It is always possible to use proverbs and idioms ironically or with a meaning that is different from the standard one, the one that was originally intended; the speakers of a language can bend even fixed expressions to meet their communicative purposes. For example, There's safety in numbers means that a danger is not so great if there are many people who face it together; but it is not uncommon to hear it used ironically to refer to those men who think that marriage is a danger, to be kept under control by having several girl-friends, not just one.
The analysis of the other idioms follows the same lines as for the proverbs; besides, the correspondences between English and Italian reveal the presence of "stock metaphors", so ‘frozen' or ‘crystallised' that they are no longer felt as metaphors, but still they cannot be taken literally: for example, In the twinkling of an eye ‘In un batter d'occhio' for "immediately, in a very short time".
Here, too, it is important to spot correspondences that are only partial (like Elbow grease ‘Olio di gomito') and differences (like a flea in one's ear ‘una pulce nell'orecchio'). As to the form, notice the very high frequency of to-infinitives, of the indefinite pronoun one and of its derivatives (one's, oneself).
A bag of bones
A bird's eye view
A blackleg
A blue-eyed boy
A bolt from the blue
A bone of contention
A brain-wave
A brass hat
A chip off the old block
A cock-and-bull story
A cuckoo in the nest
A dog's life
A dress-rehearsal for...
A good hand
A grass widower
A hair's breadth
A handful
A handyman
A hard nut to crack
A head wind
A headline
A hen-pecked husband
A high-brow
A light-fingered person
A little bird told me
A live wire
A low-brow
A man about town
A mouthful
A nail in one's coffin
A nice eyeful
A plank in his platform
A rose between two thorns
A round table
A rule of thumb
A scatter-brained person
A shot in the dark
A sight for sore eyes
A skeleton in the cupboard
A skin-flint
A snake in the grass
A spot of shut-eye
A square peg in a round hole
A thorn in one's flesh/side
A thumb-nail sketch
A tower of strength
A wet blanket
A wild-goose chase
A wolf in sheep's clothing
Achilles' heel / The heel of Achilles
All hands on deck!
All hell breaks loose
All his fingers are thumbs
All my eye (and Betty Martin)
An earmark
An eye-opener
An eyesore
An old hand
An underhand way of doing something
Armed to the teeth
As the crow flies
At daggers drawn
At the cross-roads
At the end of one's tether
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Block-headed; a block-head
Born in the purple
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth
Can you beat it?
Can't see further than his nose
Cannot say off-hand
Check-mate
Cheek / Cheeky
Cheek by jowl
Come hell or high water
Cupboard love
Cut and dried
Cut-throat competition
Do you want jam on it?
Don't rush your fences
Don't wash your dirty linen in public
Double-faced / two-faced
Down at the heel
Down in the mouth
Dressed up like a dog's dinner
Ears burning
Eaten up/Consumed with jealousy/pride/ curiosity
Elbow-grease
Elbow-room
Eye-wash; all eye-wash
Follow your nose
Fond of the limelight
Fork out!
From top to toe
Get down to the brass tacks
God hardened Pharaoh's heart
Going downhill
Green-eyed / Green with envy
Hair-raising adventures
Hair-splitting
Half-hearted(ly)
Hard-headed / Soft-headed
Hasn't a leg to stand on
Have a heart!
He can talk the hind legs off a donkey
He didn't miss a trick
He hasn't a bean
He is full of/has plenty of animal spirits
He is good at heart
He will never set the Thames on fire
He wouldn't hurt a fly
He's cock of the walk
He's got bats in the belfry
He's got bees in his bonnet
He's got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning
He's not green
He's too big for his boots
Head over heels in debt/love
Heart-burning
Heart-searching
Heart-to-heart talk
His hair stood on end
His heart was in his boots
His words stuck in my throat
Hold your horses!
Hold your tongue
Hot-headed
How does Jones come into the picture?
I hadn't the heart to punish him
I have a bone in my leg
I have hardly a rag to my back
I wouldn't touch it with a barge-pole
I'll eat my hat if...
I'm all ears
I've got him by the short hairs
In hand / Out of hand
In one's heart of hearts
In one's shirt-sleeves
In queer street
In someone's good/bad books
In the lap of luxury
In the lap of the gods
In the teeth of the wind/storm/evidence etc.
In the twinkling of an eye
It boils down to...
It doesn't matter (I don't care) a brass farthing
It goes against the grain
It is time for a show-down
It makes my blood boil
It turned out that...
