Italian Italy

Il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio

Proverb USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(The wolf looses its fur but not its vice) • This proverb describes that it’s very difficult to get rid of a bad habit.

“Perché vi siete lasciati?” “Mi ha di nuovo tradito!” “Te l’ho detto, il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio!”

“Why did you break up?” “She cheated on me again!” “I told you already, the wolf looses its fur but not its vice!”

Italian Italy

acqua in bocca

Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(water in the mouth) • To keep quiet. If you have your mouth full of water, you cannot talk!

"Mi raccomando, acqua in bocca!"

"But remember, water in the mouth!"

Italian Italy

perdersi in un bicchiere d’acqua

Expression USED Frequently BY Everybody

(to lose oneself in a glass of water) • To make a problem look bigger than it is.

"È proprio imbranato, si perde in un bicchiere d’acqua."

"He’s so clumsy, he loses himself in a glass of water."

Italian Italy

l'acqua cheta rovina i ponti

Proverb USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(calm water ruins the bridges) • Referring to the erosive power of water, it's used to describe people that come across as quiet, but they do their work without being noticed (the work having a negative connotation).

"Hai sentito che ha combinato Luca? É riuscito a fregare tutti! Chi lo avrebbe mai detto!" "Eh, l'acqua cheta rovina i ponti!"

"Have you heard about Luca? He screwed everybody! Who could have possibly told!" "Eh, calm water ruins the bridges!"

Italian Italy

abbiocco

Word USED Frequently BY Everybody

(noun) • Drowsiness after a rich and abundant meal.

"Non mangio ora o dopo mi viene l'abbiocco."

"I won't eat now, or I'll get an abbiocco later. "

Italian Italy

in bocca al lupo

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(in the wolf's mouth) • When you're wishing someone good luck for something.

"Cosa fai oggi?" "Ho un esame d'inglese" "Ah, in bocca al lupo!"

"What are you doing today?" "I have an English exam" "Ah, in the wolf's mouth!"

Italian | Apulian,from Bari Puglia, Italy

trimone a vento

Idiom USED On Occasion BY People from puglia, around Bari.

Trimone is an idiot, but rather vulgar, it's like dickhead but intead of insulting both moral fiber and intelligence of a person (dickhead is a bad person in general) it only expresses the stupidity and idiocy of someone. The "a vento" part is a metaphor which in this context indicates that this person won't ever shut up.

"Ha parlato per un ora del legame tra vaccini e 5g." "Lascia stare è un trimone a vento."

"He spoke for an hour about the connection between vaccines and 5g." "Ignore him, he is an idiot."

Italian Italy

a babbo morto

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(to dead father) • It means someone can't pay and is not expected to pay anytime soon, so they say I will pay my debt when I will inherit my father's property.

"Ma il saldo?" "A babbo morto."

"What about the debt?" "to dead father."

Italian Italy

le basi

Standard Phrase USED On Rare Occasion BY younger generation mostly

(n.) • (the basics) • It's a way to pick on your friends for not knowing something that should be common (or basic) knowledge. It conveys a slight (jokingly) disappointment. You would expect that person to know something, and when you talk about it they have no clue what you’re talking about.

"Dai, non ci credo che non lo sapevi! Le basi!"

"C'mon, I can't believe you didn't know! The basics!"

Italian | Regional Italian Italy

abbiocco

Slang USED Frequently BY everybody

(n.) • It means feeling sleepy and full after a big meal.

“Dopo pranzo mi è venuto l’abbiocco e mi sono messo a dormire”

"I felt the abbiocco after lunch and I went to sleep"

Italian Lombardia, Italy

cicca

Slang USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

In Lombardia, it means chewing gum, but it can mean either that or cigarette butt, depending on where you are from.

"hey, non è che mi daresti una cicca?" "certo, tieni."

"hey, could you please give me a chewing gum?" "of course, take it."

Italian Italy

ti voglio bene

Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone

(I want you well) • It express non-romantic love for someone. It's like "I love you" used for friends and family.

"Grazie per essermi stata vicina. Ti voglio bene"

"Thank you for having been close to me. I want you well"

Italian Italy

Piove sul bagnato

Proverb USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(It rains on the wet) • It means that unfortunate things always happen to an already unfortunate person around the same time. It also means that lucky things always happen to an already lucky person. It corresponds to the saying "When it rains, it pours" in English.

"Oggi ho perso il lavoro e pure la ragazza!" "Piove sempre sul bagnato..."

"Today I lost my job and even my girlfriend!" "It always rains on the wet!"

Italian Italy

mi sento come un pesce fuor d'acqua

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(I feel like a fish out of water) • A way to say you feel uncomfortable, like you don't fit in or that the task is above your capabilities.

"Come va il nuovo lavoro?" "Mi sento come un pesce fuor d'acqua."

"How is your new job going?" "I feel like a fish out of water."

Italian | Regional Italian Northern Italy, Italy

moroso

Slang USED Frequently BY Young People

(n.) • It means "boyfriend" or "girlfriend". It is mainly used in the northern regions of Italy, like Veneto or Friuli.

"Ad ogni pranzo la nonna mi chiede se ho trovato la morosa"

"At every lunch (my) grandmother asks me if I've found a girlfriend yet"

Italian Italy

Ti attacchi al cazzo e tiri

Slang USED Frequently BY people aged 20-50

(Grab the dick and pull) • When someone wants to do something impossible and another person replies this intending that there is no solution.

"Volevo prendere il pullman ma è già passato..." "Ti attacchi al cazzo e tiri."

"I wanted to take the bus but it's already gone..." "Grab the dick and pull."

Italian | Milanese Lombardy, Italy

schiscetta

Name USED On Occasion BY Some People

(little squash) • 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".

Italian Italy

come un elefante in una cristalleria

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Some People

(like an elephant in a crystalware) • Used to refer to somebody that behaves in a clumsy or tactless way; used to describe someone who often bumps into things.

"Ogni volta che Giacomo entra in una stanza sbatte contro qualcosa, è come un elefante in una cristalleria".

"Each time Giacomo enters a room he bumps into something, he's like an elephant in a crystalware".

Italian Italy

matusa

Slang USED In the past BY People Over 50

(adj.) • (fogey) • Used to refer to an old person having a conservative mindset; short for Matusalem.

"Com'è possibile che tu sia contrario al divorzio? Sei proprio un matusa."

"How come you are against divorce? You're such a fogey."

Italian Italy

mangiarsi le mani

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(eat your hands) • 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!"