Frasi Flashcards
a bordo
aboard; on/in (i.e. a vehicle, train)
a casaccio
at random, randomly
a grandi linee
in broad terms, in broad strokes
a ridosso di
near to, close to
accorciare la strada
to pave the way, to make it easier
alla buonora
at last
• alla buonora! - at last!
allargare le braccia
to open one’s arms (in sign of resignation, frustration, etc.)
alle foci di
at the mouth (opening) of
andare a genio
to be to one’s liking
• se questo libro ti va a genio, tienilo pure - if this book suits you, go ahead and keep it
• questa disposizione dei quadri non mi va a genio - this arrangement of the paintings is not to my taste
• non mi va a genio dover ripetere le stesse cose - I don’t like having to repeat the same things
• il suo modo di fare non mi va a genio - his behavior isn’t to my liking
• l’idea non le andava a genio - the idea didn’t appeal to her
andare a puttane
to go to shit
avere grinta
to have grit, to have drive
avere la bocca larga
to have a big mouth
averne fin sopra i capelli (di)
to be fed up to the teeth (with)
battere a tappeto
to comb, to search thoroughly
bere a garganella
to drink without letting one’s lips touch the bottle
calare il gelo
the act of an uncomfortable silence descending on the room
chiudere baracca e burattini
piantare baracca e burattini
(idiomatic) to close up shop
coi fiocchi
excellent (o first rate)
• un pranzo coi fiocchi - an excellent dinner
combinarla grossa
= fare una cazzata
to make a mess of things, to screw up big time
Come la mettiamo con…?
What do we do about…?
da che mondo è mondo
from time immemorial
dare nell’occhio
to stand out, to attract attention
darla vinta a qn
to let sb have their way
destare sospetti
to arouse suspicion
di buonora
early
• alzarsi di buonora, to get up early
di corsa
hurriedly, hastily
di proposito
on purpose, intentionally
dire con trasporto
to say (sth) with feeling
d’altronde
(d’altra parte, d’altro canto) on the other hand; besides, however
essere alle prese (con)
to grapple (with), to struggle (with)
essere dell’avviso…
to be of the opinion that…
essere una storia chiusa
(figurative) to be over, to be settled, case closed, moot point
fare sempre comodo
to always come in handy
fare strada a qn
to show someone the way, to lead someone
fare un male boia
to hurt like hell
farsi riprendere da Chi l’ha visto
to get caught on camera by God only knows
filare liscio e tranquillo
to go smoothly and calmly
• tutto sembrava filare liscio - everything seemed to be going off smoothly
guardare di sottecchi
to look furtively, stealthily, secretly
guardarsi bene da (fare qc)
to be careful not to (do sth)
in balia di
at the mercy of, wholly in the power of, liable to be harmed by
• Sono scappato, lasciando Francesca in balia di quella iena - I ran away, leaving Francesca at the mercy of the hyena
in conto vendita (vèndita)
on consignment
in fondo
after all
del resto
after all
in punta di piedi
on tiptoe
ingannare il tempo
to kill time
ingoiare il rospo
to suck it up, to bite the bullet, to take it (i.e. an insult)
ingranare la marcia
(auto) to put (it) in gear
inserire la marcia
(auto) to put (it) in gear
mandare a monte
to put an end to, to sabotage, to thwart, to mess up (i.e. someone’s plan, etc.)
