Common Italian expression
| Literally | To have a devil for each hair |
| Meaning | Being very angry or furious |
| IPA pronunciation | /aˈveːre un ˈdjavolo per kaˈpello/ |
Avere un diavolo per capello
To see red, to be very angry
Examples
Stamattina il capo ha un diavolo per capello. Meglio stargli alla larga.
This morning the boss is furious. It is best to stay away from him.
Oggi ho un diavolo per capello. Che nessuno mi parli!
I’m furious today. Nobody speak to me!
Where does this idiom come from?
This idiom is probably a reference to The Divine Comedy by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. In his masterpiece, Dante and Virgil grasp tufts of Lucifer’s hair as they cross the Inferno. Avere un diavolo per capello reverses the roles: now it’s little devils pulling our hair. Imagine little annoying devils pulling at your hair. Wouldn’t you be furious? 😉
Related lessons
- avere (to have)
- capello (hair)
- diavolo (devil)
- prepositions
- indefinite articles
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