# Una pulce nell'orecchio



## Jana337

Ciao,

sapete una traduzione idiomatica di "mettere una pulce nell'orecchio"? Conosco "to put a bee in someone's bonnet" ma non mi convince per niente.

Per coloro che non hanno mai sentito l'idioma italiano: Significa incuriosire, insinuare un dubbio, un'idea fissa (spero la spiegazione sia più o meno corretta).

Grazie,

Jana


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## uinni

Hi!


			
				Jana337 said:
			
		

> Ciao,
> 
> sapete una traduzione idiomatica di "mettere una pulce nell'orecchio"? Conosco "to put a bee in someone's bonnet" ma non mi convince per niente.
> 
> Per coloro che non hanno mai sentito l'idioma italiano: Significa incuriosire, insinuare un dubbio, un'idea fissa (spero la spiegazione sia più o meno corretta).


 
Però toglierei l'"idea fissa" ché si tratta proprio di un "dubbio insistente".

Comunque:

"mettere la pulce nell'orecchio a qualcuno" = "to arouse s.o.'s doubts"

"essere fissati (su qualcosa)" = "to have a bee in one's bonnet"

Uini


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## la reine victoria

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Ciao,
> 
> sapete una traduzione idiomatica di "mettere una pulce nell'orecchio"? Conosco "to put a bee in someone's bonnet" ma non mi convince per niente.
> 
> Per coloro che non hanno mai sentito l'idioma italiano: Significa incuriosire, insinuare un dubbio, un'idea fissa (spero la spiegazione sia più o meno corretta).
> 
> Grazie,
> 
> Jana


 
*Sorry I don't speak Italian but I can uderstand it.  This means 'to put a flea in someone's ear' = to give someone a severe reprimand or sharp rebuke (a good telling off).  *


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## uinni

Hi!


			
				la reine victoria said:
			
		

> *Sorry I don't speak Italian but I can uderstand it. This means 'to put a flea in someone's ear' = to give someone a severe reprimand or sharp rebuke (a good telling off). *


 
Nope. In Italian this expressed by "dare/fare a qualcuno una lavata di testa" (literally: to have s.o.'s head washed).

Uinni


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## ElaineG

What about "plant a seed of doubt"?  

"When Joey saw his father eating the cookies left out for Santa, that planted a seed of doubt in his mind."


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## Jana337

ElaineG said:
			
		

> What about "plant a seed of doubt"?
> 
> "When Joey saw his father eating the cookies left out for Santa, that planted a seed of doubt in his mind."


Great, Elaine. Is there anything for curiosity instead of doubt? I believe the Italian idiom can mean both (perhaps not because we have a similar expression in Czech: I may be reading the Czech meaning into it...).

Jana


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## Jana337

uinni said:
			
		

> "mettere la pulce nell'orecchio a qualcuno" = "to arouse s.o.'s doubts"


Allora dici che non si può trattare della curiosità?

Jana


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## uinni

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Allora dici che non si può trattare della curiosità?
> 
> Jana


 
Sicuramente gli s'instilla un dubbio/sospetto. E sicuramente quando uno è preso da un sospetto è curioso di verificare se corrisponda a realtà... 

Uinni


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## moodywop

ElaineG said:
			
		

> What about "plant a seed of doubt"?
> 
> "When Joey saw his father eating the cookies left out for Santa, that planted a seed of doubt in his mind."


 
That's a beautiful expression. However it's usually someone who tells you something - often unaware of the consequences - who "mette una pulce nell'orecchio". For instance if you were to mention to a possessive guy that his girlfriend gets along very well with her boss you might unwittingly trigger his paranoid suspicions.


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## la reine victoria

uinni said:
			
		

> Hi!
> 
> 
> Nope. In Italian this expressed by "dare/fare a qualcuno una lavata di testa" (literally: to have s.o.'s head washed).
> 
> Uinni


 
Thank you.  Sorry for the error.


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## carrickp

I agree with "seed of doubt" as the closest English idiom. Other posts above have dealt with "bee in the bonnet," but you may be interested to know that in AE there also is the expression "put a bug in one's ear," meaning give advice or warning. "I didn't know my mother-in-law was on her way over, but my wife's sister phoned and put a bug in my ear so I left before the old battle-axe arrived."


