Italian word of the day
In Italy, abbiocco is that drowsy or sleepy feeling that often comes after a big meal, especially one that’s rich in carbohydrates. The feeling can be so intense that it might make you want to take a nap, pisolino or pennichella. It has no direct translation into English and it’s a colloquial term. The scientific term to describe the feeling is sonnolenza post-prandiale.
| Pronunciation | |
| English translation | Drowsy and sleepy feeling after a big meal |
| Origin | It’s believed to have its roots in the word chioccia which means “broody hen” in Italian, because of its huddled position to hatch eggs |
Examples
| Quando mangio un piatto di pasta per pranzo ho sempre un abbiocco terribile. | When I eat a plate of pasta for lunch, I am always terribly drowsy. |
| Il caldo estivo mi fa venire l’abbiocco. | The summer heat gives me food coma. |
| Anche un pasto leggero può causare un piccolo abbiocco. | Even a light meal can cause a small bout of drowsiness. |
Related words
We said that abbiocco likely originated from chioccia, and the same can be said for the verb abbioccarsi, a reflexive verb in Italian that means to become drowsy or to feel sleepy, to doze off. This verb means “to become a brooding hen” and it originates from the Roman dialect verb abbioccàsse.
Like abbiocco, it’s only used in colloquial settings. For example, you can say:
| Mi sono abbioccato durante la lezione di storia. | I dozed off during history class. |
More often than not, however, abbiocco is used instead of the verb:
| Se dormi poco, rischi di avere un abbiocco sul lavoro. | If you get little sleep, you risk dozing off at work. |
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