What does “Lavorare in nero” mean?
Lavorare in nero
Word for word
To work in black
What it really means
To work with no contract and no registration, outside the system. The Italian equivalent of being paid cash in hand with no protections.
How we say it in English
To work off the books — or under the table
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Create a free accountOther Italian idioms
Essere al verde
To be broke — and note English money idioms run the other way: to be in the red is to be in debt, while green means money
Passare una notte in bianco
Not to sleep a wink
Essere la pecora nera
To be the black sheep — the same animal, the same color
In quattro e quattr'otto
In no time flat — or in the blink of an eye
Avere una fifa blu
To be scared stiff
In bocca al lupo
Break a leg — and, like "break a leg", you never answer with "thank you"