The Italian Dictionary of Food Related Expressions
A collection of all words and expressions in Italian that are related to food or eating.
Che pizza! *
* What a pizza
Expression used often by Everyone
It means “what a bore“ and can describe something or even someone.
“Che pizza questo concerto”
“What a pizza this concert”
Chi ha i denti non ha il pane e chi ha il pane non ha i denti *
* Who has teeth has no bread and who has bread has no teeth
Proverb used just about never by Everyone
It means that some people have talents and ambitions but no opportunity to realise them and some others have means (usually financial resources) but no aspirations to realise. It is used both to feel sorry for a talented person who can't afford what they want and to criticise a person who has occasions that they don't deserve.
"Maria parla benissimo l'inglese ma non più permettersi il viaggio a Londra, quindi il suo posto verrà preso da Marco, che non parla una parola di inglese. È proprio vero che chi ha i denti non ha il pane e chi ha il pane non ha i denti!"
"Maria speaks English very well, but she can't afford the trip to London, so her place will be taken by Marco, who doesn't speak a word of English. It is true that who has teeth has no bread and who has bread has no teeth!"
Ci sta come i cavoli a merenda *
* It fits like cabbages as a snack
Expression used here and there by Everyone
Something doesn’t fit or match at all.
"Che ne pensi di questa borsa con queste scarpe?" "No amo, ci sta come i cavoli a merenda,"
"How about this bag with these shoes?" "No honey, it's like having cabbages as a snack."
Sei scemo o mangi i sassi? *
* Are you stupid or do you eat stones?
Expression used here and there by Some People
Sei scema o mangi i sassi? • Rhetorical question that implies someone is really stupid. After all, eating stones is not the smartest thing to do, is it?
"Sara mi ha detto che vuoi andare in Antartide da solo. Sei scemo o mangi i sassi?"
"Sara told me you want to go to the Antarctic alone. Are you stupid or do you eat stones?"
Sputa il rospo *
* spit the toad
Idiom used all the time by Almost Everyone
To urge someone to speak their mind or tell about something with no restraints; to spill the beans.
"Non hai mai espresso il tuo parere sulla loro unione. Forza, sputa il rospo."
"You have never expressed your opinion on their engagement. Come on, spit the toad."
arancino coi piedi *
* footed arancino
Expression used here and there by Everyone
arancino chi peri • You can say this to someone very fat or who eats a lot, because an arancino is a very big fried food.
Note: In Catania we use the word "arancinO" and in Palermo they say "arancinA", but the meaning of the expression is the same.
"Hai mangiato tutto ciò che avevo cucinato! Sei proprio un arancino coi piedi!"
"You ate everything I cooked! You are really a footed arancino!"
baccalà *
* salted codfish
Word used just about never by Some People
noun • It's an insult used to address an incompetent and stupid person.
"È un baccalà, non è buono a niente!"
"He is a salted codfish, a good-for-nothing!"
broccolo *
* broccoli
Word used just about never by Everyone
noun • "Broccolo" is what you would call someone who is good for nothing and doesn't have any skills. Also someone who is stupid and dumb.
"Non ho parole... Sei un broccolo!"
"I'm speechless... You are a broccoli!"
buono come il pane *
* as good as bread
Expression used here and there by Almost Everyone
Literally "as good as bread", translates into "as good as gold".
Note: 'Buono' in Italian means both good taste of food and a kind behaviour (here it's the latter, but it's kind of a word pun).
"Quel ragazzo è buono come il pane!"
"That guy is as good as bread!"
finocchio *
* fennel
Slang used all the time by Almost Everyone
fi'nokkjo • The word literally means "fennel" but, if directed to men, it's an homophobic insult like "faggot".
"Luca è molto attraente, peccato che sia un finocchio."
"Luca is really good looking, too bad he's a fennel."
fuori di melone *
* out of melon
Expression used often by Almost Everyone
To be out of your mind; the melon here is used as a reference to a person's head.
"Lisa, perché vai in giro da sola di notte, sei fuori di melone?"
"Lisa, why are you walking alone at night, are you out of melon?"
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man de puina *
* cottage-cheese hand
Man de poina • Exclamation used to slightly insult someone who has dropped something or usually drops things.
"Ti è caduto di nuovo il cellulare? Hai proprio le man de puina!"
"You dropped your phone again? Your hand are like cottage cheese!"
mangiarsi le mani *
* eat your hands
Idiom used here and there by Almost Everyone
/man·già·rsi/ /lé/ /mà·ni/ • When you regret not doing something
"Alla fine hai ricevuto un aumento di stipendio?" - "No, mi mangio le mani per non averlo chiesto al mio manager!"
"Did you get a pay rise eventually?" - "No, I eat my hands for not asking my manager for it!"
mas'cio
Word used all the time by Everybody
This word literally means male pig. It is used for insulting a disgusting person, to indicate that a person is eating too much, or (more directly) to talk about male pigs.
