What does “Andare in fumo” mean?
Andare in fumo
Word for word
To go up in smoke
What it really means
To come to nothing, to fall apart completely. Used for plans, savings or projects that collapse for good.
How we say it in English
To go up in smoke — the same image, word for word
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Create a free accountOther Italian idioms
Fare il passo più lungo della gamba
To bite off more than you can chew
Buttare i soldi dalla finestra
To throw money down the drain
Fare i salti mortali
To bend over backwards
Il gioco non vale la candela
The game isn't worth the candle — English has the very same idiom, borrowed from French
Lavorare come un mulo
To work like a dog — or to work your fingers to the bone
In bocca al lupo
Break a leg — and, like "break a leg", you never answer with "thank you"