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50 Italian idiomatic phrases that are related to food (part 2)

07/27/2017

In this post, you'll find a list of 50 Italian idiomatic phrases that have something to do with food. Since food is so important in our culture, we have a lot of food-related sayings and that's why I had to split the list in two. This is part 2.

I have prepared a pdf file with all the Italian idiomatic phrases you’ll find in this post. You can find it in Your Italian Toolbox, a section of Instantly Italy where you’ll find Italian learning materials. You can get access to it by subscribing here. 

Here we go again, it’s time for a new list of food-related Italian sayings!

As I told you in my last post, the list of Italian idiomatic phrases that are related to food was too long to make it into just one post. Therefore, I decided to split it into two, in order to make it more readable and enjoyable.

Moreover, I also decided to create a pdf file for you to keep – so that you’ll have it readily available for future reference. I have prepared a pdf file with all the Italian idiomatic phrases you’ll find in this post.

You can find it in Your Italian Toolbox, a section of Instantly Italy where you’ll find Italian learning materials. You can get access to it by subscribing here. 

And now it’s time to learn some more Italian idiomatic expressions that have to do with food. 

Capire rave per fave.

Literal meaning: to understand turnips for fava beans
Actual meaning: to misunderstand, not to understand properly

Mi ha raccontato la rava e la fava.

Literal meaning: he told me the turnip and the fava bean
Actual meaning: he told me everything, more than I wanted to know, with a lot of unnecessary details

Cavare il sangue da una rapa.

Literal meaning: to take out blood out of a turnip
Actual meaning: to obtain something impossible

Essere una testa di rapa.

Literal meaning: to be a turnip head
Actual meaning: someone who is dull

Finire a tarallucci e vino.

Literal meaning: to end in tarallucci and wine
Actual meaning: to end a fight or a discussion with a positive attitude

Non essere né carne né pesce.

Literal meaning: to be neither meat nor fish
Actual meaning: something or someone that has no clear or defined features

Essere la ciliegina sulla torta.

Literal meaning: to be the cherry on the pie
Actual meaning: the final touch, the thing that makes something perfect

Fare una frittata.

Literal meaning: to make an omelet
Actual meaning: to make a mess, to cause a problem

Ci sta come il cacio sui maccheroni!

Literal meaning: it’s like cacio cheese on maccheroni pasta
Actual meaning: a perfect match, something that is just perfect for something else

Essere dolce come il miele.

Literal meaning: to be as sweet as honey
Actual meaning: to be really sweet

Non è mica pizza e fichi!

Literal meaning: it’s not pizza and figs!
Actual meaning: referred to something serious, important, that has value

Che pizza che sei!

Literal meaning: what a pizza you are!
Actual meaning: what a bore you are!

Andare liscio come l’olio.

Literal meaning: to go as smooth as oil
Actual meaning: to go very well, with no hitches

Andare in brodo di giuggiole.

Literal meaning: to go in jujube broth
Actual meaning: to be really happy and excited, to be over the moon with joy

Avere una faccia da pesce bollito.

Literal meaning: to have a face like boiled fish
Actual meaning: someone who is completely inexpressive

Da un pero non nasce un melo.

Literal meaning: a pear tree can’t generate an apple tree
Actual meaning: people are usually similar to their parents

Una mela non cade lontana dall’albero.

Literal meaning: the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Actual meaning: people are usually similar to their parents (same as the one above)

Cascare dal pero.

Literal meaning: to fall from the pear tree
Actual meaning: when you suddenly realize that reality is different from what you thought

Piangere sul latte versato.

Literal meaning: to cry over spilled milk
Actual meaning: to grieve over mistakes that cannot be fixed

È una bella patata bollente!

Literal meaning: it is a very hot potato!
Actual meaning: it is a big problem, something difficult to be solved

Far venire il latte alle ginocchia.

Literal meaning: to cause milk on knees
Actual meaning: to be boring, to be irritating

Venire spremuto come un limone.

Literal meaning: to be squeezed like a lemon
Actual meaning: to be exploited

Avere le fette di prosciutto sugli occhi.

Literal meaning: to have slices of ham on the eyes
Actual meaning: not to see obvious things, not to be very perceptive

Essere stipati come sardine.

Literal meaning: to be squashed like sardines
Actual meaning: to be in a very crowded place

È una minestra riscaldata.

Literal meaning: it’s a reheated soup
Actual meaning: usually referred to relationships with an ex-partner, conveying the meaning that a relationship with someone whom you have already been with can’t work very well

I hope you enjoyed this list of Italian sayings. If you missed the first part of the post, you’ll find it here.

I have prepared a pdf file with all the Italian idiomatic phrases you’ll find in this post. You can find it in Your Italian Toolbox, a section of Instantly Italy where you’ll find Italian learning materials. You can get access to it by subscribing here.


If you are interested in improving your Italian language skills, I’d suggest you check Chiacchieriamo, your way of chatting with an Italian without moving from home.

Chiacchieriamo is a Skype chat that helps you practice your Italian with a native speaker, gaining the confidence you need when speaking the language.

If you want to give it a try, you can request a 30-minute free chat, so that we can meet each other and see if you like the service.

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