mettere nero su bianco
to write (a few lines)
non me la sentivo
I didn’t feel like it, I wasn’t feeling it
non se l’è mai cantata
he/she never spilled the beans
nuovo di zecca
brand-new, brand spanking new
pagare il pedaggio
to pay the toll
pareggiare i conti
to settle the score, to get even
partire a tavoletta
andare a tavoletta
to floor it (in a car)
passarla liscia
get away with sth, to have a lucky escape
pensarla allo stesso modo
to feel the same way (about sth)
per forza di cose
by force of circumstances, inevitably, of necessity
per quanto mi riguarda…
as far as I’m concerned…
rimanere a secco di qc
restare a secco di qc
to run out of sth
rinfrescare la memoria a qn
to jog sb’s memory
far saltare la mosca al naso
to irritate, to anger, to make sb lose their temper
scappare a gambe levate
to run like hell
scrollarsi di dosso qc
scrollarselo di dosso
to shake sth off
se fossi in te…
if I were you…
se fossi nei tuoi panni…
if I were in your shoes…
farsi una sega
to masturbate
sgranchirsi le gambe
to stretch one’s legs
stare in campana
to be vigilant, to be on one’s toes
tenere a bada
hold off, keep at bay
togliere le tende
to get the hell out of dodge
trarre in inganno
to deceive (or to mislead)
tutto d’un fiato
in one breath; in one gulp (drink)
venire incontro (a)
venire incontro a (richieste, esigenze) to comply with
venire incontro a qn - to meet someone
vestito di tutto punto
dressed to the nines
a chiare lettere
openly, without hesitation
a lungo
for long; at length
a modo
good, sweet, good-natured, respectable, nice
a un tratto
suddenly
abbassare la cresta
to swallow one’s pride, to humble oneself
• fare abbassare la cresta a qn - to humble someone who is acting arrogant
agli atti risulta (che)…
the records show that…
andare a vuoto
to come to nothing
avere l’aria di (qc)
to have a particular look or expression
cacciarsi nei guai
cacciarsi in un bel pasticcio
to get into a lot of trouble
Che gli ha preso?
What’s wrong with him?
Ci mancherebbe!
Of course! | Don’t mention it! | You’re welcome! |
Ci mancherebbe altro!
That’s all we need!
consumare le scarpe
to wear out one’s shoes
mettersi dalla parte di qn
to be on sb’s side
di mezza tacca
di mezza tacca - (figurative) unimportant, of little worth; (literally) of medium height)
• una mezza tacca - a pip-squeak, squirt
di poco/nessun conto
of little/no importance
di rado
rarely, seldom
• di rado - rarely (or seldom)
• lo vedo di rado - I rarely see him
• non di rado - often
essere in ballo
(fig.) to be involved, to be at stake
• c’è in ballo un grosso lavoro - we have got a big job on at the moment
• ci sono in ballo grossi interessi - important interests are at stake
essere intento
intent, bent, set
• essere intento a fare qc - to be bent/set on doing sth
• la sua mente era intenta alla soluzione del problema - his mind was set on finding the solution to the problem
• i suoi orecchi erano intenti a cogliere il minimo rumore - his ears were strained to catch the slightest sound
darsela a gambe (levate)
to take to one’s heels (to flee or run away)
una faccenduola spinosa
a sticky situation
fare cilecca
to misfire; (fig) to fall flat on one’s face, to fail completely, to be unsuccessful, to be a flop
• voleva truffarmi ma ha fatto cilecca - he wanted to trick me but failed completely
• il nuovo film ha fatto cilecca - the new film was a flop
fare piazza pulita
to sweep, to sweep the board, to clean up, to make a clean sweep (of something)
fare spallucce
to shrug one’s shoulders
fare un bidone
fare un imbroglio
to cheat, swindle
fare un buco nell’acqua
go on a wild goose chase
farla pagare a qn
to get [sb] back [for sth]
farsela sotto
to shit oneself; to wet oneself; (also fig) to shit one’s pants (from fear)
ficcarsela nel culo
(fig) to shove it up one’s ass
• ficcatela nel culo, stronzo! - shove it up your ass, bastard!
finire in pasto a…
to get eaten up by…
i conti non tornano
it doesn’t add up
in fatto di
as regards…, as far as…
• in fatto di musica, nessuno lo batte - as far as music goes, he is second to none
lontano un miglio
a mile off, a mile away
• si vede lontano un miglio che non è felice - you can see a mile off he isn’t happy
mettere in campo
put in place, put in the field
mettersi in proprio
to set up one’s own business
mollare l’osso
(fig) let it go, forget about it, drop the subject
(lit) let go of the bone
mollare la presa
to loosen one’s grip
nel mirino di
in the sights of
non appena
as soon as
non avere scampo
to not have a way out (of sth, a situation)
non avere una particolare propensione a…
to not have any particular inclination towards…
non battere chiodo
(fig) to not be getting any (especially with regard to amorous relationships)
Non contarci.
