“a pane e acqua”
on bread and water
Nella Chiesa cattolica si invita a digiunare a pane e acqua. La regola è che si mangi solo pane e si beva solo acqua.
(In the Catholic Church you are invited to fast on bread and water. The rule is that you eat only bread and drink only water.)
I detenuti sono stati in cella d’isolamento a pane e acqua per due settimane.
(The prisoners were in solitary confinement on bread and water for two weeks.)
“dire pane al pane”
literally, “to say bread to the bread”, to call a spade a spade, to speak your mind
Dovremmo sempre dire pane al pane e vino al vino per evitare equivoci.
(We should always say bread to the bread and wine to the wine to avoid misunderstandings.)
Questo film è stato premiato con l’Oscar ma secondo me è un filmetto di serie B. Diciamo le cose come stanno, pane al pane e vino al vino.
(This film won the Oscar but if you ask me it’s second-rate. Let’s tell things as they are, bread to the bread and wine to the wine.)
“buono come il pane”
literally, “as good as bread”, to have a heart of gold, to be kind and generous
Le si può chiedere di tutto, in ogni situazione. Quella ragazza è buona come il pane, sempre disponibile e gentile.
(You can ask her for anything, in any situation. That girl is as good as bread, always willing and kind.)
Era buono come il pane ma un po’ matto.
(He was as good as bread but a bit crazy.)
“rendere pan per focaccia”
literally, to give back bread (in exchange) for focaccia, to get even, to get your own back
Di questi tempi la gente dovrebbe essere capace di perdonare e non sempre rendere pan per focaccia.
(These days people should be capable of forgiving and not always give back bread for focaccia.)
Lui l’ha tradita e lei in cambio se n’è trovato un altro e gli ha reso pan per focaccia.
(He cheated on her and in return she found someone else and gave him back bread for focaccia.)
“mangiare pane e volpe”
literally, to eat bread and fox (so showing yourself to be even smarter than the crafty fox), though if used sarcastically – to be very stupid
Ieri Antonio, facendo la retromarcia, è andato a sbattere contro il cancello ancora chiuso. Sua moglie gli ha gridato: ma cos’hai mangiato stamattina a colazione? Pane e volpe?
(Yesterday Antonio, reversing his car, banged it into the still-closed gate. His wife shouted at him: but what did you eat this morning at breakfast? Bread and fox?)
In quel ristorante vendono piatti carissimi, con poco cibo e tanta coreografia. Sono proprio furbi! Mangiano pane e volpe.
(In that restaurant they sell really expensive dishes, with little food and lots of choreography. They’re really crafty! They’re eating bread and fox.)