It turned out well/badly
It was blowing great guns
It's a case of sour grapes
It's a toss-up whether...
It's not cricket
It's staring you in the face
Just up someone's street
Keep it under your hat
Keep your eyes open/skinned
Keep your hair on
Kicking one's heels
Let him stew in his own juice
Let someone have his head
Life is not all a bed of roses
Light at the end of the tunnel
Long in the tooth
Look out for squalls
Looking as if butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth
Made of money/Rolling in money
Mary kept all these things in her heart
Mealy-mouthed
Mind your own business!
Money for jam
More than flesh and blood can stand
Much water has flowed under the bridges since then
Muttons dressed as lambs
My blood froze (ran cold) in my veins
My blood was up
My foot!
My heart bleeds for you
My heart came into my mouth
Nearly jump out of one's skin
Neck or nothing
None of your lip!
Not all beer and skittles
Not bat an eyelid
Not feel up to the mark
Not let the grass grow under one's feet
Not open one's mouth
Not out of the top drawer
Not out of the wood yet
Not put a foot wrong
Not raise/lift/stir a finger to help another
Not to mince matter
Not turn a hair
Not want to rock the boat
Nothing but skin and bone
Off the beaten track
Off-hand in one's manner
On one's back
On one's feet again
On one's last legs
On the carpet/mat
On the shelf
On the war-path
On the water wagon
Only a flash in the pan
Open-handed / Close-fisted
Out-at-elbows
Over/above one's head
Pig-headed
Pushing up daisies
Put a sock in it!
Raining cats and dogs
Ready at the drop of a hat
Riding for a fall
Running neck and neck
Saw the light
She set her cap at him
She wears the breeches
Shirty
Shut your mouth!
Stage fright
Stiff-necked
Take time by the forelock
Talking through one's hat
Teething troubles
Tell it to the horse-Marines
That beats the band!
That rings a bell
That takes the cake!
That's a game at which two can play
The answer's a lemon
The bird has flown
The black sheep of the family
The boat turned turtle
The cards are against us
The corner-stone of a policy
The dice are loaded against us
The die is cast
The fat's in the fire
The fly in the ointment
The game is not worth the candle
The game is up!
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
The hall-mark
The head boy
The heart of the matter
The long arm of coincidence
The primrose path
The question floored him
The question stumped me/I was stumped for an answer
The stage can now be set for...
The tail wags the dog
The team spirit
The thin end of a wedge
There are no flies on him
There are other fish in the sea
There is a rift in the lute
There is another side to the picture
There'll be hell to pay
There's enough blue sky to make a pair of sailor's breeches
There's no room to swing a cat
They had no heart for the fight
Thick-skinned / Thin-skinned
Tied to his mother's apron strings
Till the birds come home
Time hangs heavily on their hands
To a hair
To act as a damper on enthusiasm/desire...
To add fuel to the flames
To aim high
To appear on the scene
To ask for a girl's hand
To axe somebody/expenditures
To back the wrong horse
To back-pedal
To backfire
To badger a person
To bank on something happening/on someone
To bark up the wrong tree
To battle one's way
To be a pawn in another's game
To be at a loose end
To be at home in a situation
To be biased in favour of/against a person/opinion
To be careful of one's skin
To be carried out feet foremost
To be caught red-handed
To be fed up
To be hand-in-glove with one another
To be hedged in
To be in a (flat) spin
To be in another person's shoes
To be in the red
To be in the same boat
To be in the soup
To be left holding the baby
To be on pins and needles/on tenterhooks
To be on/to cross the threshold
To be out of one's depth
To be touched in the head
To be unable to see the wood for the trees
To be up/rise with the lark
To bear fruit
To beat about the bush
To beat swords into ploughshares
To bite the hand that feeds one
To blow a person up/To give him a good blowing-up
To blow hot and cold
To blow one's brains out
To blow one's own trumpet
To bolster up
To bombard with questions
To bone something
To break fresh ground
To break the ice
To bring a person to his knees
To bring a person's faults home to him
To bring back/home the bacon
To bring grist to the mill
To bring to heel
To brood over something
To browbeat
To build a new Jerusalem
