Image by Angela from Pixabey.

In our part of Italy most people think that wishing somebody ‘good luck’ is bad news, believing that doing so is likely to have precisely the opposite effect. So when it comes to Italian good luck sayings, we don’t say buona fortuna. (Saying that implies that you are really going to need all the luck you can get.)

Being dramatic by nature, Italians emulate theatrical folk, who encourage each other to ‘break a leg’ before a performance. Here, we say ‘in bocca al lupo,’  literally translated as ‘into the wolf’s mouth.’ The correct response is ‘Crepi il lupo’ (‘Let the wolf die.’)

So, when someone is about to take an exam, or tangle with Italian bureaucracy, or a boy is going to meet the parents of his girlfriend for the first time – or any other daunting task, it’s into the wolf’s mouth with them.

Learn Italian in Italy

Learning these everyday sayings is part of discovering the heart of Italian culture. At The Watermill in Posara, our Italian language courses are filled with friendly conversation, authentic traditions, and plenty of laughter.

Join us to learn Italian in Italy – and explore Italian good luck sayings, so you’ll know why, next time you want to wish someone good luck, it’s best to cry wolf instead. Please click here for more.