Speakup Blog

… ‘adagiarsi sugli allori’ in inglese? to rest on one’s laurels to relax on one’s laurels to relax on one’s bay leafs La risposta corretta la trovi nell’articolo sull’Oxford Botanic Garden di questo mese.  

The tiger is an attractive but dangerous beast, and some borrowed idioms in English build on the animal’s reputation. To ‘catch’ or ‘have (got) a tiger by the tail’ or ‘to ride a tiger’ have similar meanings. They are derived from the Chinese proverb “He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount”, which was […]

… ‘fare una tripletta’ in inglese? to hit three scores to score a triple goal to score a hat-trick La risposta corretta la trovi nell’articolo su Headlines Wordplay di questo mese.  

… ‘essere ripagato/a della stessa medaglia’ in inglese? to get a bite of one’s own medicine to get a taste of one’s own medicine to get a sip of one’s own medicine La risposta corretta la trovi nell’articolo su The Independence of Egypt di questo mese.  

… ‘spianare la strada’ in inglese? to flat the road to pave the way to level the street La risposta corretta la trovi nell’articolo su Silicon Valley di questo mese.  

… ‘conquistare il mondo’ in inglese? to get the world by storm to take the world by tempest to take the world by storm La risposta corretta la trovi nell’articolo sulla Korean Wave di questo mese.  

The expression ‘a magic bullet’ is used to refer to a substance or therapy capable of instantly and effectively destroying pathogens (a virus, bacteria or cancer cells), thus providing a side effect-free remedy for a disease or condition. The Nobel Prize-winning scientist Paul Ehrlich coined the term in 1906, using the German word ‘zauberkugel’ (magic […]

The proof is in the pudding means that the real worth or effectiveness of something can only be determined by experiencing it. It is a shorter version of the proverb ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’, and was first recorded in the early 17th century but is probably much older. The use […]

… ‘faccia impassibile’ in inglese? bridge face poker face rummy face La risposta corretta è la 2. Leggi l’articolo sulla canzone del mese in cui Tune Into English ci spiega Poker Face di Lady Gaga.  

To pay lip service to someone or something  is to express something in words, but not back that up with actions. The use of the verb ‘to pay’ suggests obligation or debt, and ‘to pay a service’ suggests a formal rather than a heartfelt exchange. The term first appeared in 1590 in the book A […]