Like many other countries around the world, football (or football As it is known in the United States) is the most popular sport in Italy, and more iconic than any other, it transcends the sporting context, for better or worse.
As we all know, the widespread popularity of football has already turned it into a commercial product subject to marketing strategies, making it more and more profitable. Still, nothing touches the poetry of a good show or the epic nature of a match that isn’t played until the last second.
The emotions that football can stir have carried over into the widely used Italian words, concepts and idioms in everyday conversation.
In this article, I’m going to analyze 10 of these expressions and make them more clear to those who are just starting to learn Italian.
1. Play football
play football Means “playing football”, and as you’ve noticed, in Italian, unlike many other languages, the name of the sport is different from the English term football fundamental.
The origin of this sect is due to the nationalist policies of the early twentieth century. They were trying to gain some sort of authorship by linking modern football, born in England, to an ancient Renaissance movement called “Calcio Fiorentino”.
There are many cases of forced Italianization of loanwords, but almost all of them are forgotten as unpopular.the term footballOn the other hand, even though the names of some of the first important Italian clubs were in English, it has been accepted and used with great success: Genoa Cricket and Football Club (from Genoa) and Milan Football & Cricket Club (from Milan, now known as AC Milan).
football literally Kickbecause in this sport you have to Kick, to kicka ball. soccer player can therefore be called soccer player.
2. Which team do you support?
This is the classic question you ask when you meet a new guy who loves football. cheer or support translates to “to root for” or “to support” (in motion only), and fan or supporter a team is called fan / fan.
If you notice some resemblance to a medical term typhusyou read that right, because in Italy typhus Also the name of a disease that causes agitation and sudden febrile attacks. This condition may have something to do with the enthusiasm evoked by the sport, even if its etymology is uncertain.
To recap:
- A: Which team are you a fan of? / Which team do you support/support?
- Second: cheers for (or I support……) / I support / support…
3. Straight leg entry
legs straight corresponds to tackle the ball In English football. It’s a harsh and dangerous type of foul that can have dire consequences for an opponent’s physical condition.
straight leg entry Entering a conversation (or in any case) means break into Don’t worry about the harshness of a person’s words or actions.
4. Save in the corner (or save in the corner)
In risky situations, less than ideal solutions can be adopted to avoid the worst.
So, if the opposing team is putting pressure on you, you can temporarily relieve the pressure by kicking the ball over your own endline instead of trying to counter. This could lead to another potentially dangerous situation, but for now you are safe.
corner save Can be used like “to be saved by the bell” in English, instead of referring to football refers to boxing.
5. Seize the breaks
In football Italian, fight back method fight back.
Maybe you already have plans for the weekend, want to go out for a walk, and then rest comfortably at home, but the sudden visit of relatives and friends makes you unable to extricate yourself. catch you off guard And force you to change your plans.
take counterattack Means “unprepared” or “unprepared”.
6. …in the Cesarini region
In the 1930s, the Italian-Argentine player Renato Cesarini stood out for his ability to repeatedly score in the final minutes of a game.
Sports journalists at the time paid tribute to Cesarini by marking nearly all goals scored towards the end of the game as goals in the cesarini area. Thus, the expression becomes synonymous with “at the last possible moment”.
the word Area / district Usually referring to a surface rather than a time period, but the term used in this expression is borrowed from the card game bridge, where areas/zones are how stages of the game are named.
7. Make a deadbolt
For decades, Italian teams have been known for their unique defensive tactical system: bolt, bolt in English.
This tactic is designed to close every gap and prevent any scoring opportunities while allowing the opposition to maintain possession.
Ideally, the target must be closed by a metaphorical latch.Note that this metaphor makes more sense in Italian, since soccer goals are called Door / Door.
way of expression make bolts / act as a latch Can be used in situations where extreme resistance is set against the wishes of the opponent.
8. Dribble around a topic, a problem, a person
If you deliberately avoid confronting a delicate situation, meeting a person, or discussing a topic, you are dribbling / you are dribbling.
dribble apparently from dribble it is one of many English words translated into “Italian” Just add a suffix.
9. Accept punishment
A sort of penalty (punish) is a free kick that is only defended by the goalkeeper. It can be awarded during a game for fouls in the box or at the end of the game as a means of deciding the winner.
accept a penalty / accept punishment It was certainly one of the most favorable chances to score, but it was also one of the most tense moments in football. This moment has become a metaphor for the ability to seize the opportunities that life presents us.
10. Own goals
way of expression Own goals / score for another team (or literally “set automatic goals”) has entered Italian to indicate that you say or do something more or less involuntarily against your own interests.
author: Nico Curini, a certified Italian teacher since 2016 and working online since 2019. website: ditelab.blogspot.com | Social Media: instagram – Facebook – Twitter
