Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To lead/beat the dog around the barnyard |
| English translation | To beat around the bush |
| Meaning | To stall for time or buy time instead of dealing with a subject or matter |
Examples
| Non menare il can per l’aia. Dimmi cos’è successo. | Don’t beat around the bush. Tell me what happened. |
| Non sopporto chi mena il can per l’aia. Mi piace andare dritto al punto. | I can’t stand people who beat around the bush. I like to get straight to the point. |
Where does this idiom come from?
In the past, heavy farm animals were used to thresh grain in barnyards. Lighter animals such as dogs and chickens would have taken much longer to thresh the same amount of grain, hence the saying.
Variations
- tirarla per le lunghe (to drag it out)
Related lessons
- menare (to beat)
- cane (dog)
- aia (Barnyard)
- per (preposition)
- prepositions
- definite articles
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