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## DAH

to put a bee in one's bonnet is to instigate or provoke something
to plant a seed of doubt is to suggest/act otherwise to a fact or thing


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## You little ripper!

Originally Posted by *la reine victoria*
_*Sorry I don't speak Italian but I can uderstand it. This means 'to put a flea in someone's ear' = to give someone a severe reprimand or sharp rebuke (a good telling off). *_
Originally Posted by *uinni*
_Hi!_
_Nope. In Italian this expressed by "dare/fare a qualcuno una lavata di testa" (literally: to have s.o.'s head washed)._
_Uinni_


			
				la reine victoria said:
			
		

> Thank you. Sorry for the error.


There is another meaning to la reine victoria's suggestion of "to put a flea in someone's ear", and that is to put an annoying hint, idea or disturbing thought into someone's head. That seems to fit in quite a lot better with the meaning of the Italian "mettere la pulce nell'orecchio".


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## augusto orsi

The meaning is:  to sow doubts in s. o.’s mind


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## JimmySeal

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Great, Elaine. Is there anything for curiosity instead of doubt? I believe the Italian idiom can mean both (perhaps not because we have a similar expression in Czech: I may be reading the Czech meaning into it...).
> 
> Jana


 
This doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the expression you quoted, but we often say "pique one's curiosity" in English, for example, _The portrait piqued her curiosity._ 

"Put a bee in someone's bonnet" means to do some action that vexes someone else, which they continue to dwell on long after it has happened.


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## rafanadal

I think that the words "doubts" which is present in the expression "to plant a seed of doubt" or doing actions that vexe someone else, or triggering suspicions don't cover the whole range of possibilities that the expression "mettere una pulce in un orecchio" imply. They all have a negative connotation.
For example, if someone starts to toss around the idea of going somewhere tropical and beachy and then backs out at the last moment but you are still considering the idea of going, you have a "pulce nell'orecchio".
I mean he put you "the pulce nell'orecchio" when he first tickled you with the idea. 
So, there is no doubt or warning or paranoid suspicion involved, just the toying with a nice plan.
In this case the only English equivalent should be "he put the bee in my bonnet", shouldn't it?


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## rrose17

No, "bee in my bonnet" is really only used to refer to something that is bothering you in an insistant way.
"She has a bee in her bonnet about the party next week and is not letting anyone have any rest."
I really can't think of an English idiom that describes what you're saying.


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## You little ripper!

rafanadal said:


> I think that the words "doubts" which is present in the expression "to plant a seed of doubt" or doing actions that vexe someone else, or triggering suspicions don't cover the whole range of possibilities that the expression "mettere una pulce in un orecchio" imply. They all have a negative connotation.
> For example, if someone starts to toss around the idea of going somewhere tropical and beachy and then backs out at the last moment but you are still considering the idea of going, you have a "pulce nell'orecchio".
> I mean he put you "the pulce nell'orecchio" when he first tickled you with the idea.
> So, there is no doubt or warning or paranoid suspicion involved, just the toying with a nice plan.
> In this case the only English equivalent should be "he put the bee in my bonnet", shouldn't it?



plant an idea in someone's head


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## rrose17

I was thinking of that too Charles but I thought even more common is simply saying he gave me the idea and it doesn't sound very idiomatic to me. Also i can't imagine walking around saying I have this idea planted in my head. Someone's bound to ask "Does it hurt?"


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## Memimao

It's not very idiomatic but you could use: _set someone thinking_


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## You little ripper!

rrose17 said:


> Also i can't imagine walking around saying I have this idea planted in my head. Someone's bound to ask "Does it hurt?"


I wouldn't say, "I have this idea planted in my head" either, rrose, but there are a few Google listings for it so some people do. It needs to be obvious that someone  else planted the idea there so I would say  "I've had this idea planted in my head". 

planted this idea in my head


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## rafanadal

So, "Rick's set me thinking about this journey down under to see the Australian Open and now it looks like he's backing out of it"
Or
"Rick's planted the idea in my head of this trip down under to see the Australian Open and now it looks like he's backing out of it."

Is journey better than trip talking about such a long displacement?


