Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To do so much of a hat |
| English translation | Hats off to someone |
| Meaning | Used to congratulate people on a job well done |
Examples
| Ti sei classificato primo all’esame? Tanto di cappello! | Did you rank first in the exam? Hats off to you! |
| Hai scritto un bellissimo saggio. Ti faccio davvero tanto di cappello. | You have written a beautiful essay. I really take my hat off to you. |
Where does this idiom come from?
In the early 1900s, gentlemen would take off their hats when meeting a known face on the street. This was done to show respect, rispetto. When you congratulate someone, it’s as if they’ve earned your respect, so you take your hat off.
This expression is also found as tanto di cappello, which is an exclamation that means hats off to you.
Related lessons
- fare (to do)
- cappello (hat)
- tanto (much)
- di (preposition)
- prepositions
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