal or serious.
What’s really fascinating is how this expression originated. It all began with the Italian translation of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Translator Adriana Motti used e compagnia bella to capture Holden Caulfield’s many casual “…and all” moments in his speech. She later said she took inspiration from her nephews’ slang, and readers loved it so much that e compagnia bella became part of everyday Italian.
Ogni volta che ci vediamo finiamo a parlare di politica, calcio e compagnia bella.
Every time we meet, we end up talking about politics, football, and all that stuff.
14. Prendere in castagna
Literally: to catch (someone) in a chestnut
What it really means: to catch someone red-handed
This quirky expression is used when someone gets caught doing something they definitely shouldn’t. The origins of the phrase go back to an old play on words: in Italian, marrone isn’t just the adjective for “brown” but also a type of chestnut, and in the past it was even slang for “mistake.” The original saying was actually prendere in marrone, meaning “to catch someone making an error.” Then, over time, marrone was replaced by castagna, but the meaning of getting caught out remained unchanged.
L’hanno preso in castagna mentre copiava durante l’esame.
They caught him red-handed while he was cheating on the exam.
15. Fare una filippica
Literally: to make a Philippic
What it really means: to go off on a dramatic, never-ending tirade
In classical Greece, Filippiche referred to Demosthenes’ famous speeches urging the Greeks to fight against Philip II of Macedonia. The term then resurfaced in Rome when Cicero used it to brand his own scathing addresses to Mark Antony.
Today, we use fare una filippica to mean launching into a heated, critical monologue, often exaggerated or moralising. We often say it jokingly to describe those never-ending lectures that start strong and end with everyone quietly reaching for their wine glass!
Ieri sono arrivato tardi e la prof ha fatto una filippica di mezz’ora sulla puntualità.
Yesterday I arrived late, and the teacher went off on a half-hour tirade about being on time.
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
