T  A  L  K  I  N  G

:: Use Ctrl+F to search for a specific idiom or scroll down for the complete listing ::

SOCIAL SPEAKING

Rompere il ghiaccio, iniziare una conversazione

To break the ice

I was a bit embarrassed to talk to her, but somebody had to break the ice.

To catch up with the gossip

Let's have some tea and catch up with the gossip!

To be involved in argy-bargy

After the football match, there was a lot of argy-bargy amongst the fans, with shouting and fighting.

Not to mince one's words

Mary told him exactly what she thought... she doesn't mince her words.

To be very outspoken

I like Frank's way of discussing things! You will never misunderstand him: he is very outspoken!

Parlare male di qualcuno

To dish the dirt

Mike's dishing the dirt on Amanda… he’s telling people unkind things about her private life!

Aggredire verbalmente

To tear into someone (to savage somebody verbally)

When their manager is annoyed with somebody, he really tears into them (he savages them verbally).

A turn of phrase

Calling the exhibition "quite interesting" was a diplomatic turn of phrase, so as not to offend the artists.

To mince one's words

Cindy minces her words so much that I understand nothing at all.

To wax lyrical

My grandfather loved waxing lyrical about his youth.

It's six of one and half a dozen of the other

We tried the motorway and the main road: the some time...  it's six of one and half a dozen of the other!

She's not very intelligent, but not that stupid either... you know: it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.

To talk out of turn

She's a lovely pretty girl, but unfortunately she's always talking out of turn!

Not to get a word in edgeways

The old customer was complaining with such force that the shop assistant could not get a word in edgeways.

Farsi scappare una parola di troppo

To spill the beans

Come on, tell me the gossip... spill the beans!

To have a big mouth

I never would tell a secret to Sheila: she has a really big mouth!

Mum's the word

Please remember that what I told you is a secret! Mum's the word!

The cat has got one's tongue

You haven't said a single word about yesterday... it seems that the cat's got your tongue!

Hum and haw

Don't hum and haw... I know it was you who made her start crying!

Girare intorno ad un concetto prima di esprimerlo

Hum and haw

Ted hummed and hawed and finally confessed his love for Mary.

Rimanere ammutoliti

Tongue-tied

Don't stay tongue-tied this way! You'd better get a broom and help me with the cleaning!

To say something tongue in cheek

I said it tongue in cheek... so, don't get offended!

To speak half-serious

I don't like to speak with Sally: she's only ever half-serious.

Parlare male di qualcuno,  dire alle spalle cose non vere

To bad mouth

I can't believe what Brenda said... she’s bad-mouthing me!... She's probably jealous of me.!

To lose the thread of someone's argument

Could you kindly repeat it once more? I confess I lost the thread of your argument.

There's many a true word spoken in jest

Stop joking about getting the sack! You know there's many a true word spoken in jest!

To speak volumes

The rude way she replied to your objection spoke volumes about her faults.

Qualcosa che vale per tutti, tutti inclusi senza distinzione

Across the board

The company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary. 

Completamente, in tutto e per tutto, tutto compreso

Lock, stock and barrel

Forget about Lisa: she moves lock, stock and barrel back to London!

Sometimes it's cheaper to buy lock,stock and barrel.

The burglar broke in through a window and emptied the whole house.

Un flusso narrativo straripante e inarrestabile

A stream of consciousness (credited to William James and to James Joyce)

He was an old writer and devoted his life to quality journalism, so he started drinking and telling me about the past in a stream-of-consciousness way.

top

COMMONLY USED EXCLAMATIONS AND PHRASES

Caspita! Accidenti!

Blimey! Crikey!

Blimey! You look so well tonight: what a stunner!

Sugar! (shit!)

Sugar! The man who crashed into Sally's car has turned tail!

God almighty! (Christ almighty! almighty!)

Such a long time has passed... God almighty! (Christ almighty! Almighty!) I didn't recognise you at all!

Eccoci, ecco qui, ecco fatto...

Here you go (here you are)

"Here you go... two salads, a steak and three pops."

"Sam, could you pass me the class register?" - "Here you are."

Esatto, Proprio così!

(be) bang on

Do you mean 'stop and have a break'? Bang on! That's what we need now... too much study...

"So... is my answer right?" - "Oh yes: absolutely Bang on!"

What's occurring?

So Jane, what's occurring in your life? You disappeared into thin air!

Whatever became of you?

At last Jack! Whatever became of you?

Cool bananas!

OK Jo, see you later at the pub! Cool bananas!