Don’t count on it.
non fare una piega
(di indumento) to fit perfectly;
(di ragionamento) to be flawless;
(non agitarsi) to not bat an eye
non tornano i conti sui tempi
the times don’t add up, the times don’t make sense
passare la mano
pass the buck (shift the responsibility for something to someone else)
per forza
of course, no wonder
portare a spasso il cane
to take the dog for a walk
quello fa proprio al caso mio
(fig) that fits the bill (for me)
ritirarsi in buon ordine
to withdraw in good order, to leave in an orderly fashion
saldare i conti con qn
(fig.) to settle accounts with sb
saltare i convenevoli
to skip the pleasantries
schiarirsi la voce / la gola
to clear one’s voice / one’s throat
senz’altro
of course, certainly
stare in piedi
(figurative) (di ragionamento, discorso, ecc., essere coerente) to hold up to scrutiny, to be plausible
• quella teoria non sta in piedi - that theory doesn’t hold up
tenerci troppo
to care too much
tirare a sorte
to draw straws, to toss a coin
togliersi qualche sfizio
to satisfy some whim/fancy
tutto qui
that’s all
del vecchio stampo
old-school
della vecchia guardia
old-timer, old guard
a digiuno
on an empty stomach
a fiotti
gushing, spilling out
emettere/uscire a fiotti - to jet out, to gush
• il sangue esce a fiotti dalla ferita - blood is gushing from the wound
• le persone uscirono a fiotti dal cinema - people streamed out of the cinema
a malincuore
unwillingly, reluctantly
a stento
barely, narrowly, scarcely, hardly; (= con difficoltà) with difficulty
a tiro
within range, within reach
abbozzare un saluto
to give a nod, to give a half-wave
alla svelta
quickly
andare a gonfie vele
to go well/great, to go smoothly, to be booming (business)
avere il pelo sullo stomaco
to be unscrupulous and immoral, unafraid of consequences of their actions, unperturbed by insults or accusations
battere la strada / il marciapiede
prostituirsi in luogo pubblico
bruciare sul tempo
to beat to the punch, to get the jump on [sb]
camminare sul filo del rasoio
essere sul filo del rasoio
to be on thin ice, to walk a tightrope
cogliere in flagranza
to catch red-handed
con un pugno di mosche
empty-handed
dare corda (a qn)
to encourage somebody, to let sb have their way
dare in omaggio
- to give in homage
2. to give as a gift with purchase
di bene in meglio
better and better, just keeps getting better
d’oro massiccio
made of solid gold
essere conciato male
to be in a bad way, to be fucked up
essere di casa
to be at home, to be like family
essere in vena
to be in the mood
• Sono in vena di fare biscotti - I’m in the mood to make cookies
• Sei in vena per un’altra bibita? - Are you in the mood for another drink?
