Ready to brush up your Italian anatomy vocabulary and learn some fun idioms? From head to toes, we have a whole body of funny expressions — literally! While the list is super long and couldn’t fit in one single article, I’ve picked 50 of the quirkiest ones for you. I guess the story behind #49 will be a total surprise for most of you!
The Face & Its Components
1. Metterci la faccia
Literally: To put your face on it
English equivalent: To take personal responsibility
This is when you go all in, proudly owning your ideas. It’s like saying, “Yep, that brilliant (or questionable) move? All me!”
2. Avere la faccia di bronzo
Literally: To have a face of bronze
English equivalent: To have the nerve
Just like bronze stays shiny and unbothered no matter what life throws at it, this is someone who boldly shrugs off all judgment. Shame? Criticism? Pfft, they just bounce off their bronze face!
3. Fare orecchie da mercante
Literally: To do a merchant’s ears
English equivalent: To turn a deaf ear
Ah, the ancient art of selective hearing! This expression comes from the old days when merchants would conveniently ‘mishear’ complaints or uncomfortable requests. “Oh, you wanted a discount? Sorry, didn’t catch that over the sound of my profits!”
4. Mettere la pulce nell’orecchio
Literally: To put a flea in someone’s ear
English equivalent: To plant a seed of doubt
This idiom is about those sneaky little comments that get someone’s brain buzzing with doubts, much like a flea hopping around, making things very itchy and suspicious.
5. Essere di bocca buona
Literally: To be of good mouth
English equivalent: To be easily pleased
This refers to someone who eats just about anything without complaining — basically, the dream dinner guest of any Italian mamma! But it’s not just about food. Whether it’s picking a movie or making weekend plans, they’re happy to roll with whatever comes their way.
6. Avere il palato fine
Literally: To have a fine palate
English equivalent: To have a discerning palate
On the other and, we’ve got the palato fine people — those culinary connoisseurs who can tell their Parmigiano Reggiano from Pecorino Romano in one bite and can easily spot a perfectly crafted risotto versus a soggy, uninspired version that would make any Italian mamma weep!
7. Acqua in bocca
Literally: Water in your mouth
English equivalent: Lips sealed
Whether it’s about keeping a juicy secret or a surprise party under wraps, this is the Italian version of “shhh!”
8. Avere il prosciutto sugli occhi
Literally: To have ham on your eyes
English equivalent: To be blinkered
Why just say you’re oblivious when you can say you’ve got prosciutto covering your eyes? It’s like walking around with delicious Italian ham draped over your face, completely missing what’s right under your nose!
9. Mangiarsi qualcuno con gli occhi
Literally: To eat someone with your eyes
English equivalent: To crave, to desire
We’ve all been there – spotting that someone across the room and practically devouring them with your gaze. Well, this Italian idiom nails that feeling!
Mouth & Tongue
10. Avere la lingua lunga
Literally: To have a long tongue
English equivalent: To talk too much
This one’s for the chatterboxes who are always in on the latest gossip or dishing out everyone’s business. So if someone’s constantly spilling secrets or spreading rumors, it might just be a classic case of lingua lunga!
11. Non avere peli sulla lingua
Literally: To have no hair on your tongue
English equivalent: To not mince words
This phrase is for the straight-shooters who speak openly, even if it means stepping on a few toes. No hair, no filter!
12. Parlare fuori dai denti
Literally: To speak outside the teeth
English equivalent: To say something explicitly
When you’re delivering your message loud and clear, making sure there’s no room for misunderstanding, you’re talking fuori dai denti. It’s like you’re pushing those words right past your teeth and straight into the open to deliver pure, unadulterated honesty!
13. Avere il dente avvelenato
Literally: To have a poisoned tooth
English equivalent: To be mad
This is for when someone holds some serious resentment. Think of it like a snake’s venomous bite — nasty, lingering, and definitely not something you forget easily.
14. Restare a bocca aperta
Literally: To remain with your mouth open
English equivalent: To be speechless
Ever been so shocked or amazed that your jaw just drops and you forget how to close it? Congratulations, you’ve officially remained a bocca aperta!
15. Mettere bocca
Literally: To put your mouth in
English equivalent: To have one’s say about something
You know those people who just can’t help but chime in on everything, jumping into every conversation to drop their two cents? That’s what mettere bocca is all about!
16. Mettere in bocca
Literally: to put in the mouth
English equivalent: to attribute something to someone
This one is all about putting words where they don’t belong. You know the type — twisting conversations and claiming someone said things they never did.
17. Rifarsi la bocca
Literally: To redo your mouth
English equivalent: To take away a bad taste
This expression is all about that feeling when you’ve just had something awful to eat and need to follow it up with something really good to ensure your taste buds are back on track!
