* to take up horse racing
To change one's profession due to incapacity or unskillfulness in a previous job. This idiom is mostly used in the form of rather direct and dismissive advice/suggestion. Comparable to English "go climb a tree" or "go take up knitting."
"Luigi non è assolutamente in grado di svolgere il suo lavoro. Farebbe meglio a darsi all'ippica."
"Luigi is absolutely unable to do his job. He'd be better off taking up horce racing."
Added July 2022 by anonymous