Verità, Segretezza e Inganno - Pretense

Scopri come i modi di dire inglesi come "mantenere le apparenze" e "lacrime di coccodrillo" si riferiscono ai pretesti in inglese.

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in name (only|alone) [Frase]

used for saying that a person, thing, situation etc. is not actually like what their description, label, or title suggests

Ex: The organization was democratic in name only , as the actual decision-making power rested with a single individual .

to [keep] up appearances [Frase]

to act and behave as if everything is fine so that others do not find out about one's problems

Ex: Despite their financial struggles , the family tried to keep up appearances by hosting lavish parties and buying expensive items .

lip service [sostantivo]

parole al vento

Ex: The politician gave lip service to environmental protection but took no action to address the issue .

Il politico ha fatto belle parole sulla protezione ambientale ma non ha preso alcuna misura per affrontare il problema.

to [put] {one's} money where {one's} [mouth] [is] [Frase]

to take action that proves one's sincerity or commitment to what one has said by investing or spending money on it

Ex: If you think your business idea will succeed, why not put your money where your mouth is and invest in it yourself?

wolf in (sheep's|lamb's) clothing [Frase]

an evil person who seems nice and friendly

Ex: The charming new neighbor turned out to be a wolf in sheep 's clothing , manipulating everyone for personal gain .

to [play] dead [Frase]

to fake death by lying on the ground without moving

Ex: When confronted by the aggressive dog , the cat decided to play dead , hoping the dog would lose interest and leave .

to [put] on a brave (face|front) [Frase]

avere un atteggiamento allegro di fronte a una situazione difficile

Ex: The team captain put on a brave front during the match, motivating the players despite the mounting pressure.

to [play] it cool [Frase]

to act calmly in order to hide one's anger, enthusiasm, fear, etc. from others

Ex: Despite winning the lottery , he decided to play it cool and kept the news to himself .

to [cry] wolf [Frase]

to have a bad reputation of calling for help when one does not really need any, and so making oneself untrustworthy

Ex: After constantly exaggerating about her health issues , her family began to think she was crying wolf and stopped taking her complaints seriously .

crocodile tears [sostantivo]

lacrime di coccodrillo

Ex: The politician shed crocodile tears during his speech , pretending to empathize with the citizens ' struggles while actively working against their interests .

Il politico ha versato lacrime di coccodrillo durante il suo discorso, fingendo di empatizzare con le lotte dei cittadini mentre lavorava attivamente contro i loro interessi.

butter would not melt in {one's} mouth [Frase]

used for saying that a person only appears to be nice or innocent, but they are not like that in reality

Ex: She acted as if butter would not melt in her mouth , but behind closed doors , she was always causing trouble .

to [put] on an act [Frase]

to talk or behave in a way that is fake

Ex: She put on an act of being upset to manipulate her friend into doing her a favor.

accidentally on purpose [Frase]

used to refer to when someone does something intentionally, but pretends as if it was an accident

Ex: Sarah dropped her phone accidentally on purpose to get her crush 's attention .

stool pigeon [sostantivo]

informatore

Ex: The undercover detective used a known criminal as a " stool pigeon " to gather evidence against the gang .

Il detective sotto copertura ha usato un criminale noto come spia per raccogliere prove contro la gang.

to [play] possum [Frase]

to pretend as if one is asleep or dead so that others will not bother or attack one

Ex: When confronted by the bully , Tim decided to play possum and remained silent until the situation defused .

paper tiger [sostantivo]

agnello travestito da leone

Ex: The dictator 's aggressive rhetoric turned out to be a " paper tiger " as his military lacked the necessary resources for a sustained conflict .

La retorica aggressiva del dittatore si è rivelata essere una tigre di carta poiché il suo esercito mancava delle risorse necessarie per un conflitto prolungato.

[whistle] in the dark [Frase]

to act as if one is not afraid or worried

Ex: Despite the challenging circumstances , the team leader decided to " whistle in the dark " and expressed unwavering confidence to motivate the team .

to [turn] on the waterworks [Frase]

to begin crying just to get others to sympathize with one or do what one asks of them

Ex: After receiving the news of her pet's death, she turned on the waterworks and sobbed uncontrollably.

champagne taste on a beer budget [Frase]

used when someone likes to have things so expensive they cannot possibly afford

Ex: She wanted to buy designer clothes and dine at fancy restaurants , but with her student budget , she had champagne taste on a beer budget .

to [strike] an attitude of {sth} [Frase]

to purposefully choose to behave in a specific manner to show a specific idea or leave a specific impression

Ex: Despite his fatigue , the politician struck an attitude of confidence and determination during the campaign rally .

Verità, Segretezza e Inganno
Deception	Segretezza	Tenere segreti	Menzogna & Esagerazione
Evidenza	Pretense	Rivelare segreti	Profondità e Superficie
Fiducia & Onestà	Veridicità	Lusinghe & Vanteria