| Idiomatic Expression |
Literal Translation |
Idiomatic Meaning |
| In bocca al lupo |
In the wolf's mouth |
Good luck |
| Crepi il lupo |
May the wolf die |
Response to "In bocca al lupo" (Thank you) |
| Acqua in bocca |
Water in the mouth |
Keep it quiet / Don't tell anyone |
| Avere la testa fra le nuvole |
To have one's head in the clouds |
To be daydreaming / To be distracted |
| Costa un occhio della testa |
It costs an eye of the head |
It costs a fortune |
| Non avere peli sulla lingua |
To have no hair on the tongue |
To be straightforward / To speak one's mind |
| Essere al verde |
To be in the green |
To be broke |
| Prendere due piccioni con una fava |
To catch two pigeons with one bean |
To kill two birds with one stone |
| Andare a letto con le galline |
To go to bed with the chickens |
To go to bed early |
| Essere una buona forchetta |
To be a good fork |
To be a good eater / To enjoy food |
| Avere le mani in pasta |
To have hands in the dough |
To be involved in something |
| Fare la gatta morta |
To play the dead cat |
To play dumb / To pretend not to notice |
| Essere in gamba |
To be in leg |
To be smart / To be capable |
| Essere di bocca buona |
To have a good mouth |
To be easy to please (with food) |
| Cadere dalle nuvole |
To fall from the clouds |
To be very surprised |
| Avere il pollice verde |
To have a green thumb |
To be good at gardening |
| Avere un diavolo per capello |
To have a devil for each hair |
To be very angry |
| Essere una palla al piede |
To be a ball at the foot |
To be a burden |
| Fare il passo più lungo della gamba |
To take a step longer than the leg |
To overreach / To take on too much |
| Essere un pesce fuor d'acqua |
To be a fish out of water |
To feel out of place |
| Fare finta di niente |
To pretend nothing |
To turn a blind eye |
| Chiudere un occhio |
To close an eye |
To turn a blind eye |