Ci sei? Mi capisci?

Get it?

Get it, Mandy? I don't want to talk about it any more!

Come again?

I beg your pardon, I didn't understand you. Come again?

...che domande!

Is the pope Polish? Is the pope Catholic?

"Frank, you like sushi, don't you?" "Is the pope Polish (is the pope Catholic)? You know I do!"

"Pat, do you think Ben will give Nelly a ring?" "C'mon Dave... is the pope Catholic?"

Mah, sarà... (sarà così, sarà come dici, sarà come dicono...)

Be that as it may

The new car will cost a lot but, be that as it may... we can't go on with that old crock!

I know, his last comedy has been highly praised... be that as it may I didn't like it.

Complessivamente, tutto sommato, nell'insieme

By and large

By and large, the business deal have saved the company.

There are a couple of things I don't like in Marion, but by and large I adore her!

By and large it was a good holiday... even though it was too short.

Tutta un'altra cosa, un'altra "musica", un'altra "storia"

A horse of a different color

You can convince me, but as for Mandy, that's a horse of a different color… quite a different matter!

E' ovvio, è chiaro, non occorre neanche parlarne

It goes without saying

OK, Joan, you’re tired…  it goes without saying!

Kylie is nice and efficient so it goes without saying that his boss is very happy with her.

Of course, Wendy… it goes without saying that you'll get money for what you've done...

E dillo, forza..!

Nudge nudge, wink wink

Come on, Harry: you went out with her! Nudge, nudge, wink wink!

Da bravo, dai, sù...

There is a dear

Come on! Move... do that... there's a dear!

To let the cat out of the bag

So, Harry, let the cat out of the bag!

In a nutshell

In a nutshell... I'm against her, I don't like her any more!

When on earth?

Don't blame me for this! When on earth did I say such a thing?

To put words into someone's mouth

I never said that! Don't put words in my mouth!

E' così e basta, e questo è quanto

That's that

You can insist on going out, but I won't... I stay home, and that's that!

A rullo, a palate, uno dietro (o dopo) l'altro

Hand over fist

Greg's making money hand over fist, but his luck will cease...

Henry's really clever, but for the time being he's losing money on the stock market hand over fist.

Chinese are opening new shops and business hand over fist.

Not on your life! (to kiss goodbye to something)

Forget about seeing me tonight! Not on your life!... You can kiss goodbye to that!

Dream on!

Dream on, dream on! I'll never lend you my new car!

My foot!

My foot! You know perfectly well that I don't have such a bad opinion of her!

Talking bollocks (talking rubbish)

Forget Jimmy: he's always talking bollocks! (talking rubbish!)

In my book

In my book, sweeping generalisations aren't a good way to deal with social arguments.

Knock it off!

Stop it! Knock off that noise! I've got a bad headache!

That's a bit rich

I've to believe you saw the monster when you were in Lochness.. that's a big rich!

A shaggy dog story

Stop it! I can't stand your shaggy dog stories... they're too silly!

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

She called me, and not you! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Make a fool of me?

You hope that I'm so gullible to believe in it... are you making a fool of me?

To piss somebody off

You're pissin' me off! You were too rude!

Hop it! (piss off!)

You're too drunk to stay with us... hop it! Piss off!

Granted that (given that)

Granted that (given that) you were tanked up with whisky, otherwise you would never have behaved like that at the party.

I'll be hanged if I know!

I didn't hear from her such a long time! I'll be hanged if I know her new address! I haven't the faintest idea about it.

Trust me, I'm a doctor!

Hey, it was only a hint. I'm not trying to make up to you... trust me I am a doctor!

You don't fool me (you don't beguile me)

You can tell me this a thousand times, Meg... you don't fool me! (you don't beguile me!)!

My arse (my ass)

My arse! Help him... I'd rather take a bullet!

Get a grip! (smell the coffee!)

Are you sleeping or what?.. Get a grip! Smell the coffee!

Snap out of it!

Snap out of it! You're keeping your head in the clouds, like a dreamer

To get one's skates on (shake a leg)

Get your skates on, Cindy! Shake a leg! There's no time left!

Hurry up! (snap up)

Come on: it is very late! Hurry up! ...make it snappy!

Be a sport!

Be a sport, Henry: let's give her a lift!

Block head!

Turn at the next right: my house is always there, you block head!

A pain in the neck (a pain in the arse)

I can't stand you, John! You're a real pain in the neck! (in the arse!)

Behave yourself!

