We all know how important it is to grab an opportunity when it presents itself, and that’s precisely what today’s Italian idiom encapsulates.
prendere la palla al balzo
to seize the opportunity / moment
(literally “to catch the ball on the bounce”)
Imagine you’re in a basketball game, and out of nowhere, the ball comes bouncing in your direction. If you fail to snatch it as it crosses your path, there’s a high likelihood it’ll land in the possession of another player on your team, or worse, an opponent. This scenario perfectly captures the essence of the idiom: if you don’t seize an opportunity when it arises, it quickly slips away.
Ieri ho incontrato il mio vicino di casa e ho preso la palla al balzo per chiedere in prestito il suo tagliaerba.
Yesterday I met my neighbour and I took the opportunity to ask if he could lend me his lawnmower.
The essence of the expression holds true in diverse scenarios, from taking the perfect shot of a skittish animal with your camera to seizing a career opportunity that comes your way unexpectedly.
Note that it is possible to swap the verb prendere (to grab / take / get) with cogliere (to grab / catch / gather).
Ho colto la palla al balzo e gli ho chiesto di darmi un passaggio a casa.
I seized the opportunity and I asked him to give me a ride home.
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
