This week, seeing as though Halloween is fast approaching, we saw it only fitting that we introduce you to some of our favorite Italian idioms that also happen to reference one of the most popular foods from this time of the year. Pumpkin!
Avere poco sale in zucca translated literally means "to have very little salt in the pumpkin," but what does it even mean? The phrase is used to describe someone who is- how can we say?- lacking in intelligence or good sense. Interestingly enough, this phrase comes from a time when pumpkins were used as containers for salt. When poor farmers were low on salt, they would often say, "Abbiamo poco sale in zucca."
Pumpkins also got a bit of a bad rap since they weren't considered to be of much nutritional value and don't have a strong flavor. So if someone calles you a "zuccone" ("a big pumpkin") or tells you that you are a "zucca vuota" (an empty pumpkin), you can be assured that it isn't a compliment.
Buon Halloween a tutti!
Gisella
Sentieri Blog Contributor
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