Italians love their food idiomsso that even modest people stock (stock) has become an everyday expression!
anything is OK Literally means “Everything can be made into broth”. Just as any kind of vegetable or meat can turn into broth when boiled, any contribution to a goal or cause, no matter how small, can retain value and help. The closest English expression is “every little bithelps.”
anything is OK
Every little bit helps
according to Cerreto, this well-known proverb appeared in the Middle Ages, when broth was a staple food. It was made by boiling whatever edible farmers could find with water. There is no fixed formula, and the quality is not high, but it does solve the food and clothing problem of many poor peasant families.
nowadays, anything is OK essentially means “Everything can come in handy” Or in more authentic English, “Every little bit helps”. This is especially true when resources are limited and immediate goals are not paramount. Here, the focus is not on the quality of the results, but on the quantity or sheer achievement.
Then I’ll give you 5 euros? – Well, yes, everything is going well at this point.
Can I give you 5 euros? – Sure, why not, every little bit helps at this point.
Heather Broster is a graduate with honors in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, fluent in English and Italian, as well as varying degrees of fluency in Japanese, Welsh and French. Originally from Toronto, Heather has lived in several countries, notably Italy for six years. Her main research areas are language acquisition, education and bilingual teaching.
