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
porgere i suoi omaggi
to pay one’s respects
rigare dritto
1 to go straight
2 to discontinue engaging in criminal acts; to become a law-abiding person
rimanere di sasso
restare di sasso
(fig) to be dumbfounded
rimetterci la pelle
to lose one’s life
rompere il salvadanaio
to break the piggy bank
saltare il fosso
(fig) to take the plunge
schiacciare un pisolino
to take a nap, to get some shut-eye
se si sparge la voce
if word gets out…
senza degnare di uno sguardo
to not so much as look at
Siamo di nuovo punto e a capo.
We’re back to square one.
sporcarsi le mani
to get one’s hands dirty (anche fig)
stare alla larga (da qn/qc)
tenersi alla larga (da qn/qc)
to keep one’s distance (from sb/sth), keep away (from sb/sth)
• stai alla larga da casa mia! - keep away from my house!
• girare alla larga - to stay away, to run along, to wander around somewhere far away
stare sulle spine
to be on tenderhooks (in a state of suspense or agitation because of uncertainty about a future event)
s’intende
naturally | of course
tanto per cambiare
for a change, just for a change, for once
tenere duro
to stand firm, to hold out
tenere in piedi
(fig) to keep sth going (i.e. a business)
tessere le lodi (di qn o qc)
to sing the praises (of sb or sth)
tirare a campare
to keep going as best one can, to live hand to mouth
tirare il fiato
(fig) to take a breather, to finally take a breath, to take a break
tirare troppo la corda
(fig) to stretch to the limit, to go too far, to push one’s luck
togliere di mezzo
(persona, cosa) to get rid of; (informal) (uccidere) to bump off
Non ci penso proprio.
“I really don’t think so.”
“Not gonna happen.”
Se la devo dire tutta…
“If I’m being honest…”
“To be perfectly honest…”
Siamo tutti fuori strada.
“We’re all over the place.”
Smamma!
“Scram!”
“Get outta here!”
mettere in preventivo
1 to consider, to take into account, to allow for, to expect sth to happen
2 to take for granted
di schianto
all of a sudden
l’armadio a quattro ante
large heavily muscled man
rincarare la dose
to add to it; to pile it on; to lay it on thick
i jeans (pantaloni) a sigaretta
skinny jeans
avercela con qlcu
to have it in for sb, to be mad at sb
• Perché ce l’hai con me? - Why do you have it in for me?
cascarci
(fig) to fall into a trap
cavarsela con poco
to get off lightly
cavarsela
(farcela) to get by, to manage, to succeed, to hack it, to muddle through, to make ends meet
come te la cavi?
how are things?
cavarsela a buon mercato
to come off lightly, get away with it
farcela
to make the grade, make it, do the trick, get by, to succeed, to manage
intendersela con qlcu
(fam) to have an affair with sb
• I due se la intendono da anni. - Those two have been seeing each other for years.
menarsela
to waste time yapping, to worry excessively about sth
prendersela
to be offended, to take offense, to be angry
spassarsela
to hang out, to have fun, to have a hoot
• Abbiamo bevuto ieri e ce la siamo spassata. - We drank yesterday and had a fun time.
spuntarla
to succeed on trying sth, to succeed in obtaining a goal
starci
1 to fit together
2 to “be in”, to agree to do sth
• vuoi venire? Ci sto! - Do you want to come? I’m in!
3 (spec di una donna) to be available/interested in a romantic relationship
• l’ho corteggiata da anni ma non ci starà mai - I’ve been courting her for years but I’ll never get her
svignaresela
(coll) to sneak/slip away
• Il ladro riuscì a svignarsela. - The thief managed to slip away.
