a bocca asciutta

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “at dry mouth”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a‿bˈbok.ka aʃˈʃut.ta/

Prepositional phrase

a bocca asciutta

1. hungry, starving, without food

   Synonyms: affamato, digiuno

   • 2019, George Orwell, translated by Nicola Gardini, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mondadori:

     Sapeva bene che così le lasciava tutt'e due a bocca asciutta, ma non poteva farne a meno; si sentiva perfino in diritto di agire a quel modo.

     He knew that he was starving the other two, but he could not help it; he even felt that he had a right to do it.

     (literally, “He knew well that, in this way, he left them both starving, but he could not help it; he even felt entitled to act in that way.”)

2. (figurative, by extension) disillusioned

   Synonyms: deluso, a mani vuote

   • 17^th century, Jacopo Salviati, Lamento della Sandra innamorata di Fello [Lamentation of Sandra in love with Fello]‎^[1], published 1856, page 153, collected in Rime burlesche di eccellenti autori by Pietro Fanfani:

     Ed è ver ch'io rimango,
     Spietato, a bocca asciutta,
     Solo perché tu fai
     Di tue parole fango?

     Merciless one, am I really to be left disillusioned, just because you don't keep your word?

     (literally, “Is it true that I remain, merciless, with a dry mouth, just because you make of your words mud?”)