Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To give yourself the hoe on your feet |
| English translation | To shoot yourself in the foot |
| Meaning | To do something that causes trouble for yourself |
Examples
| Accettando l’offerta, Enrico si è dato la zappa sui piedi. | By accepting the offer, Enrico shot himself in the foot. |
| Se menti sul curriculum, ti darai la zappa sui piedi. | If you lie on the resume, you will shoot yourself in the foot. |
Where does this idiom come from?
Imagine a farmer who’s hoeing a field. He’s tired, or maybe he’s in a hurry. He makes a mistake and suddenly hits his foot with the hoe…
Variations
- fare autogol (to strike an own goal)
- cercarsela (to ask for it)
Related lessons
- dare (to give)
- zappa (hoe)
- piede (foot)
- prepositions
- definite articles
- reflexive verbs
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