You have to go now: it's getting late! Behave yourself and say "hi" to the guys!

Go to it! (go for it)

Go to it, Frank! You are doing a good job, but now you have to finish it! Go for it!

Get on with it!

There's a lot to do... come on man! Get on with it!

Big deal! (not to strain oneself)

After doing nothing for the whole week, you cleaned the kitchen this morning: big deal! Don't strain yourself!

You lucky beggar!

You never stop complaining about destiny! As chance would have it, you met her... you lucky beggar!

To deal with somebody

You are an idler, Jack! You haven't done anything! I shall deal with you later!

Not to get away with

This time you really don't have excuses: you'll not get away with just a severe lecture!

Fai pure, non ci sono problemi...

Be my guest (feel free)

'Sandy, do you mind if I look at your notes?' - 'Be my guest! Feel free...'

Senza capo né coda

Without rhyme or reason

I can't understand him: there's no rhyme or reason to his behaviour.

Look at it whichever way you like

Look at it whichever way you like, you made me wait all night long without calling me.

This is my shout

This is my shout, no discussions about it!

I'd swear on it

It's your fault: you forgot the keys in the car.. I'd swear on it!

Stuff it! (sod it! dash it!)

Stuff it! I left my wallet at home! Sod it! Dash it!

Shame on you!

After I left you alone, this house is like a pigsty! Shame on you!

It's just not on!

You have to plug away at your homework: your laziness it's just not on!

Cut it out!

Stop complaining and snivelling like that! Cut it out!

What's more

This is only part of the story; what's more is that he confessed to being in love with her before throwing all her stuff out of the window!

It doesn't matter (never mind)

I know they didn't enjoy the dinner party.. it doesn't matter (never mind): it really went with a bang!

The pot calling the kettle black (practice what you preach)

Are you telling me how to do it?! You?! That's the pot calling the kettle black! (practice what you preach!)

To have the wit to say something

After what happened, you even didn't say "I'm sorry!" You hadn't the wit to say so.

Don't make such a row

Stop it! Don't make such a row: I want to sleep!

Cut the cackle (keep the noise down)

Cut the cackle, guys: we are in a library! Keep it quiet! (keep the noise down!)

A penny for your thoughts

A penny for your thoughts, Emma! Are you dreaming? What are you thinking about?!

Not to give a hoot (not to give a shit)

I argued with her all the night long, and then we parted... but now I don't really give a hoot! (I don't really give a shit!)

It's no skin off my nose! (hard cheese! tough luck!)

She shouted for half an hour and then she went out slamming the door... that's no skin off my nose! (Hard cheese! Tough luck!)

Against all the odds

Janet had a difficult year, however, she managed, against all the odds, to pass her exams with flying colours.

Take it as read

Our team is going to win the championship, take it as read.

No buts about something

You and Sally have to come to the sunday BBQ! no buts about it!

Take a pew

Be my guest, relax and take a pew: we've a lot to talk about!

Io prendo, per me... (quando si fanno ordinazioni)

I plump for

No spirits for me, thank you: I plump for a ginger ale.

Eccoci, ecco qui, ecco fatto...

Here you go (here you are)

"Here you go... two salads, a steak and three pops."

"Sam, could you pass me the class register?" - "Here you are."

Lo stesso anche per me

Ditto for me

So, you've asked an ice cream... ditto for me.

top

MEANINGFUL "SHORT-Y-WORDS"

Brioso

Breezy

I don't mind what I talk about with the group at the hang out: it's breezy company.

Chirpy

The barbecue we had last night was a success: the food was tasty and your new friends so chirpy!

Witty

You're so witty: you always know the best way to focus and remark upon the facts in a brilliant way.

Chummy

You'll never be bored when Jason join the group: he is a very chummy person.

Zany

Wow! That club was so trendy and zany! You had a great idea!

Savvy

He owes a lot of his success to his savvy way with people.

Scaltro, astuto

Wily

Ed's clever at getting what he wants, so willing to trick people, so cunning... he's wily old fox!

Cagey

He is so cagey: he started to humming and hawing, avoiding telling me which way he engaged his girlfriend

Hoity-toity

After you got that new job you started getting above yourself and behaving all hoity-toity!

Quirky

He's so original and funny: really a quirky one.

Batty

Do you know that batty old lady down the street?

Dowdy

He's so dowdy, dressing in that old crumpled grey suit all the time.

Fuddy-duddy

You'll never be able to bring her to that modern exhibition: she's such a fuddy-duddy.