vedersela
(spec. in modo conflittuale) to deal with, to handle, to sort
sull’orlo del baratro (bàratro)
on the brink of collapse; on the ropes; on the edge of the abyss
fare fatica a fare qc
to have a job doing sth, find it difficult to do sth
• faccio fatica a crederlo - I find that hard to believe
• faccio fatica a capire la matematica - I find it difficult to understand math
pur di
just to, with the sole purpose of
• farei qualsiasi cosa pur di saperlo - I would do anything to find out
• pur di aver successo è disposto a tutto - he’ll stop at nothing in order to be successful
• ha tradito chiunque pur di vincere le elezioni - he betrayed everyone just to win the election
• quel ragazzo farebbe di tutto pur di diventare un calciatore, persino abbandonare la sua famiglia - that boy would do anything to become a soccer player, even abandon his family
a base di
based on, made from/with, using
a caccia di
in search of, on the hunt for
a cuccia
“down boy”
a fior di
on the surface of
• a fior d’acqua - on (the surface of) the water
• a fior di labbra - whispering
• avere i nervi a fior di pelle - to be very nervous, to be a bundle of nerves
a occhio e croce
more or less, give or take
a piedi
on foot
• andare a piedi - to walk, to go on foot
a proposito (di)
speaking of, regarding, by the way…
a prova di errore
foolproof
a ridosso (di)
close to (sth), just shy of (sth)
a scatola chiusa
sight unseen
a sproposito
out of turn, at the wrong moment
a tavola
time to eat!
a tratti
in patches, in intervals, at times
accusare il colpo
1 to feel the blow
2 to take the hit; to take the blame; to feel at fault
affittasi / affittansi
For rent:
al primo posto
at the top of the list; top priority
all’esterno (di)
outside
all’interno (di)
inside
andare a nanna
go to beddy byes
andare a pari passo
to go hand in hand
andare giù a (qlcu/qlcs)
to take kindly to
andare fino in fondo
arrivare fino in fondo
1 to get to the bottom of something
2 to go all the way (sexually)
andare in fumo
to go up in flames
aprire i battenti
to open for business
apparecchiare la tavola
to set the table
approfondire una faccenda
to dig into sth
arrivare il sangue alla testa
to fly into a rage
avere a che fare con
avere a che vedere con
to have sth to do with
avere da ridire
to have sth to say about, to comment on
avere gli occhi sbarrati
to have one’s eyes wide open
avere l’aria (di essere…)
to seem (to be)
avere in serbo
to have in store
avere fin sopra i capelli
have it up to “here”
avere soggezione di qlcu
to be in awe of sb
avere una faccia da 2 novembre
to have a long/solemn/sad face
bacato nella zucca
off one’s nut, crazy
buoni propositi di Capodanno
New Year’s resolutions
buono a sapere
good to know
cambiare rotta
to change course
capitare a fagiolo
to happen just in time
• capita a fagiolo - perfect timing!
cavoli amari (càvoli amari)
said to someone meaning “you’re dead meat” or “you’re in big trouble” (literally: “bitter cabbage”)
• Saranno cavoli amari per te quando ti consegneremo al nostro capo - You’re in for a world of hurt when we deliver you to our boss
ce l’ho messa tutta
I gave it my all
ce l’ho (ancora) con te
I’m (still) mad at you
cercasi / cercansi
Wanted: / Looking for:
chiudere un occhio
to turn a blind eye, to look the other way
Ci mancherebbe anche questa!
That’s all we need!
Ci mancherebbe altro
strong affirmation akin to “of course,” “don’t mention it” (literally: “something would be lacking otherwise”)
mettere la mano sul fuoco
to state confidently
• metto la mano sul fuoco che arriverà in ritardo - I’ll bet anything he’s going to be late
ci può stare
that makes sense; fair enough; sounds good
ci sto
I’m in
ci tengo a dirti
i want you to know…
ci vuole fegato per farlo
it takes guts to do that
cogliere al volo
to jump on sth (ie. an opportunity)
i colori cozzano
the colors clash
come il palmo della mia mano
like the back of my hand
come mai?
how come?
come no!
of course!
come te la passi?
how are you doing?
