Metaphors might be fun and easy when they are in one's own language, but they may not be so easy to identify and understand in the language you're learning. We've selected some expressions using the metaphor of aria (air) for your enjoyment and learning.
Obviously, you can't fry air, so it's a great way to say something is not worth selling, not worth taking into consideration.
Qui si vende aria fritta.
Here we're selling fried air [thin air].
Caption 31, Sposami EP 4 - Part 23
Play Caption
There are lots of ways to let things go up in smoke, and here is one:
Adesso tu vuoi mandare all'aria tutto così, per niente?
Now you want to make everything go up in smoke, just like that, for nothing?
Caption 4, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP4 Lo stagno del ranocchio - Part 12
Play Caption
Of course, Italians do also use the metaphor of fumo (smoke) but we'll look at those in another lesson.
For this metaphor, it might be useful to talk about the verb campare. For English speakers, the word "camp" comes to mind. Campare may come from the French verb "camper" meaning accamparsi (to encamp, to set up camp). In modern colloquial Italian, it has come to mean "to get by" and by extension, "to live" or to "survive." Campato in aria means something is nonsensical, far-fetched. Just as you can't fry air, you can't survive on it alone.
Questa è tutta una sua ricostruzione totalmente campata in aria.
This is all her totally far-fetched reconstruction.
Caption 9, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 5
Play Caption
Here below, we have a different translation that keeps with the metaphor of "air." The meaning here is still "unfounded."
Sono tutte supposizioni, campate in aria.
These are all suppositions, drawn out of thin air.
Caption 8, Il Commissario Manara S2EP3 - Delitto tra le lenzuola - Part 12
Play Caption
If we visualize legs in the air, we can relate to the English equivalent: to go belly up.
Un matrimonio che va a gambe all'aria al momento della cerimonia, per colpa di chi?
A wedding that ends up with legs in the air [goes belly up] at the moment of the ceremony, by the fault of whom?
Captions 45-46, Sposami EP 5 - Part 21
Play Caption
To change the air means to change the environment — in other words, to get a change of scene.
Il tempo di mettere da parte abbastanza soldi per cambiare aria e ricominciare daccapo.
The time it took to put aside enough money, to get a change of scene, and start over from the beginning.
Captions 22-23, Il Commissario Manara S2EP4 - Miss Maremma - Part 6
Play Caption
This expression has two versions, but the meaning is the same.
"Avere la testa tra le nuvole" o "avere la testa per aria" si usa quando non si riesce a pensare in maniera logica o chiara.
"To have one's head in the clouds" or "to have one's head in the air" is used when you are unable to think logically or clearly.
Captions 23-24, Marika spiega Espressioni con la testa - Part 2
Play Caption
Have you seen other examples with aria as a metaphor in Yabla videos, or elsewhere? Let us know, and we'll add them to this lesson.
Spanish
French
German
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
