In Nov. 2004 I bought an apron when I was somewhere in Toscana. It has pictures of lots of bottles of wine on it with the heading of "Vini di Toscana". I'm cool with that, but my Italian is not nearly good enough for what is written on the bottom of the apron.

"Non ti mettere in cammino
Se la bocca un sa di vino"

If you all want a really good laugh this morning, I will offer my translation:

"Don't set off if the mouth knows of wine"


Earline

Don't drink and drive?

Don't put yourself on the road [lit= on walking? don't start walking]
if your mouth doesn't taste of wine

"un" is dialectal "non"

Ellen,
it's exactly the other way round... don't walk/drive/move unless you drank.
I think that, even if I agree with Paolo's translation, the sentence should be understood as: do not start anything if you haven't had a glass of wine before. At least I hope so!

quote:

do not start anything if you haven't had a glass of wine before.

I'll go with Giulia's version! I like that and I totally agree.

I've got a book "2001 Italian and English Idioms" by Daniela Gobetti, et al and there is not one reference in it to vino! I can't believe that.

Does anybody know of another, and possibly better, book of idioms?

Earline

I like your version better as well! I think I spent too many years in the nightclub business.

quote:

Originally posted by Earline:

"Non ti mettere in cammino
Se la bocca un sa di vino"

Earline

" do not even start your path if your mouth doesn't taste like wine"