Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | Another pair of sleeves |
| English translation | A different kettle of fish |
| Meaning | It refers to something entirely different or unrelated to what was previously mentioned |
Examples
| Non ho nessun vestito a manica lunga da mettermi! | I don’t have any long-sleeved dress to wear! |
| Questo problema è tutto un altro paio di maniche. | This problem is a whole other set of problems. |
Where does this idiom come from?
In the Middle Ages, it was difficult to find clean water to wash clothes. Clothes were easily soiled by work. Women began to wear dresses with replacable sleeves. To “wash” the dress, they simply had to wear “another pair of sleeves”!
Manica is also used in these collocations:
- vestito a manica lunga / maniche lunghe (long-sleeved dress)
- vestito a manica corta / maniche corte (short-sleeved dress)
Related lessons
- paio (pair)
- manica (sleeve)
- un altro (another)
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