To build castles in Spain/the air
To burn one's boats
To burn one's fingers
To burn the candle at both ends
To burn the midnight oil
To bury the hatchet
To button-hole a person
To call a person's bluff
To call/drag/haul someone over the coals
To cap it all
To cap one story with another
To carry/take coals to Newcastle
To cash in on a situation
To cast pearls before swine
To cast something in a person's teeth
To catch a person out
To change hands
To cherish a serpent/snake/viper in one's bosom
To chin-wag /A chinwag
To climb on someone's bandwagon
To climb to the top of a greasy pole
To cloak one's intentions
To coin a phrase
To coin money
To collar
To collar a person
To come down to earth
To come in handy
To come into the limelight
To come out on top
To come to a head
To come to grips with a problem/situation
To come to hand
To come up to the mark
To cook accounts/the books
To cook someone's goose
To crop up
To cross/measure swords with someone
To cross/pass the Rubicon
To crow over something/somebody
To cry one's heart out
To cost a pretty penny
To cut a long story short
To cut a strange/an impressive... figure
To cut it fine
To cut no ice
To cut one another's throat
To cut one's own throat
To cut one's wisdom teeth
To cut the ground from under a person's feet
To deserve/gain credit
To destroy root and branch
To die in harness
To discount some of what you hear
To do someone in the eye
To do something off one's own bat
To do something with one's eyes open
To do something/go somewhere under one's own steam
To do the donkey work
To draw a bow at a venture
To draw a red herring across the path/track/ trail
To draw blank
To draw someone out of his shell
To draw the long-bow
To dress a person down / To give him a dressing down
To drink like a fish
To drop a brick
To drop the pilot
To earmark
To earn one's bread and butter
To earn/turn an honest penny
To eat humble pie
To eat one's heart out
To eat out of another's hand
To egg someone on
To explode a belief/theory/idea
To explore every avenue
To face (up to)
To face the music
To fall between two stools
To fall head over heels in love
To fall on one's feet
To fall/run foul of someone
To feather one's own nest
To feel fighting fit
To feel like a fish out of water
To ferret out information
To fiddle about
To fight tooth and nail
To find a scapegoat
To find one's feet
To find/lose one's bearings
To flog a dead horse
To fly in the face of rules/regulations
To fly off the handle
To gain ground
To get down to business
To get hot under the collar
To get in/come in on the bottom floor
To get it in the neck
To get no change out of/from someone
To get off on the wrong foot
To get one's back up
To get one's sea-legs
To get one's shirt out
To get one's teeth into
To get somebody's goat
To get the plums
To get to the top of the tree
To get up/pick up steam
To get/have the upper hand over another
To give a person a free hand
To give a person a leg-up
To give a person carte blanche
To give hostages to fortune
To give someone enough/plenty of rope
To give someone hell
To give someone the boot
To give someone the cold shoulder / to cold-shoulder a person
To give someone/something a wide berth
To give the sack Û To get the sack
To gladden one's heart
To go (be sent) away with a flea in one's ear
To go by the board
To go cap-in-hand to a person
To go crabwise
To go down the drain
To go haywire
To go in at one ear and out of the other
To go off one's head
To go round the bend
To go the whole hog
To go to earth
To go to the dogs
To go underground
To go/sail through deep waters
To hammer out a plan/an agreement...
To hand in one's chips
To hand it to someone on a plate
To hand someone a bouquet
To handle a matter
To handle with kid gloves
To hang on with/by one's eyelids
To hang upon someone's lips
To harp on the same subject
To have a bone to pick with someone
To have a card/trick up one's sleeve
To have a chip on one's shoulder
To have a finger in the pie
To have a good head on one's shoulders
To have a hand in the matter
To have a high-handed manner; to be high-handed
To have a matter in hand
To have a new lease of life
To have a person's ear
To have a rod in pickle for someone
To have a rough passage
To have a shot at something
To have a sting in the tail
To have a sweet tooth
To have an axe to grind
To have an eye to the main chance
To have everything/all the details at one's finger-tips
To have green fingers
