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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘In bocca al lupo’

Why wish someone 'good luck' when you can use this Italian phrase instead?

Italian expression of the day: 'In bocca al lupo'
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Literally translating into English as ‘in the wolf’s mouth’, this famous Italian phrase is much more interesting to say than a simple ‘good luck’.

And in some parts of Italy, saying buona fortuna (‘good luck’) is sometimes believed to bring the opposite.

That’s why, though it may sound a bit dramatic, this idiomatic phrase really is used in everyday conversation in Italy.

Much like the English ‘break a leg’, the phrase is heard a lot in the theatre. But it’s also used when wishing good fortune to someone about to take on a daunting or challenging task – such as sitting an Italian language exam, or visiting the local prefettura.

READ ALSO: Popes, chickens and reheated soup: 15 everyday Italian idioms you need to know

Confusion arises however over what exactly you’re supposed to say in response.

If someone says this phrase to you, the correct response is widely believed to be crepi il lupo (may the wolf die), or simply crepi.
 
Many people consider a simpe grazie or thank you as likely to reverse any good fortune.
 
However, in reality, the response may vary depending on where you are and who you’re talking to.
 
Wolf-related phases rarely have positive connotations in any language (see also ‘keeping the wolf from the door’ in English) and Italian is no exception. The phrase andare nella bocca del lupo, or ‘to go into the wolf’s mouth’ means metaphorically ‘to get into trouble’.
 
But some people tend to respond with a grazie anyway – as not everyone in Italy considers being ‘in the mouth of the wolf’ such a bad thing.
 
Some even believe the idea of ending up in a wolf’s mouth has positive connotations, since wolves protect their young by carrying them in their mouths. After all, the legend of Romulus and Remus tells us the founders of the ancient city of Rome were saved as babies by a she-wolf.
 
This might explain another, even more unusual response: evviva il lupo (long live the wolf)!
 
 
In general though, the easiest response to in bocca al lupo is always crepi. This is especially true for non-native Italian speakers, since if you say anything else you’re likely to have a well-meaning Italian presume ignorance and attempt to educate you.
 
If you really want to avoid all this talk of wolves altogether, there’s another, somewhat less refined way of wishing someone good luck: In culo alla balena, which literally means ‘in the whale’s ass’.
 
And that one really does defy explanation.
 
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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘Cambiare registro’

Here's the Italian phrase you'll need if you're looking for a change.

Italian expression of the day: ‘Cambiare registro’

If you live in Italy or have spent a considerable amount of time in the country, you may have overheard an Italian parent telling their child they needed to cambiare registro right after they threw a tantrum. 

If you work or have worked in Italy, you may also have had one of your superiors tell you that a cambio di registro was needed in the office. 

But what do Italians really mean when they tell someone they need to ‘change register’?

Italians use cambiare registro to tell someone that they need to change their behaviour, manners or way to approach a particular task (including work or school assignments), usually because they’re not particularly happy with the way they’re currently handling things. 

It is generally used with the verb dovere (must/have to), which must be conjugated according to the person who could do with a ‘change of register’. For instance:

Non hai passato gli ultimi tre test. Devi cambiare registro se vuoi tenere la tua paghetta settimanale.  

You failed the past three exams. You need to turn things around if you want to keep your weekly allowance.

La tua performance al lavoro e’ stata insoddisfacente questo trimestre. Devi veramente cambiare registro il prossimo mese.

Your performance at work has been unsatisfactory this quarter. You really need to turn things around next month.

You could also say that a situation you’re unhappy with needs ‘a change of register’, without addressing anyone in particular. 

Ci sono cose ovunque. C’e’ bisogno di un cambio di registro in questa casa.

There’s stuff all over the place. Changes are needed in this house.

As you can see from these examples, there’s no single way to translate the phrase into English, though ‘turning things around’ and ‘changing up’ are popular translations.

And if you’re wondering where the expression comes from, it has nothing to do with Italy’s Registry Office (or Anagrafe), nor with any other part of the country’s public administration. 

Cambiare registro was originally a music-related expression as it referred to the act of changing the tone or range (registro in Italian) of some musical instruments, including pipe organs.

But, as in the case of many other Italian phrases and expressions, its usage was later extended to daily life situations to express a need for major changes.

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