Grazie a tutti for the interesting responses to my blog ‘Una Mela al Giorno’
I asked you to help me out by finding English equivalents for five common Italian sayings or proverbs. Here below are those that I consider to be the closest in meaning:
| Proverb |
Meaning |
| chi fa per sè fa per tre |
‘who does for themselves does for three’
meaning: Sometimes it’s easier or better to do a job on your own.
English equivalents: 1. If you want a job doing properly, do it yourself 2. Too many cooks spoil the broth |
| il diavolo fa le pentole ma non i coperchi |
‘the devil makes the pans but not the lids’
meaning: the truth will come out in the end.
English equivalents: 1. Everything comes out in the wash 2.The truth will always out 3. If you make your bed, you have to lie in it |
| tra il dire e il fare c’è di mezzo il mare |
‘between the saying and the doing there is the sea in the middle’
meaning: it’s much easier to say something than it is to do it.
English equivalents: 1. Easier said than done 2. It’s easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk 3. Words are cheap |
| il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio |
‘the wolf looses its pelt but not its vice’ i.e.
meaning: the external appearance may change, but not what’s inside.
English equivalents: 1. Old wine in new bottles 2. A snake may lose its skin, but it’s still a snake inside 3. The leopard cannot change his spots
|
| la gallina che canta ha fatto l’uovo |
‘the chicken that sings laid the egg’
meaning: the person who begins to make a fuss about something is probably the culprit.
English equivalent: She doth protest too much, methinks |
Here are a few more detti (sayings) suggested by readers:
| Detto |
English equivalent |
| campa cavallo che l’erba cresce |
when pigs have wings |
| o mangi questa minestra o salti dalla finestra |
beggars can’t be choosers |
| ogni morte di papa |
once in a blue moon |
| come il diavolo e l’acqua santa |
like oil and water |
Comments:
Marta:
Buon giorno! I love idioms! I have a question regarding “O mangi questa minestra o salti dalla finestra”, would a mother say that to her children or is it used as it’s used in English, in general contexts? Grazie!
serena:
@Marta Salve Marta, when I was a child my mother always used the saying “o mangi questa minestra o salti dalla finestra” when I was being fussy. In my blog I translated it as ‘beggars can’t be choosers’, but you could also translate it as ‘like it or leave it’.
Saluti da Serena
Marta:
Grazie, Serena! I love that idiom and will say it to my fussy son 🙂