some typical Italian expressions

Are you interested in learning Italian? ... check my site: http://xoomer.alice.it/learn_italian/

Are you interested in a serious English-Italian discussion board? ... check my forum: http://www.spazioforum.it/forums/?mforum=essereindue

Nothing commercial on my sites but only friendly!

Is there someone who can yet read Italian? I mean who can understand Italian
texts. If you can do it you have to check my main site in Italian http://xoomer.alice.it/eventually

You could find over there a lot of texts about the couple life. My main site is “ESSERE IN DUE” that means “to be two”. I posted over there 71 short stories about couple life. I chose a simple kind of language, the typical spoken Italian language, very different from the book or classroom language. This kind of language could help you to learn how people usually speak Italian. We use a lot of typical expressions. You use to say “It rains cats and dogs”, we would never say “Piovono cani e gatti” but “Piove a catinelle” (catinella = basin). And now some typical expressions.

Cogliere qualcuno con le mani nel sacco = Catch someone with his hands in the bag (doing something he wouldn’t have done).

Fare il pesce in barile = Act as fish in barrel (to pretend you don’t know anything when you know very well).

Fare orecchie da mercante = To have a merchant ear (to forget easily everything you don’t like).

Fare l’Indiano = Act like an Indian (to pretend not to understand and not to know).

Fare il farfallone = Act as a big (male) butterfly (to be always available for the women).

Dare a qualcuno filo da torcere = Give someone thread to twist (give someone problems or very difficult things to do).

Mettere la ciliegina sulla torta = To put he little cherry on the top of the cake (to perfect to complete).

Avere l’acqua alla gola = To have the water to the throat (to be in a very bad situation).

Avere le mani bucate = To have the hands pierced (with big holes). (To waste money).

Avere fegato = To have liver (Be brave, intrepid).

Essere di polso = To be “of wrist” (in order to guide horses). (Be imperative, rigid, dominant).

In gamba = On leg (clever, as you have to be).

Un pugno nell’occhio = A fist in the eye (something that sounds very strange and inappropriate).