come un fulmine a ciel sereno
out of the blue, out of nowhere, all of a sudden (literally: like a bolt of lightning in a clear sky)
con la coda dell’occhio
out of the corner of one’s eye
concordo in pieno
I totally agree
condannato all’ergastolo
given a life sentence
conoscere a menadito
to know (someplace) inside out
correre dietro
to run after, to pursue, to chase
essere così sicuro di (qualcosa) da (verbo)
to be so sure of (sth) that (subject + verb)
dalla notte dei tempi
from the dawn of time
danneggiare la salute di qlcu
to harm one’s health
dare man forte a qn
to back sb up
dare nell’occhio
to stick out
darsi la zappa sui piedi
to shoot yourself in the foot (literally: to hit oneself in the foot with a garden hoe)
di mezza tacca
two-bit, third rate
di questo passo
at this rate…
dica duca
said in jest when there is conversational confusion(from famous sketch with Totò e Dorian Gray)
dovrà vedersela con me
he/she will have to deal with me
e chi più ne ha più ne metta
and so on and so forth
e così via
and so on
essere costretto a (fare qualcosa)
to be forced/required/impelled to…
essere in gamba
to be good at
essere in prova
to be on a trial period
essere in soggezione
to be uneasy
essere scorrevole
to be coherent, to flow well, to flow nicely
essere su in giri
to be on top of the world
essere un bidone
to be dead weight (sports), to be ugly
essere una nullità
to be a nobody
essersi confuso
to become confused
fare bullismo
to be a bully
far cadere a terra
to knock over
fare carte false
to do everything in one’s power, to resort to
fare fatica
to struggle
fare i conti
to do the math; to come to terms
fare il bullo
to be a bully
fare il passo più lungo della gamba
to bite off more than one can chew
fare il pieno
fill up completely (i.e. gas tank)
fare l’occhiolino
to wink
fare la pelle (a qlcu)
to have (sb) killed
fare la voce grossa
to assume behavior of strong reproach or outrage, to yell at sb; to protest, to make one’s case
fare le corna
to wish for luck
• facciamo le corna - fingers crossed
fare le corna a qlcu
to cheat on sb
fare mente locale
to focus, to think really hard, to try to remember
fare piazza pulita
to make a clean sweep; to get rid of completely
fare ribrezzo
to inspire loathing
fare schifo (a/in)
to suck (at); to be lousy (at); to be terrible (at)
fare un balzo
to jump
fare un macello
to mess up, to screw up
fare un peto
to fart
fare fuori a qlcu
to take sb out, to waste sb, to do away with sb
farsela addosso
farsela sotto
1 (lett) to shit/wet oneself
2 (fig) to be scared shitless
farsene un baffo
to not give a damn about sth
farsi ingannare dalle apparenze
to be fooled by looks/appearance
farsi largo
to muscle in, to plow through
farsi sgamare
to get caught
finché (non)
fino a quando (non)
until
fino in fondo
fully, all the way
fuorché
except
giocare a bocce
to play bocce
girarci intorno
to beat around the bush
guardarsi bene da
to be careful not to (do sth)
ridere di qlcu
to laugh at sb
l’imbarazzo della scelta
spoiled for choice
in barba a
in spite of, despite
in fatti di
when it comes to, with regard to, in terms of
in linea di massima
broadly speaking
in materia di
with regard to
in tenuta (da)
dressed as, in uniform
ingoiare il rospo
to take it on the chin, to suck it up (to suffer an insult or a particularly unpleasant situation without reacting)
La madre degli scemi è sempre incinta.
There’s no shortage of idiots in the world. (literally: The mother of fools is always pregnant.)
La pianti o no?
Will you knock it off?
lasciarsi sfuggire
to blurt out
lavorare nero
to work off the books, to work under the table
levarsi dai piedi
levarsi dal cazzo
levarsi dai coglioni
to get lost
levarsi di torno
to get out of the way
d’altro canto
on the other hand
ma va!
dai, c’mon
macché!
no! what are you talking about!
mandare a quel paese
mandare al diavolo
to tell someone to go to hell
• mi mandò a quel paese - he told me to go to hell
me l’ha giurata da anni
he’s had it out for me for years
mettere a repentaglio
to jeopardize
mandare in monte
to mess up, to ruin
mandare in onda
to put on the air
marinare la scuola
to play hooky
messa in piega
hairstyle, hairdo
metterci molta cura
to take a lot of care/effort
metterci molto tempo
to take a lot of time
mettere al bando
banish, get rid of
mettere fretta a qlcu
to rush someone
mettere in soggezione
intimidate
mettere (qcn) a nanna
to put (sb) to bed
mettere (qcn) in imbarazzo
to embarrass (sb)
mettere di traverso
to put sideways
mettersi d’accordo
to reach an agreement
mettersi in imbarazzo
to embarrass oneself
mettiti in fila
get in line!
mica male!
not bad at all!