To have had a good innings
To have more brains in the little finger than
To have one foot in the grave
To have one's back to the wall
To have one's hands full
To have one's hands tied
To have one's head screwed on the right way (vs. He's got a screw loose)
To have one's heart in the right place
To have pins and needles
To have shot one's bolt
To have something on the brain
To have something up one's sleeve
To have something/someone on one's hands
To have the game in one's hands
To have time on one's hands
To have to put one's hand in one's pocket
To have too many irons in the fire
To have/get cold feet
To hear something (straight) from the horse's mouth
To heel over
To hide one's light under a bushel
To hit below the belt
To hit the jack-pot
To hit the mark/bull's eye
To hit the nail on the head
To hitch one's wagon to a star
To hold a candle to
To hold out the olive-branch
To hold the fort
To hold the purse strings
To hound someone
To iron out difficulties
To join battle
To jump the gun
To keep a stiff upper lip
To keep afloat
To keep an eye on
To keep at arm's length
To keep in leading strings
To keep in the background
To keep one's ear to the ground
To keep one's hand in
To keep one's head vs. to lose one's head
To keep one's head above water
To keep one's nose to the grindstone
To keep the wolf from the door
To kick the bucket
To kill the fatted calf
To know by heart
To know how many beans make five
To laugh in/up one's sleeve
To laugh on the wrong side of one's mouth
To lay by the heels
To lay it on with a trowel
To lay the blame on the right shoulders
To lay the foundations
To lay/put heads together
To lay/put one's finger on the fault/weakness
To lead a cat-and-dog life
To lead a person up the garden path
To lead by the nose
To learn by heart
To learn/know the ropes
To leave in the lurch
To leave no stone unturned
To leave one's bones
To leave to cool his heels
To lend/give a hand
To let off steam
To let slip through one's fingers
To let the cat out of the bag
To live by taking in one another's washing
To live from hand to mouth
To live on the edge of a volcano
To live on the fat of the land
To look at life through rose-coloured spectacles
To look daggers at someone
To look down one's at someone
To look to one's laurels
To lose face
To lose its sting
To lose one's heart
To lose one's shirt on a horse
To lower/strike one's flag
To make a bee-line to a place
To make a cat's-paw of someone
To make a clean breast of something
To make a clean sweep
To make a hash of something
To make a mountain out of a mole-hill
To make a stand against
To make both ends meet
To make bricks without straw
To make eyes at
To make game/sport of someone
To make hay of
To make head or tail of something
To make head/headway
To make mincemeat of an opponent
To make no bones about doing something
To make someone's life hell
To make the grade
To mean business
To miss the bus
To monkey (about) with something
To nail a lie
To nip in the bud
To nose around
To nose out secrets
To open one's mouth too wide
To overstep the mark
To paddle one's own canoe
To paint the lily
To paint the picture in glowing (sombre) colours
To paint the town red
To palm something off on someone
To pass a milestone/one stage onward
To patch up a quarrel
To pay a person out/back in his own coin
To pay lip service to principles/ideals
To pay off an old score
To pay on the nail
To pay through the nose
To pay tribute to
To perform/create/do something on a shoe string
To pick another's brains
To play a dirty trick on someone
To play a person at his own game
To play a person false
To play a trump card
To play a waiting game
To play an important part in a scheme
To play ball with a person
To play ducks and drakes with money
To play fast and loose
To play for high stakes
To play for one's own hand
To play havoc
To play into the hands of others
To play off one person against another
To play safe
To play second fiddle
To play the devil with
To play one's cards well
To plough a lonely furrow
To pocket an insult
To poke one's nose into another's business/affairs
To pour oil on troubled waters
To prick up one's ears
To proceed by slow stages
To pull in/tighten one's belt
To pull one's weight
To pull oneself up by one's shoestrings
To pull someone's leg
To pull the wool over another's eyes
To pull up one's socks
To put a bold face on a matter
To put a damper on enthusiasm/desire...
