di Alessia Nichele
Care Lettrici e cari Lettori,
In questa nuova edizione della rubrica “Tip of the Peel” esploriamo alcune espressioni inglesi particolarmente curiose, tra ironia britannica e idioms intraducibili letteralmente. Alcune sembrano completamente senza senso, ma è proprio questo il bello degli idioms inglesi.
E ora… let’s get started!
TIP OF THE PEEL – FOURTH EDITION
TIP #1 – Not my circus, not my monkeys
Meaning: not my problem / not my responsability.
Example:
“They are arguing again in the group chat …Not my circus, not my monkeys.”
Peel it further: it is interesting because English loves absurd images! If it’s not your circus and not your monkeys, then the chaos is not your responsability. A funny way to say: “I’m staying out of this.”
TIP #2 – As useful as a chocolate teapot
Meaning: completely useless.
Example:
“My phone battery lasts ten minutes. It’s as useful as a chocolate teapot.”
Peel it further: the image says everything. A teapot of chocolate would melt instantly. So this expression means something is totally impractical. Very British humor!
TIP #3 – All mouth and no trousers
Meaning: someone who talks a lot but never acts.
Example:
“He keeps saying he’ll start studying…all mouth and no trousers.”
Peel it further: It’s a very visual British expression. Big talk. No action. Basically: all words, no results.
TIP #4 – Like a bull in a china shop
Meaning: very clumsy (=goffo) or careless.
Example:
“He walked into the room like a bull in a china shop and broke a vase.”
Peel it further: this expression creates a very clear image. A bull is big, strong and not exactly known for being delicate. A china shop is a shop full of fragile objects like plates, cups and porcelain. Now imagine putting a bull inside a place full of things that can easily be broken…chaos guaranteed! That’s why this expression is ued for someone who is clumsy , careless and awkward (=impacciato). It doesn’t always mean the person is doing something on purpose…sometimes they’re just not very delicate.
TIP #5 – Break a leg!
Meaning: good luck!
Example:
“Our team has the final today.”
“Break a leg!”
Peel it further: it sounds negative, but it’s positive. Especially in theatre, saying “good luck” is considered bad luck. So instead, people say: “Break a leg!”
TIP #6 – Man Friday / Girl Friday
Meaning: a very reliable assistant or helper.
Examples:
“She remembers the homework, the deadlines and even reminds everyone in the group chat. She’s basically our class Girl Friday.”
“When we go out, he books everything and plans the whole day. He’s our Man Friday.”
Peel it further: it refers to someone you can always rely on, who helps everybody with everything. It comes from the novel Robinson Crusoe, where Friday was Crusoe’s loyal and indispensable helper.
E per questa edizione è tutto. Vi auguriamo di trascorrere delle splendide vacanze estive e vi diamo appuntamento a settembre con la prossima newsletter ricca di nuove espressioni e curiosità del “Tip of the Peel”. Stay tuned!
