What does “Avere la coda di paglia” mean?
Avere la coda di paglia
Word for word
To have a tail of straw
What it really means
To react defensively because you have something to hide. Said of someone who takes offence far too quickly and gives themselves away doing it.
How we say it in English
To protest too much — the giveaway of a guilty conscience
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Perdere le staffe
To fly off the handle
Essere al settimo cielo
To be on cloud nine — note the number changes: seven in Italian, nine in English
Avere un diavolo per capello
To be hopping mad — or like a bear with a sore head
Cadere dalle nuvole
You could have knocked me over with a feather
Piantare in asso
To leave someone in the lurch
In bocca al lupo
Break a leg — and, like "break a leg", you never answer with "thank you"