'No sta fare el mas'cio', 'Vara che se te magni cosi tanto, va a finirla che te diventi un mas'cio', 'Ghemo fatto a sopressa col mas'cio de ieri'
'Don't be a pig', 'If you're eating as much, you will be as fat as a pig', 'We made salami with the pig from yesterday'
mica pizza e fichi *
* not just a pizza with figs
Expression used here and there by Some people
Used to indicate that something is not cheap, trivial or simple, but actually special in some way. Pizza and figs were typically cheap lower-class foods, so something not being pizza with figs means that it is not lower-class.
"Ha un dottorato in astrofisica, mica pizza e fichi!"
"She has a PhD in astrophysics, not just a mere pizza with figs!"
non c'è trippa per gatti *
* there's no tripe for cats
Expression used often by Most People
Used to say that you should accept things as they are because no options/alternatives are available; used to say that something is unattainable (both temporarily or permanently).
"Sto facendo fatica a trovare lavoro. Purtroppo con questa crisi non c'è trippa per gatti".
"I am struggling to find a job. Unfortunately, during this crisis, there is no tripe for cats."
né carne né pesce *
* neither meat nor fish
Used to say that someone has no personality.
"Marco non prende mai posizione, non è né carne né pesce."
"Marco never takes sides, he is neither meat nor fish."
papagna
Word used all the time by Everyone
noun • That sleepy feeling that you get after eating a good and abundant meal. The origin of the word comes from a infuse made of poppy, the flower, that gives you this sensation.
"Mamma mia che mangiata!" "Sì, me sta cala la papagna!"
"What a meal!" "Yeah, I can feel the papagna!"
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pesare i peri *
* weighing pears
Slang used here and there by Older Generations
pezˈare i peri • It is a dialectal form to describe when you are sleepy, with half-closed eyelids and cheeks hanging like pears.
"Come sta andando la conferenza? È interessante?" "No, è veramente noiosa, sono qui a pesare i peri!"
"How's the conference going? Is it interesting?" "No, it's really boring, I'm here weighing pears!"
pizzata
Word used here and there by Everyone
n. • A pizza-based lunch or dinner organized with a group of friends in a restaurant, often to celebrate something.
"Chi viene alla pizzata di domani?"
"Who's coming to tomorrow's pizzata?"
provolone
Slang used all the time by People Over 20
n. • The first meaning is a type of cheese typically produced in Southern Italy. It's also a term used to address a guy keen on flirting with any woman around him.
Note: The pun consists of "Provolone" sharing its first letters with the verb "provare", which means 'to try' but also 'to hit on someone' .
"Marco è un provolone, ci prova con tutte."
"Marco is a provolone, he flirts with every single woman."
rendere pan per focaccia *
* to return bread for focaccia
Expression used here and there by Everyone
To give someone a taste of their own medicine i.e. to treat them as badly as they treated you.
"Il vicino tiene la musica alta perché sei stato maleducato con lui? Ben ti sta, ti ha reso pan per focaccia."
"The neighbor is playing music loudly because you were mean to him? Serves you right, he returned you bread for focaccia."
rigirare la frittata *
* to flip the omelette
Expression used often by Everyone
Used when who is guilty of something tries to push accusations back on who is accusing them.
"Mi hai tradito!" "Solo perché tu non mi davi attenzioni!" "Non rigirare la frittata, è colpa tua!"
"You cheated on me!" "Just because you weren't giving me attention!" "Don't flip the omelette, it's your fault!"
schiscetta *
* little squash
Name used here and there by Some People
Word used in the Milanese dialect to refer to a lunchbox carrying food for school/university/work.
"Vieni a mangiare la pizza con noi?" "Andate voi, io mi sono portata la schiscetta".
"We are going out to eat pizza, are you coming with us?" "You guys go, I brought my schiscetta today".
testa di rapa *
* turnip head
Expression used often by Almost Everyone
It means something like "idiot" or "stupid" and it's used when someone doesn't understand something.
"Hai sbagliato tutto, sei una testa di rapa!"
"You did everything wrong, you turnip head!"
testa di rapa *
* turnip head
Expression used here and there by Everyone
A mild way of telling someone they are not very bright, intelligent, or otherwise capable of understanding or doing. Similar to calling someone an idiot, just less offensive.
"Andrea è proprio una testa di rapa, si è di nuovo dimenticato i compiti!"
"Andrea really is a turnip head, he forgot his homework again!"
zuccone *
* big pumpkin
Reference used here and there by Everyone
This is what adults say to children when they don't to understand something.
"Un'altra insufficienza! Sei proprio uno zuccone a scuola eh!"
"Another failing mark! You really are a big pumpkin at school huh!"