Head & Hair
18. Avere un diavolo per capello
Literally: To have a devil for each hair
English equivalent: To see red
When someone’s got un diavolo per capello, you better steer clear. Imagine a head full of tiny, furious devils, each one tugging in a different direction, turning their owner into a walking volcano — one wrong move, and you might just get caught in the eruption!
19. Spaccare il capello in quattro
Literally: To split a hair into four
English equivalent: To split hairs
For the perfectionists out there, this one’s for you! It’s used when someone is super precise, obsessively dissecting every little detail, like trying to slice a single hair into four perfectly equal parts!
20. Avere grilli per la testa
Literally: To have crickets in your head
English equivalent: To entertain silly ideas
Someone with crickets bouncing around in their head is that person whose thoughts often venture into the land of the bizarre. They pop out with grand (and often wildly unrealistic) schemes that make you shake your head in disbelief and wonder, “What on earth are they thinking?”
21. Averne fin sopra i capelli
Literally: To have it up to your hair
English equivalent: To be fed up
This is perfect, polite way to say you’ve reached my limit and are absolutely fed up without using more colorful phrases like mi sono rotto/a le palle!
22. Avere un cerchio alla testa
Literally: To have a ring around your head
English equivalent: To have a headache
This is the the Italian way of describing a pounding headache that feels like a hula hoop is doing laps around your brain!
23. Essere fuori di testa
Literally: To be out of the head
English equivalent: To be nuts
When someone’s losing the plot or acting a bit bizarre, we say they’re fuori di testa. Younger Italians get extra playful by saying they’re fuori di melone (out of melon — because, you know, that head shape) or fuori come un balcone (out like a balcony, since balconies are, well, fuori — outside in Italian!)
24. Fare una lavata di testa
Literally: To give a head wash
English equivalent: To scold
This phrase is all about giving someone a verbal scrubbing. No soap involved, just a whole lot of stern words!
25. Tenere testa
Literally: To hold head
English equivalent: To stand up to
This one is about standing up to someone with confidence, keeping your head high, whether it’s a debate, an argument or. It’s like saying, “Bring it on!”
26. Costare un occhio della testa
Literally: To cost an eye of the head
English equivalent: To cost an arm and a leg
This is the phrase to use when something costs so much that it feels like you’re parting with a body part. Its origins date back to 16th-century Spain, when the conquistador Diego de Almagro lost an eye to an arrow during a campaign in South America and told the king, “I’ve lost an eye of my head to bring these new lands to the crown!” — definitely a steep price to pay!
Arms & Hands
27. Essere alla mano
Literally: To be at hand
English equivalent: To be down to earth
If a person is alla mano, they are easy to talk to and genuinely nice, like a friendly boss who’s ready to share a laugh or a celebrity who’s surprisingly chill, without any of that pretentious air.
28. Avere le mani in pasta
Literally: To have your hands in the dough
English equivalent: To have a finger in every pie
When someone’s got their mani in pasta, they’re involved in all sorts of things, often hinting at shady business. Whether it’s a side hustle, a sketchy deal, or just being way too involved in too many things, this expression screams “You’re up to something!”
29. Mangiarsi le mani
Literally: To eat one’s hands
English equivalent: To kick oneself
You know that feeling when you realize you’ve just missed out on something amazing — like that Tuscan villa that slipped through your fingers because you were too hesitant to book? That’s when you’d be “eating your hands” in regret.
30. Mettere la mano sul fuoco
Literally: To put your hand in the fire
English equivalent: To guarantee
When you’re so certain about something that you’d be willing to toss your hand into the flames, this is the phrase you use!
31. Avere il braccino corto
Literally: To have a short arm
English equivalent: To be stingy
This phrase is for someone who’s a bit too attached to their money — like they can’t stretch their arm far enough to hand it over! The origin of this saying dates back to medieval Florence, where the arm was the official unit of measurement for fabric. But clever merchants would use the shorter arms of their young apprentices to measure out the cloth, giving customers less fabric than they bargained for while pocketing a little extra profit. Short arms, indeed!
32. Alzare il gomito
Literally: To raise the elbow
English equivalent: To get drunk
Here’s one for the party animals! It refers to someone who’s had a bit too much to drink — because what do you need to do to enjoy those shots of Limoncello? Raise that elbow!
33. Legarsela al dito
Literally: To tie it to one’s finger
English equivalent: To hold it against someone
When someone wrongs you and you’re just not willing to let it go, in Italy we metaphorically tie a knot to our finger so we never forget that offense!
34. Toccare il cielo con un dito
Literally: To touch the sky with a finger
English equivalent: To walk on air
This is for those moments of pure happiness when it feels like you could stretch your arm and reach out to that blissful paradise!