• mica male questa torta! - This cake isn’t bad!
mica tanto
not really
mollare l’osso
to let up, to let sth go
montarsi la testa
to get a big head (to be arrogant or conceited)
mordere il freno
to champ at the bit
morire di fame
to be dying of hunger (exaggeration)
nei confronti di
towards, with regard to, vis-à-vis
niente per niente
nothing for nothing, nothing free
non mi resta che
there’s nothing left for me to do but…
non ci posso fare niente
I can’t help it; I can’t do anything about it
non ci sta
it doesn’t fit (literally, physically); (anche fig) it doesn’t jibe
non fare il brillante
don’t get smart
non mi va giù
I don’t like it/him/etc., I can’t tolerate it/him/etc.
non se l’era sentita
he/she didn’t feel like it
non se la sentiva
he/she didn’t have the heart
non sono mica nato ieri
I wasn’t born yesterday
passare dalle parole alle mani
to go from words to blows
passarla liscia
to get away with it
per giunta
moreover
per non essere da meno
not to be outdone
per quanto ne sappia io
as far as I can tell…
e per quanto riguarda…?
what about…? (referring to sth)
perdere il conto
to lose track, to lose count
piegare all’indietro
to tilt/lean backwards
farsi prendere la mano
to get carried away, to go overboard
prendere provvedimenti
to take action, to take measures (against or in response to sth)
preso alla sprovvista
taken aback
pur di non
anything to keep from, anything to prevent, anything to not, just to avoid
• io darei tutto pur di non stare qui - I’d give anything not to be here
• morirei pur di non vederti triste mai più - I’d die just to keep from seeing this sad ever again
qlcu lassù ti vuole bene
someone up there likes you
quanto meno
at least, at the very least
• Dovrebbe essere quadrata o quanto meno rettangolare. - It should be square, or at least rectangular.
• Questo è il piano, quanto meno. - Well, that’s the plan, at least.
reggimi il gioco
follow my lead
rimanerci secco
to get killed
rimanere di sasso
to be dumbfounded
rimanere impresso
to be left with a lasting impression
rimanere incastrato
to get stuck (i.e. doing sth, with sb, etc.)
rimettere in moto
to start up again
rimetterci la pelle
to lose one’s life, to get killed
rivolgere la parola
to speak to (sternly)
rompere i coglioni a qlcu
scassare i marroni a qlcu
rompere le scatole a qlcu
rompere il cazzo a qlcu
to break (sb’s) balls, to give (sb) a hard time
scontare la pena
to do one’s time
se fosse per me
if it were up to me…
se proprio ci tieni
if you really want, if it’s that important to you
sfiorare l’idea
to entertain the idea, to imagine
si direbbe
it seems, one would say, it would seem, it appears
sin da
fin da
since, from
• sin dall’inizio - from the beginning
soffiarsi il naso
to blow one’s nose
il sorriso di circostanza
fake smile (inauthentic but with the aim of placating)
sputare il rospo
spit it out, out with it
stando alle voci
rumor has it…
stare all’erta
stare allerta
to be vigilant, to be on the lookout
stare per
to be about to…
steso a terra
lying on the ground
storcere il naso
to turn one’s nose up at
sull’orlo del baratro
on the brink of collapse, on the ropes, by a thread, at the edge of the abyss
tanto per cambiare
for a change, for once
Te la senti?
Are you in? Are you up for it?
tendere un agguato
to set up an ambush
tenere a bada
to keep at bay, to hold off
tirare la corda
to take things too far, to push one’s luck
tirare le somme
to sum up, to draw conclusions
tirarla per le lunghe
to drag (sth) it out
toglierselo di torno
to get sth/sb out of one’s way, to get rid of sth/sb
tornare subito
to be right back, to come back quickly
• torno subito - I’ll be right back
tra l’altro
by the way; among other things
• Pago la casa, tra l’altro. - I pay for this house, among other things.
• Ed è un segreto, tra l’altro. - That’s a secret, by the way.
• Un indirizzo che, tra l’altro, non esiste. - An address which, by the way, doesn’t exist.
trattare qlcu con sussiego
to condescend to sb
truccare le carte
to stack the deck, to rig the game
essere del tutto d’accordo
to fully agree
dritto filato
straight ahead, straight there
vedersela brutta
to have a nasty moment; to have a bad time of it
vedersela nera
to go through a bad situation
vedi di essere
make sure (to…)
vendere cara la pelle
to not go quietly
vendesi / vendonsi
For sale:
venire alle mani
to come to blows
venire in mente
to come to mind
fare venire l’acquolina in bocca
to make (one’s) mouth water
vivo e vegeto
alive and kicking
volgere le spalle a qn
turn one’s back on sb
un balzo in avanti
a great leap forward (fig)
una lista in continuo aggiornamento
a running list
un poco di buono
a low life
una fortuna sfacciata
dumb luck, blind luck
• Che fortuna sfacciata avere una moglie così. - He’s a lucky son of a bitch to have a pretty girl like that for a wife.