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## You little ripper!

rafanadal said:


> So, "Rick's set me thinking about this journey down under to see the Australian Open and now it looks like he's backing out of it"
> Or
> "Rick's planted the idea in my head of this trip down under to see the Australian Open and now it looks like he's backing out of it."
> 
> Is journey better than trip talking about such a long displacement?


Most people use the word 'trip' even when it's a long one.


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## TimLA

I think Carrickp hit it nicely in post 11 - "put a bug in my/his/her/their ear" can be used both positively and negatively.

Rick gave me the idea of going to see the Australian Open, but now it seems he can't go.
Rick put a bug in my ear about the Australian Open,...

From my experience it's only AE, and particularly midwest...but who knows, maybe Dante visited the Mississippi Valley and thought "bug" meant "flea"


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## You little ripper!

TimLA said:


> I think Carrickp hit it nicely in post 11 - "put a bug in my/his/her/their ear" can be used both positively and negatively.
> 
> Rick gave me the idea of going to see the Australian Open, but now it seems he can't go.
> Rick put a bug in my ear about the Australian Open,...
> 
> From my experience it's only AE, and particularly midwest...but who knows, maybe Dante visited the Mississippi Valley and thought "bug" meant "flea"


'To put a bug in someone's ear' means _to impart useful information to (another) in a subtle, discreet way _or_ to give him or her a reminder or suggestion relating to a future event__.
_ 
I've never hear it used in the context of raf's example, Tim. Dictionary.com is American, so it must be very regional.


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## rafanadal

I've never hear it used in the context of raf's example, Tim. Dictionary.com is American, so it must be very regional.  

I think the context of my example is common Charles. 
I remember hearing it first time in my teens...quite a while ago isn't it? 
One guy told me "you put me such a "pulce nell'orecchio" about following Juve (major Italian soccer team with black and white striped shirt) to Portugal"...still remember that sentence after soooo many years...unbelievable!


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## You little ripper!

rafanadal said:


> I've never hear it used in the context of raf's example, Tim. Dictionary.com is American, so it must be very regional.
> 
> I think the context of my example is common Charles.
> I remember hearing it first time in my teens...quite a while ago isn't it?
> One guy told me "you put me such a "pulce nell'orecchio" about following Juve (major Italian soccer team with black and white striped shirt) to Portugal"...still remember that sentence after soooo many years...unbelievable!


I was talking about 'to put a bug in one's ear', raf. The dictionary meaning of the English expression is quite different to the Italian, 'mettere una pulce in un orecchio'.


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## rafanadal

You know what Charles. That phrase 'to put a bug in one's ear' reminds very much of one we have in Italy and precisely "dare una dritta".
It is especially used about the stock market. When you "dai una dritta" you impart useful information to someone about the likely rising of a share price so that he may get benefit from investing money into it.
Usually the insiders "danno dritte".


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## lindasard

Here's a beautiful explanation of what the expression means. No translation, though. Sorry!

Lessico: mettere la pulce nell’orecchio


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## megabak

Jana337 said:


> Ciao,
> 
> sapete una traduzione idiomatica di "mettere una pulce nell'orecchio"? Conosco "to put a bee in someone's bonnet" ma non mi convince per niente.
> 
> Per coloro che non hanno mai sentito l'idioma italiano: Significa incuriosire, insinuare un dubbio, un'idea fissa (spero la spiegazione sia più o meno corretta).
> 
> Grazie,
> 
> Jana


Plant a seed. Exampio: My experience in Italy planted the seed for my desire to learn the language.


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## Pietruzzo

megabak said:


> Plant a seed. Exampio: My experience in Italy planted the seed for my desire to learn the language.


Sorry but I wouldn't use "mettere la pulce nell'orecchio" in this case. I'd probably say "ha fatto nascere in me il desiderio di imparare la lingua"


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## barking fellows

Pietruzzo said:


> Sorry but I wouldn't use "mettere la pulce nell'orecchio" in this case. I'd probably say "ha fatto nascere in me il desiderio di imparare la lingua"



I agree


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## london calling

megabak said:


> Plant a seed. Exampio: My experience in Italy planted the seed for my desire to learn the language.


No, definitely not. I agree with the others.


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