To put a fast one over on someone
To put a good face on a matter
To put a person in the picture
To put a spoke in someone's wheel
To put another's nose out of joint
To put down roots
To put heart into
To put it (an idea) into one's head
To put on one's thinking cap
To put on the dogs
To put one's best foot forward
To put one's foot down
To put one's foot in it
To put one's hand to the plough
To put one's house in order
To put one's pride in one's pocket
To put one's shirt on a horse
To put one's shoulder to the wheel
To put paid to a person's account
To put someone off his stroke
To put teeth into
To put the cart before the horse
To put the finishing touches
To put the matter in a nutshell
To put them off the scent
To put your heart (and soul) into a matter
To put/stake everything on one throw
To raise hell
To raise one's eyebrows
To raise the elbow too often
To raise/lift the roof
To reach rock bottom
To reap the benefit
To reap the fruit of
To reckon without one's host
To rest on one's oars
To retire into one's shell
To ring down the curtain
To ring the changes
To ring true vs. To ring false
To ring up the curtain on an affair
To rouse up/raise up a hornet's nest
To rub shoulders with
To rule with a heavy hand
To run in the blood
To run one's head against a brick wall
To run out of steam
To run someone to earth
To sail near the wind
To sail through with flying colours
To sail under false colours
To save one's bacon
To save one's skin
To score off a person
To screw up one's courage
To see eye to eye with another
To see how the land lies/the lie of the land
To see red
To see the light
To see which way the cat will jump
To see which way the wind is blowing
To see with half an eye
To sell down the river
To sell like hot cakes
To sell/buy for a song/an old song
To send a person to Coventry
To send the cap round
To separate the sheep from the goats
To set one's face against
To set people by the ears
To set sail
To set someone on a pedestal
To set the ball rolling
To set the wheels in motion
To settle a person's hash
To shake in one's shoes
To shake the dust of a place off one's feet
To sheathe the sword
To shell out
To shepherd a person/group of persons
To shoulder a burden/the blame
To show a clean pair of heels
To show one's face (in public)
To show one's teeth
To shuttle to and fro
To sit on the fence
To skate over thin ice
To skin a person
To smell a rat
To snap at a person
To snap/bite a person's head off
To soft-pedal
To sow one's wild oats
To sow the wind and reap the whirlwind
To speak with one's tongue in one's cheek
To spill the beans
To spin a task/a talk out
To spin money out
To stand by with folded arms
To stand one's ground
To start from scratch
To steal a march on one's enemy/rival
To steer clear of someone
To step up
To step/tread on someone's toes
To stick one's neck out
To stick to one's guns
To stretch one's legs
To strike a snag
To strike at the foundations
To strike the right note
To sugar the pill
To suit down to the ground
To swallow one's pride
To swallow the bait
To sweep people off their feet
To sweep the board
To take a hand in an affair
To take a leaf out of someone's book
To take a person down a peg
To take a person to one's heart
To take a person's measure
To take a rosy view of a situation
To take it (an idea) into one's head
To take on board an idea/suggestion...
To take one's courage in both hands
To take something to heart
To take something with a pinch/grain of salt
To take stock of a situation
To take the bit between one's teeth
To take the bull by the horns
To take the gilt off the gingerbread
To take the law into one's own hands
To take the lead Û To fall behind
To take the rough with the smooth
To take the weight off one's feet
To take the wind out of one's sails
To take the wrong turning
To take to one's heels
To take words at their face value
To take words to heart
To take/have pride of place
To talk shop
To talk turkey
To thrash a person/To give him a thrashing
To throw a person out neck and crop
To throw a plan out of gear
To throw a spanner in the works
To throw dust in another's eyes
To throw in one's hand/cards
To throw in/up the sponge
To throw reason overboard/to the winds
To throw someone to the wolves
To tie up loose ends
To toe the line
To trail one's coat
To try one's hand at something
To turn a blind eye
To turn one's back
To turn one's toes up
To turn over a new leaf
To turn someone's head
To turn the other cheek
To turn the tables upon a person
To turn to ashes in one's mouth
To turn up one's nose at something
To turn up trumps
To twist/turn the knife in the wound
To upset the apple-cart
To wait for dead men's shoes
To walk someone off his legs
To warm the cockles of a person's heart
To wash one's hands of
To weather the storm
To win another's heart
To win hands down
To wipe the floor with an opponent
To work one's passage
To work/go/do something flat out
To worm one's way into somebody's confidence
To worship the golden calf
To write something off
Tongue-tied
Under a person's thumb
Under petticoat government
Up to the eyes in work/debt
Up to the neck
We should take off our hats to such a person
What's cooking?
What's your (little) game?
Wheels within wheels
When my ship comes in
Where the shoe pinches
Whole-hearted(ly)
Will do something by fair means or foul
Will happen as sure as eggs is eggs
Willing to go through fire and water for someone
With his tail between his legs
With/by the skin of one's teeth
Won't make old bones
You can bet your boots
You should respect the cloth
You've got the wrong end of the stick
You've taken the words out of my mouth
Words are the raw material for compounds, derivatives, neologisms, metaphorical uses and so on; the same happens with proverbs and idioms. To exemplify this, here is a series of quotations consisting of paraphrases, reversals or alterations of common phrases and idioms:
A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep. (W. H. Auden)
If a thing is worth doing it is worth doing badly. (G. K. Chesterton)
I know that's a secret, for it's whispered everywhere. (W. Congreve)
Here's the rule for bargains: ‘Do other men, for they would do you'. That's the true business precept. (Ch. Dickens)
All the modern inconveniences. (Mark Twain)
A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies. (O. Wilde)
In married life three is company and two is none. (O. Wilde)
Truth is never pure, and very rarely simple. (O. Wilde)