35. Pagare sull’unghia
Literally: To pay on the nail
English equivalent: To pay cash immediately
When you pay sull’unghia, you’re settling up right away and in full — no checks, no credit cards, just cold, hard cash. It’s often used for larger sums, and the nail here represents your hand, ready with the money to seal the deal!
36. Avere polso
Literally: to have wrist
English equivalent: to keep one’s finger on the pulse
If someone “has wrist,” they’re in control, managing things with firmness. You might also hear avere il polso della situazione, which means having your finger on the pulse of what’s going on.
Legs & Feet
37. Essere in gamba
Literally: To be in leg
English equivalent: to be smart, capable, or in good health
On one hand, if you’re in gamba, it means you’re smart, talented, and able to stand on your own two feet – metaphorically speaking. On the other, it can also mean you’re in good health, because when you’re good your legs are working just fine and don’t lie on the bed.
38. A gambe levate
Literally: With lifted legs
English equivalent: Hastily
When you’re running away fast — like, really fast — you’re doing it a gambe levate, with legs lifted high, like a cartoon character who’s barely touching the ground!
39. Fare il passo più lungo della gamba
Literally: To take a step longer than your leg
English equivalent: to get ahead of oneself
This expression means that someone is overestimating their abilities, like trying to take a giant leap with tiny legs. Spoiler: they’re likely going to fall!
40. Fatto/a con i piedi
Literally: made with feet
English equivalent: done in a sloppy way
When something’s done poorly, we say it was fatto con i piedi — because, let’s face it, doing stuff with your feet isn’t exactly a recipe for precision!
41. Andare coi piedi di piombo
Literally: To go with lead feet
English equivalent: To do something cautiously
Imagine walking with heavy, lead-filled shoes — you’re going to take every step slowly and carefully, right? That’s the idea behind this phrase. It’s all about acting with extreme caution, like you’re weighed down by careful consideration.
Stomach
42. Avere il pelo sullo stomaco
Literally: To have a hair on the stomach
English equivalent: To have thick skin, to have no scruples
This phrase describes individuals who wade through tough situations with ease, but it can also refer to people who boldly disregard rules and dive headfirst into questionable actions, totally ignoring any moral consequences. Can you picture that metaphorical layer of stomach hair cushioning them against difficulties and moral dilemmas?
43. Avere fegato
Literally: To have liver
English equivalent: To have the guts
When someone is said to have fegato, it’s got nothing to do with organ donation—it’s about calling out their bravery! This expression harks back to ancient Greeks, who believed the liver was the seat of courage. And fun fact: it’s also the only organ in the human body that can regenerate itself! So if someone has the guts, they are like a liver: always ready to bounce back, no matter what life throws at you!
44. Avere un mattone sullo stomaco
Literally: To have a brick on the stomach
English equivalent: To have a digestion problem
Ah, the classic post-feast feeling! If you’ve ever indulged a bit too much at the dinner table, you know exactly what it feels like to have un mattone sullo stomaco. It’s the perfect visual for that heavy, uncomfortable sensation that follows a delicious meal.
Miscellaneous
45. Farsi le ossa
Literally: To make one’s bones
English equivalent: To learn the ropes
Just like a baby develops its bones to stand tall, this expression means you’re out there gaining the essential skills and experience to thrive in your field. It’s often used in the workplace, where young newbies need to dive into the deep end of the learning process – or la gavetta, as we say in Italian.
46. Avere l’acqua alla gola
Literally: To have water up the throat
English equivalent: To be under pressure
This phrase captures that drowning sensation when life piles up and you’re gasping for air (or a vacation!).
47. Avere il cuore in gola
Literally: to have the heart in the throat
English equivalent: to be on the edge, to be anxious about something
You know that heart-pounding feeling when you’re anxious, thrilled, or even head-over-heels in love? Yeah, that’s your heart trying to escape right through your throat!
48. Non stare nella pelle
Literally: Not to stay in one’s skin
English equivalent: To be very excited
Ever been so excited you feel like you could just burst? In Italy, we say we can’t stay in our own skin! It’s the perfect way to describe that electrifying energy!
Some cheeky ones!
Warning: Use these wisely, and only with your closest friends!
49. Avere le palle girate
Literally: To have the balls turned
English equivalent: To be pissed off
When someone says they’ve got le palle girate, they’re absolutely fed up. While it may sound like it’s about anatomy, it actually comes from WWI, when soldiers would turn the ammunitions (called “balls”) in their rifles to make them deadlier. So, when someone is this angry, it’s best to steer clear!
50. Avere il pepe al culo
Literally: To have pepper in the butt
English equivalent: To be restless, to be hyper
This colorful expression describes a person who’s buzzing with energy and moving at lightning speed. Think about it — if you had something that spicy down there, you wouldn’t be sitting still either!
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.
