{"id":19186,"date":"2020-12-11T18:28:11","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T17:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=19186"},"modified":"2021-03-18T15:24:03","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T14:24:03","slug":"le-espressioni-idiomatiche-con-il-cibo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/le-espressioni-idiomatiche-con-il-cibo\/","title":{"rendered":"Le espressioni idiomatiche con il cibo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Le espressioni idiomatiche con il cibo – <\/em>Idiomatic expressions with food<\/p>\n

Le espressioni idiomatiche<\/em> are essential parts of learning and understanding a language. They are informal phrases that typically have a meaning different from the meaning of the actual words. Often they don’t even make sense at all. Per esempio in inglese si dice<\/em> “go bananas”… ma come mai vuol dire<\/em> “to go crazy?” Non ha senso!1<\/a><\/sup>avere senso – to make sense<\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

We all know Italian is synonymous with good food and wine. So it’s only fitting that they celebrate that in their language. Here are 20 idiomatic expressions all about food!<\/p>\n

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Image from Pixabay, CCO.<\/p><\/div>\n

1. Buono come il pane<\/em><\/strong> – Good as bread<\/p>\n

Someone who has a ‘heart of gold.’<\/p>\n

2. O bere o affogare<\/em><\/strong> – Drink or drown<\/p>\n

Like saying someone is going to ‘sink or swim.’<\/p>\n

3. I frutti proibiti sono i pi\u00f9 dolci<\/em> <\/strong>– Forbidden fruit is sweetest<\/p>\n

When you want what you can’t have.<\/p>\n

4. Minestra riscaldata<\/em><\/strong> – Reheated soup<\/p>\n

When something goes wrong, usually a romantic relationship, and you lose interest. Reheated soup is just never as good, vero<\/em>?<\/p>\n

5. Ha molto sale in zucca<\/em><\/strong> – Has a lot of salt in their pumpkin (their head)<\/p>\n

Someone who is very intelligente\u00a0<\/em>and has a lot of sense.<\/p>\n

6. \u00c8 tutto pepe!<\/em><\/strong> – He\/She is all pepper<\/p>\n

Someone who is full of life, since pepper spices up many dishes!<\/p>\n

7. Tutto fa brodo<\/em><\/strong> – Everything makes broth (soup)<\/p>\n

Every little thing counts.<\/p>\n

8. C\u2019entra come i cavoli a merenda<\/em><\/strong> – It fits like cabbage for the afternoon snack<\/p>\n

Which is to say, it doesn’t. It’s out of place.<\/p>\n

9. Sei come il prezzemolo<\/em><\/strong>– You are like parsley<\/p>\n

Parsley is a common herb in Italian cuisine so this means you pop up everywhere or are always in the way.<\/p>\n

10. Sono pieno come un uovo<\/em><\/strong> – I am as full as an egg<\/p>\n

I’m stuffed!<\/p>\n

11. Essere in un bel pasticcio<\/em><\/strong> – To be in a nice pie<\/p>\n

Like in English when you are in a ‘pickle’.<\/p>\n

12. \u00c8<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0rigido come un baccala<\/em> <\/strong>– He\/She is as rigid as a salted cod<\/p>\n

When you are not comfortable in a situation.<\/p>\n

13. Avere le mani di pasta frolla<\/em><\/strong> – To have pasta dough hands<\/p>\n

To have ‘butter fingers.’<\/p>\n

14. Avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca<\/em><\/strong> –\u00a0 A full wine barrel and a drunk wife<\/p>\n

As we say, have your cake and eat it too.<\/p>\n

15. Rendere pan per focaccia<\/em> <\/strong>– To give back bread for focaccia<\/p>\n

An ‘eye for an eye’ or payback.<\/p>\n

16. Fare polpette di qualcuno<\/strong><\/em> – To make meatballs of someone<\/p>\n

You have to ground your meat to make meatballs, so this means to treat someone roughly. Or to make ‘mincemeat’ out of someone.<\/p>\n

17. Due dita di vino e una pedata al medico<\/strong><\/em> – Two drops of wine and we can kick the doctor out the door<\/p>\n

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have some vino\u00a0<\/em>to keep the doctor away.<\/p>\n

18. Mangiare per vivere e non vivere per mangiare<\/strong><\/em> – Eat to live, don\u2019t live to eat<\/p>\n

Work to live, don’t live to work.<\/p>\n

19. Conosco i miei polli <\/strong><\/em>– I know my chicken<\/p>\n

Chicken is another popular Italian dish, so this means to know the basics.<\/p>\n

20. Tutto finisce a tarallucci e vino<\/strong><\/em> – It all ends with biscuits and wine<\/p>\n

Everything’s going to be just fine. We might say it’s all ‘gravy.’<\/p>\n

Write any more Italian idiomatic expressions with food below!<\/p>\n