• Ho una fortuna sfacciata di recente. - I’ve had an astonishing run of luck.
una foto a tradimento
a picture taken sneakily
una vecchia gloria
has-been, washed up
se non erro…
if I’m not mistaken…
più…, più…
meno…, meno…
(comparative correlative)
the more…, the more
• più a lungo i parametri vitali rimangono stabili, meglio è - the longer Zanardi’s vital signs remain stable, the better off he is
• più alto una persona è, più facile gli è il pallacanestro - the taller a person is, the easier basketball is for them
dovere smetterla (di)
to have to stop doing sth
• devi smetterla di leggere quella roba - you have to stop reading that stuff
• devi smetterla di renderla così insicura - you have to stop making her so insecure
rilascare su cauzione
to release on bail
disposto a tutto
willing to do anything
finire per/a
to wind up
• a furia di bere così finirai con l’ammazzarti - if you carry on drinking like that you’ll end up killing yourself
• la loro sconsideratezza finirà per provocare un disastro - their carelessness will bring about a disaster
• il prodotto ha finito col non avere successo - the product ended up not being successful
• vorrei finire col ringraziare tutti i presenti - I would like to wind up by thanking all present
tirare su il morale (di qn)
to cheer (sb) up
correre incontro
to run up to
• mi corse incontro e mi abbracciò - he ran up to me and hugged me
• andiamogli incontro alla stazione - let’s go and meet him at the station
• mi si fece incontro minaccioso - he came towards me with a threatening air
venire incontro
to meet halfway
venirsi incontro
to get along; to come to an understanding/agreement
ricominciare da capo
to start over
essere venuto bene
to have gone well, to have ended up good
essere finito bene
to have gone well, to have ended up good
fuori dai piedi
out of the way
dovere aspettarselo
to should have expected it
• Dopo quello che ti ha fatto, direi che doveva aspettarselo. - Based on what he did to you, I’d say he had it coming.
manco a farlo apposta
as if by coincidence
passarne tante
to have been through a lot
• ne ho passate tante - I’ve been through a lot, I’ve seen a lot of shit
in modo figurato
figuratively
la pia illusione
wishful thinking
di vivere (indirettamente) attraverso
to live vicariously through
piove sempre sul bagnato
when it rains it pours
(used for both positive and negative circumstances to indicate something happening to someone already experiencing it in abundance)
vedere le stelle
to feel intense physical pain
• ho battuto la caviglia e ho visto le stelle
essere al settimo cielo
to be on cloud nine, to be extremely happy
non ci piove!
(informal) no doubt, certainly, definitely, without question
avere la luna storta
to be in a bad mood
come un fulmine a ciel sereno
a sudden, unexpected happening
avere un colpo di fulmine
love at first sight (to be hit by the lightning bolt)
stare ai patti
to honor agreements, to live up to one’s word, to do what you say you were going to do
stare allo scherzo
to take a joke
• non sa stare allo scherzo - he can’t take a joke
stare sulle spine
to be anxious, worried, or impatient
stare sulle sue
to keep to oneself
stare a qualcuno
to be up to someone (to do sth)
• sta a te decidere cosa facciamo oggi
stare con le mani in mano
to not be doing anything, to be doing fuck all
lasciar stare
1 (a qn) to not bother/disturb
• lascia stare tuo papà, prova a dormire
2 (a qc) to leave sth alone, not touch it
• lascia stare quel vaso, stai per romperlo
3 (argomento, discussione, etc) to stop thinking/discussing sth, to not worry about sth anymore
• sono stufo di discutere su questo tema, lasciamolo stare
fare le scarpe (a qualcuno)
to get rid of sb (either kill them or remove them from a situation), cut the line/jump the line
star in fissa
to be psyched, to be hyped (with sthg) (can be with person, object, food, etc)
entrare in possesso
to come into (i.e. money)
fare i vaccini
to get vaccines
fare lo scroccone
be a freeloader, to be a mooch
i figli di papa
spoiled brats, rich kids
dare buca (a qualcuno)
to stand (sb) up
fare bidoni
to stand (sb) up, to flake
fare il coatto
to be a brute
