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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Italian expression of the day: ‘Giù di corda’

This phrase is for when the world has you on the ropes.

Italian expression of the day: 'Giù di corda'
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

You may have heard that January is supposedly the most depressing month (some ideas on how to cope with that here).

If you've feeling the seasonal blues, today's expression is for you: giù di corda, literally 'down on string'.

It has nothing to do with stationery and everything to do with your mood. It's a figurative way to say you're listless, downhearted, out of sorts.

Essere or sentirsi giù di corda ('to be or to feel down') describes a general lack of energy or motivation, be it physical (in which case you might translate it as 'under the weather') or more commonly, mental ('down in the dumps').

Ti senti bene? Ti vedo un po' giù di corda.
Do you feel ok? You look a bit under the weather to me. 

Capitano a tutti momenti in cui siamo giù di corda.
Everyone gets down in the dumps now and then.

The image comes from clocks, of all things: in clocks that work by counterweight, when the corda (cord or chain) hangs low, the clock is out of momentum and needs rewinding. Just like you might do mid-winter.

Pulling the cord back up 'recharges' the clock – which is why dare la corda a un orologio ('to give a clock cord') means to wind it. 

But that's not to be confused with dare corda a qualcuno ('give someone cord'), which means to give them a bit more rope or let out their leash – i.e., to give them freedom to do or say what they choose.

Do you have an Italian phrase you'd like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Rimorchiare’

Here's an Italian word you'll want to pick up.

Italian word of the day: 'Rimorchiare'

If you’ve ever studied for your foglio rosa (provisional driver’s licence) exam in Italy, you’re sure to have come across the word rimorchio (trailer).

Theory test T/F question: ‘The width of the trailer must never exceed that of the vehicle pulling it.’

Credo che dovremo noleggiare un rimorchio per trasportare tutta la merce.
I think we might need to rent a trailer to transport all the goods.

And rimorchiare, along with the more formal trainare, means to haul or tow.

La barca è stata rimorchiata a riva.
The boat was towed to shore.

But rimorchiare isn’t just used to talk about vehicles. It also means to pick or chat someone up, or hook up with them.

Sono usciti per rimorchiare.
They’ve gone out on the pull.

Se n’è appena andata con un tipo che ha rimorchiato.
She just left with some guy she picked up.

A rimorchiatore is a tugboat, but can also mean a player/persistent flirt, and rimorchione/a also describes someone who’s constantly chatting people up.

got talent nina GIF by Italia's Got Talent

In some parts of the country, meanwhile, you might hear someone described as a provolone – a big tryhard or wannabe player.

That’s a wordplay based on the reflexive verb provarci, meaning ‘to try it on with’, and the famous Italian cheese. 

È un gran provolone ma non riesce mai a rimorchiare.
He’s a real tryhard but he never manages to pull.

Do you have a favourite Italian word or expression you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

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