Stuffy

I cannot stand more than an hour of the stuffy atmosphere of our club... it's too formal.

Sternly

The old man was sternly traditionalist.

Softy

She loves him, even if she goes on at him for being such a big softy with other people.

Silly

Don't be silly: stop joking and check out our train's platform!

Loopy

I think he is loopy: he had a car crash whilst calling a friend on his cell-phone!

Dodgy

I can't rely on him, so the fact you trusted all his foolish stories of incredible bargains sounds dodgy.

Pasty

Sheila didn't look healthy... her face was pasty, colourless.

Bubbly

You should believe me: she's so pretty, energetic and bubbly!

Sassy

Oh, just look at the way she walks: she looks like an actress... she's so sassy!

Cheeky

Sally confessed me that your proposal to have a naked moonlight swim in the lake was too cheeky.

Tizzy

I'm in such a tizzy and feeling so confused that I can't think straight about things you said.

Edgy

I always feel edgy before starting a journey.

Fidgety

She had only fidgety pupils at school, who never focused on their lessons.

(be) Nutty

I'm nutty about the last film you suggested! It's definitely a masterpiece.

Racy

To be honest, your new friend from Vegas is really racy: she's full of beans and very sexy as well!

Kinky

I couldn't believe how kinky she was: she asked me to kiss her passionately in the middle of the crowd because she found it too exciting!

Slushy

You know, he conquered her by writing a series of love slushy poems.

Schmaltzy

She didn't believe in his sincerity: he was too schmaltzy when courting her.

Hasty

Don't go making any hasty decisions which you might regret later.

Gutsy

The gutsy cab driver got out of the car and challenged the lorry driver who crashed into him.

Shilly-shally

She's making fun of him, replying with a shilly-shally "may be, may be not" to his proposal

Chary

I'm a bit chary of believing in your excuses because you're too sly.

Gawky

He's so gawky when he tries to get out of his tiny car: it's much too small for him.

Pesante, grasso

Stodgy

Oh Joan... you'll never lose weight eating such a stodgy food!

Serioso, formale, noioso, pesante

Stodgy

I really don't like Ned: he's so boring and formal, so old-fashioned, so... stodgy!

Prickly

You cannot talk to him about the flop of the party: he's so prickly, thinking that what happened was his fault.

Touchy

I cannot get over how touchy she is: you can never criticise her.

Lengthy

The teacher lessons are very interesting but, the details he gives are too lengthy.

Sulky

I'm not able to change his sulky mood so, I'm starting to think that he's antisocial.

Surly

We never want to have Bill with us: he's so aggressive and surly, he looks like a sullen old man.

Natty

Have you seen that guy's suit? He's such a natty dresser!

Snazzy

I notice that she always dresses in a very stylish and snazzy way... very trendy!

Gauzy

Clara was stunning at the College dinner, with that gauzy dress!

Skinny

Blimey! Have you seen how skinny she is? I've seen more fat on a chip!

Podgy, chubby

It's such a shame that one sees so many podgy (chubby) children these days.

Tidy

I love that cottage: everything is so neat and tidy there.

Grubby

The toilet is so grubby: you've to clean it up! (I can't stand your way: you're only motivated by grubby selfishness)

Scruffy

The blokes that work with her are all nice, but they're a bunch of scruffy gits, in their shorts and socks!

Paltry

She gets paid really badly at the fast-food: such a paltry sum of money!

Hefty

Pay attention: you are wasting time and a hefty sum of money going out with Lisa!

Tidy

Lucky you! You make a tidy penny out of the sales from your shop.

Stingy, penny pincher

John never offered even a cup of tea all the time we went out: he is so stingy! A penny pincher!

Dowdy

I can't stand that barman: he is so dirty and dowdy.. I couldn't drink even a beer there!

Tacky

Have you seen the horrible gold and marble furniture that they have in their house? It's so tacky!

Grotty

The hotel is completely different from what I saw on its homepage where it looks wonderful, but instead it's so grotty!

Tatty

The guest house's rooms and its old receptionist were so untidy, so tatty.

Dopey

Don't ask that girl to do anything complicated: she's too dopey.

Drowsy

Poor Carlito: he was so drowsy that he could hardly keep his eyes open.

Groggy

Too much alcohol and cigarettes last night... I'm so groggy this morning.

 

Praticamente, piuttosto, alquanto

Pretty

That's pretty much the some... can't you see that?

This car's pretty expensive, Mandy... are you sure you can afford it?

Messing with a stray dog at dead of night can be a pretty risky undertaking.