fare acqua da tutte le parti
(fig) to not hold water, to be full of holes
fare lo spiritoso
to act/to play the fool, to play dumb; to get smart, to be a wiseass
fare un male cane
hurt like hell
filare alla svelta
to leave quickly, to get the hell out
giocare a rimpiattino
to play hide-and-seek
guardare storto qn
(fig) to look askance at sb (with doubt, disapproval, or lack of trust)
in arretrato
in arrears, behind; outstanding, overdue; delinquent
• ero in arretrato col sonno - i was behind on sleep
in buona sostanza…
basically, essentially, in a nutshell
la dea bendata della Giustizia
“the blindfolded goddess of Justice”
reference to Themis, Titan goddess of divine law, order and customs
lasciare in eredità
to bequeath
levarsi qn di torno
togliersi qn di torno
to get rid of sb
mettere a repentaglio
to jeopardize
mettere in risalto
to complement, to highlight, to bring out
mettere qn con le spalle al muro
to corner sb; to put sb in a position where there is no going back or avoiding sth
per filo e per segno
in detail, chapter and verse
per sommi capi
vaguely, in broad terms
Per un verso…, ma per l’altro…
On one hand…, but on the other…
più di tanto
that much, so much, too much
primo piano
close-up
Quel tizio mi stava antipatico.
I didn’t like that guy.
rimettere in sesto
to put back together, to get back on track, to get back in shape, to fix up
seguire a ruota
to be on one’s heels, to follow close behind
stare allerta
to be on the lookout
sudati guadagni
hard-earned cash
tagliare la corda
to cut and run
tenere a freno
to curb, to rein, to bridle, to keep a lid on
tenere i nervi saldi
mantenere i nervi
to keep a cool head, stay cool, to keep one’s nerves steady
tenere il muso
to sulk, to cop an attitude, to be in a huff (with sb)
• tiene ancora il muso - he’s still sulking
• non tenermi il muso perché non lo tollero - don’t give me attitude, because I won’t tolerate it
tenere nella bambagia
to pamper, to coddle
• un bambino cresciuto/tenuto nella bambagia - an overprotected child
• quella bimba è di bambagia - that child is very delicate
tenore di vita
standard of living
togliere il saluto
to not speak to somebody
in capo a
(time span) within
mangiare la pappa in capo a qn
to eat sb’s lunch, to completely overpower or defeat sb, to take sth away from sb (anche fig)
a braccia conserte
arms crossed
a iosa
in abundance, in great quantity
• ce ne sono a iosa there are a great many of them
• avere matite a iosa to have pencils galore
a malapena
barely, hardly
a vanvera (vànvera)
haphazardly
aria fritta
empty talk, hot air
avere qualche santo in paradiso
to have friends in high places, to be well-connected
averne le palle piene
(idiomatic, colloquial) to be fed up with sth, to be sick and tired
battere la fiacca
to loaf about, to lay around, to slack off
biondo slavato
dirty blonde
cento dollari tondi
exactly one hundred dollars
comandare a bacchetta
to boss around, (fig) to kick around, to lord it over
Come da copione…
As expected…
darsi una botta di vita
give oneself a pick-me-up, give oneself a boost
darsi una calmata
to calm down, to cool it, to chill out, to tone it down, to keep one’s hair on
destare scalpore
1 to cause a fuss/noise/racket
2 to cause a stir/sensation/uproar
di fila
in succession, one after the other, in a row
• è piovuto per due mesi di fila - it rained for two months non-stop
• ha tracannato quattro bibite di fila - he knocked back four drinks in a row
essere sul viale del tramonto
(attore) to be passed one’s peak, to have one’s glory days behind them, to be washed up
• un attore sul viale del tramonto - a washed up actor
essere un bersaglio facile
to be an easy target
fare un freddo cane
to be bitterly cold
farsi bello
1 to primp
2 to make oneself look good; (also fig) to make oneself make a good impression
farsi vivo
to show up, to make an appearance, to come around, to get/keep in touch
in disparte
(da lato) aside, apart
• mettere qc in disparte - to put or set sth aside
• stare o starsene o tenersi in disparte - to stand apart; (figurative)
• se ne stava in disparte - he was by himself
in un lampo
in a flash
Niente di più sbagliato.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
parlare a vanvera
to prattle, to talk or chatter about unimportant things, to talk like a child, to talk nonsense
perdere il lume della ragione
to lose one’s power to reason
più di ogni altra cosa
more than anything else, above all else
