Common Italian expression
| Literally | Another pair of sleeves |
| Meaning | It refers to something entirely different or unrelated to what was previously mentioned |
| IPA pronunciation | /un ˈaltro ˈpaːjo di ˈmanike/ |
Un altro paio di maniche
A different kettle of fish
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)
More free Italian resources
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