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Italian Eatable Metaphors Trivia Quiz

"How you eat, you talk". Enjoy this quiz about some tasty Italian idioms. Hopefully you'll learn a bit of Italian and get some ideas about what to eat today.

A multiple-choice quiz by zordy. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
zordy

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
331,464

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
413

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. "Essere alla frutta" means "Being arrived at the fruit". Literally. But when you are "at the fruit" you are metaphorically where?
Hint

In a dead end, with no resources left

In your prime

In an orchard

In the first day of spring.

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. "Avere le mani in pasta" literally means "Having the hands into the dough". But what does it mean in everyday Italian conversation?
Hint

To be an expert

To be in a situation where it is impossible to act

To be clumsy

To ignore everything on a certain subject

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Question 3 of 10

3. We all love pizza. But when Italians describe something, for instance a film, as "a pizza", what does they mean? Hint

It's very good

It's very boring

It's set in Naples

It's very amusing and not too hard.

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Question 4 of 10

4. Talking about "bufala", what does this word mean in Italian - apart from the best type of mozzarella?
Hint

Fat lady

Womanizer

Crazy driver

False rumour or news

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Question 5 of 10

5. In Italy, someone calls you "salame" (salami); it means that you are what?
Hint

Very tall

Telling spicy stories

Too boisterous

Clumsy or a fool

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Question 6 of 10

6. If you have a crush on someone, expect your Italian friends to say you are what?
Hint

Bollito (boiled)

Cotto (cooked)

Fritto (fried)

Panato (in batter)

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Question 7 of 10

7. A soap opera, an overlong movie, a badly written novel with too many characters - all of these are often described by Italians as "polpettone". Which kind of recipe is "polpettone"?
Hint

Boiled cornmeal

A large meatloaf

An omelet

Stuffed pasta

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Question 8 of 10

8. When someone in Italy noses into everything, he is said to be like which herb or spice? Hint

Prezzemolo (parsley)

Cannella (cinnamon)

Origano (oregano)

Pepe (pepper)

9. A beautiful Italian lady of around fifty steps into the room. Everybody's stunned because she looks even better now than twenty years ago. Someone whispers in awe: "E' come il vino!" ("She's like wine!"). What's the reason for this expression? Hint

Because the older wine gets, the better it gets.

Because you'd love to meet the lady in a dark cellar.

Because the woman's beauty makes you dizzy like wine.

Because she's drunk.

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Question 10 of 10

10. "Six of one, and half a dozen of the other." That's the idiom in English. But in Italian, as usual, it's eatable: "Se non � zuppa, � pan bagnato". What does it mean, literally?
Hint

If it is not meatloaf, it's hamburger

If it is not soup, it's wet bread.

If it's not sausage, it's hotdog

If it's not ham, it's pork

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "Essere alla frutta" means "Being arrived at the fruit". Literally. But when you are "at the fruit" you are metaphorically where?

Answer: In a dead end, with no resources left

Fruit are the last course in every proper meal. Unless you have some dessert. Or some cheese. Or some sweet wine to dip biscuits into. Or...

2. "Avere le mani in pasta" literally means "Having the hands into the dough". But what does it mean in everyday Italian conversation?

Answer: To be an expert

To work dough with hands is a very difficult task. You've got to be of the trade. Probably this is the origin of the expression, which also means "to be in the inner circle". Today almost no-one makes pasta with his hands, but many people still have "mani in pasta". Do you want something to be done quickly and properly? Ask someone who has "mani in pasta": someone who knows a big shot, for instance.

3. We all love pizza. But when Italians describe something, for instance a film, as "a pizza", what does they mean?

Answer: It's very boring

Pizza is traditionally felt to be very hard to digest. This is due to the special mozzarella made to resist high temperatures in the oven; although if you order a pizza with real "bufala" (buffalo mozzarella), you won't have any problem. The great cinematic maestro Fellini is normally considered a pizza. "Pizza" is also the film reel.

4. Talking about "bufala", what does this word mean in Italian - apart from the best type of mozzarella?

Answer: False rumour or news

It is what the French call "canard" (duck).

5. In Italy, someone calls you "salame" (salami); it means that you are what?

Answer: Clumsy or a fool

Why a salame should be a fool, I am not certain. But it's not a very offensive term: you can affectionately call your child "salame" when he makes a mess of something.

6. If you have a crush on someone, expect your Italian friends to say you are what?

Answer: Cotto (cooked)

If you are "boiled", it means you have no more resources, you're too tired or you're a has-been; if you are "fried", it means that you are done, caught in the act, without escape. The same, but only in the North, if you are "in batter" like a fish or, better, a "cotoletta alla milanese" (cutlet Milanese style), that is not exactly battered, but dipped in egg yolk, covered with bread crumbs and fried in butter.

7. A soap opera, an overlong movie, a badly written novel with too many characters - all of these are often described by Italians as "polpettone". Which kind of recipe is "polpettone"?

Answer: A large meatloaf

In a "polpettone", one puts a lot of ingredients, all mixed up: the same as in a badly written tale. Boiled cornmeal is "polenta"; omelet is "frittata" and stuffed pasta is, well, a lot of things: ravioli, tortellini etc.

8. When someone in Italy noses into everything, he is said to be like which herb or spice?

Answer: Prezzemolo (parsley)

Probably it's because parsley gets into many recipes. You can also describe as "prezzemolo" someone who appears too much, for instance an ubiquitous TV guest.

Answer: Because the older wine gets, the better it gets.

This one was easy, even if it's not true that every kind of wine improves with age. And not every kind of woman either.

10. "Six of one, and half a dozen of the other." That's the idiom in English. But in Italian, as usual, it's eatable: "Se non � zuppa, � pan bagnato". What does it mean, literally?

Answer: If it is not soup, it's wet bread.

"Wet bread" doesn't sound very appetizing, but if you have ever tried "pappa al pomodoro", a very humble recipe made with yesterday's bread, water, tomato and spices, you know better.

Source: Author zordy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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