Episode 19: BOCCA

BOCCA From the Latin BUCCA = cheek, it then acquired the new meaning of MOUTHLa bocca, can be LARGA // STRETTA // REGOLARE //CHE ARRIVA AGLI ORECCHI, mouth that opens up to the earsCHE PARE UN FORNO, which looks like a oven SDENTATA, with no teethWe have expressions like:A BOCCA PIENA , with a mouth fullACQUA IN BOCCA! Water in your mouth — don’t spill the beans, don’t share this secret! BOCCONE, a bite of something ‘Mangio un boccone a casa e arrivo’‘I’ll grab a quick bite at home and I’ll be there’.Bocca  as opening or entrancela bocca del tunnel = the mouth of the tunnella bocca del vulcano = the mouth of the volcanola bocca del vaso = the mouth of the vasela bocca del fiume = the mouth of the riverla bocca dello stomaco = the pit of one’s stomachESSERE DI BOCCA BUONA, to not be a picky eater‘Per la cena di stasera non ti preoccupare: siamo tutti di bocca buona’‘Don’t worry about tonight’s dinner: we’re not picky eaters’LASCIARE A BOCCA APERTA, to leave somebody open-mouthed, to surprise/ shock somebody!‘Quando Chiara mi ha detto che si era innamorata di Dario, mi ha lasciata a bocca aperta!!’ —‘When Chiara told me that she had fallen in love with Dario, she left me with my mouth wide open!!’RIMANERE A BOCCA APERTA: to be left open-mouthed, utterly surprised, astonished ‘Quando ho visto il suo regalo, sono rimasta a bocca aperta! Era lo stesso che le avevo fatto io!’ —‘When I saw her gift, I was left open-mouthed: it was the same one I had got her!’LASCIARE/ RESTARE A BOCCA ASCIUTTA: to leave with a dry mouth, to leave somebody unsatisfied, to not give somebody what they expected or to be left with a dry mouth, unsatisfied‘Siamo usciti per tre volte e mi ha lasciata a bocca asciutta!!’ —‘We went on three dates and he left me with a dry mouth!’A CAVAL DONATO NON SI GUARDA IN BOCCA, literally ‘ You don’t look inside of the mouth of a horse that has been gifted’, you can’t criticize or be too fussy about something that has been gifted to you!FARE LA BOCCA A QUALCOSA — to get used to the idea of something (usually positive and exciting) happening.‘Cosa? Non ci sono più biglietti per il concerto di stasera? Dai!!! Ci avevo fatto la bocca’ —‘What? There are no more tickets for tonight’s concert? Come on!! I got used to the idea!’‘Piove! Non possiamo andare al mare oggi! Che peccato, ci avevo fatto la bocca…’ —‘ It’s raining, we can’t go to the beach today…what a pity! I really thought we were gonna go!’RIFARSI LA BOCCA — Literally to redo your mouth. It’s an expression we use to say we got rid of a bad taste in our mouth. Not only literal about food, but also referring to a bad situation that has been deleted in favor of a good one‘Dopo quell’orribile cena mi sono rifatta la bocca con un ottimo gelato!’ —‘After that terrible dinner, I cleaned my mouth with an excellent gelato!’‘Dopo quell’orribile appuntamento con Michele, mi sono rifatta la bocca uscendo con Carlo’ —‘After that terrible date with Michele, I got rid of the bad sensations going out with Carlo’TOGLIERE/ STRAPPARE LE PAROLE DI BOCCA — to to take the words out of someone’s mouth or to tear off, drag something out of somebody‘Wow, mi hai tolto le parole di bocca…’ —‘Wow, you took the words out of my mouth, you spoke my mind before I could even express myself’You expressed exactly what I was thinking.