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a babbo morto. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
a babbo morto, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
a babbo morto in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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Italian
Etymology
Literally, “when the father dies”, referencing the necessity to wait for one's father's death to have the inheritance and pay off a debt. Other senses are either unrelated or evolved drastically from the original one.
Adverb
a babbo morto (originally Tuscany)
- after a long period of time, never
- pagare a babbo morto ― to delay paying of a debt
- in a lazy, unwilling manner
Che fai lì a babbo morto?- What are you doing there doing nothing?
- without preparation, randomly
È andato lì a babbo morto, non sapeva niente.- He went there unprepared, not knowing anything.
See also
Further reading
- Accademia della Crusca (2015) “Origine e significato dell'espressione a babbo morto”, in accademiadellacrusca.it (in Italian), archived from the original on 29 August 2022