What’s as cool as gelato minus the calorie count? Italian wordplay!
© Joyce McGreevy

Spice Up Your Speech with Italian Idioms

One of the pleasures of travel in Italy is immersing yourself in the language. As you treat your palate to its cuisines, treat your tongue to Italian wordplay.

Oh,  I see:  Sampling Italian idioms is a rich, non-fattening way to savor Italian culture.

Many Italian idioms were inspired by food—but are rarely about food.
© Joyce McGreevy

Complimenti Allo Chef!

In English we favor plain statements when seeking the simple truth:  “Tell it like it is.”  “Give it to me straight.”

Now chew on the Italian equivalent: Diciamo pane al pane e vino al vino.  “Let’s say that bread is bread and wine is wine.”

In English, we call kind people “as good as gold.” Ah, but walk into a panificio just as the ciabatta emerges from the oven in yeasty clouds of glory. You’ll understand why Italians describe an especially nice person as buono come il pane—”as good as bread.”

In English, workers “bring home the bacon.” In Italian, they “bring home the loaf.”
(portare a casa la pagnotta)
© Joyce McGreevy

Bean There, Done That

If that Nice Person is also  “the life of the party,” Italians say, È tutto pepe! “She’s all pepper!” Add a talent for turning up at the right time and Italians say she “arrives at the bean” (capita a fagiolo). You can also apply that to events, like winning the lottery the day after losing your job.

Italian food idioms often have more crunch than their English cousins. Whereas we “give someone a taste of their own medicine,” Italians “give back bread for  . . . another kind of bread” (rendere pan per focaccia). I’ll toast to that!

Here’s how we English speakers describe a dream couple: “like two peas in a pod.” Passion and peas? Pull-eeze! Unafraid to go for hot and cheesy, Italians say compatible couples are come il cacio sui maccheroni—“like cheese on macaroni.”

“A penne for your thoughts, mio tesoro .  . .”
© Joyce McGreevy

Metaphors on the Menu

As you can see, many Italian food idioms have nothing to do with eating: Prendere uno spaghetti literally means “to take a single strand of spaghetti.” Sounds like something a laid-back cook would do, right?

In fact, it means to feel so freaked out you practically have a heart attack. Fortunately, only the metaphorical kind.

Time and again, Italian food idioms jazz up English equivalents like a five-star chef giving fast food a gourmet makeover.

Case in point: In English we tell someone who ignores unpleasant realities “you’re sticking your head in the sand.” It’s a thing of bizarre beauty, based on total nonsense about how ostriches react to predators.

Bonus round to us, right? Wrong, mio amico.

The Italians have bested us once again. They say such people “have their eyes covered with ham” (avere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto).

Score another point for Bel’Italia. (Deli) case closed!

If the pro-SCIU-tto fits . . . wear it?
© Joyce McGreevy

Just Desserts

Of course, not all Italian language idioms are based on food. Currently I’m in Ferrara, la città di biciclette, the city of bicycles. Ferrara has more bikes per capita than any other Italian town.

So naturally, Italian culture includes an idiom built for two.

In English we might say, “You’ve made your bed—now lie in it.” Italians say, Hai voluto la bicicletta? E adesso pedala! “You wanted the bike? And now you must ride it!” Way to pop a wordplay wheelie!

Take an Italian idiom out for a spin!
© Joyce McGreevy

Feelings are more fun in Italian, too.

“Out of your mind” with stress? In Italy, you’d be “outside like a balcony” (fuori come un balcone).

Annoyed? Declare Ho un diavolo per capello!— “I have a demon for every hair on my head!”

Are friends keeping something under wraps? Tell them, Sputa il rospo!—“Spit out the toad!”

From Ostriches to Osterias

Oh yes, Italian idioms toad-ally cover every Animale nello Zoo. There’s even one with ostriches. In Italian, somebody who can eat anything with no ill effects has “the stomach of an ostrich” (uno stomaco da struzzo).

And those toads you spat out? Well, some days, you’ve just got to inghiotti il rospo—”swallow the toad”. That’s the Italian take on “eat crow.”

“Should’ve ordered the crow . . .”
© Joyce McGreevy

But let’s nosh on something tastier. See that osteria on the corner? Gather your amici, order aperitivi, and sprinkle your conversazione with a few Italian idioms. For in the cookbook of life, Tutto fa brodo. “Everything makes broth,” including Italian wordplay.

Just remember to remove the prosciutto from your eyes.

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