Meaning
To choke on something while eating/drinking.
Cultural Background
In Italy, eating is a slow, social process. Choking ('andare di traverso') is often seen as a sign that you are 'mangiando con ansia' (eating with anxiety) or being too rushed, which is culturally discouraged. In some Southern Italian regions, if something goes 'di traverso' while you are eating, someone might say 'Qualcuno ti sta nominando' (Someone is mentioning your name), implying that gossip about you is physically affecting your swallowing. Italians often discuss business over lunch. If a deal 'va di traverso', it literally means the pleasant meal was ruined by a bad business outcome. Italians use the body to describe many emotions. 'Andare di traverso' is part of a family of expressions like 'avere il fegato' (to have liver/courage) or 'avere lo stomaco' (to have the stomach/stamina).
Use it for 'Spoilers'
In modern Italian, if someone ruins a TV show for you, say 'Mi hai fatto andare di traverso l'intera serie!'.
Agreement is Key
Always check if the thing that went 'di traverso' is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural. 'Le lasagne (f.pl.) mi sono andate (f.pl.) di traverso'.
Meaning
To choke on something while eating/drinking.
Use it for 'Spoilers'
In modern Italian, if someone ruins a TV show for you, say 'Mi hai fatto andare di traverso l'intera serie!'.
Agreement is Key
Always check if the thing that went 'di traverso' is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural. 'Le lasagne (f.pl.) mi sono andate (f.pl.) di traverso'.
The 'Wrong Pipe' Gesture
When Italians say this, they often tap their throat or chest to indicate the physical sensation.
Test Yourself
Completa la frase con la forma corretta del verbo 'andare' e il pronome.
Mentre bevevo velocemente, l'acqua ______ di traverso.
L'acqua è femminile singolare, quindi serve 'andata'. Il soggetto è 'io' (mentre bevevo), quindi serve 'mi'.
Quale di queste frasi usa l'espressione in modo FIGURATO?
Scegli la frase corretta:
In this case, it refers to an emotional reaction to a comment, not a physical choking.
Abbina la situazione alla frase corretta.
Situazione: Hai appena ricevuto una multa ingiusta e ora sei di cattivo umore.
It means the bad news of the fine ruined your enjoyment of the meal/evening.
Completa il dialogo.
A: 'Perché tossisci così tanto?' B: 'Scusa, ______ un pezzetto di mela.'
'Pezzetto' is masculine singular, so 'andato' is correct.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesMentre bevevo velocemente, l'acqua ______ di traverso.
L'acqua è femminile singolare, quindi serve 'andata'. Il soggetto è 'io' (mentre bevevo), quindi serve 'mi'.
Scegli la frase corretta:
In this case, it refers to an emotional reaction to a comment, not a physical choking.
Situazione: Hai appena ricevuto una multa ingiusta e ora sei di cattivo umore.
It means the bad news of the fine ruined your enjoyment of the meal/evening.
A: 'Perché tossisci così tanto?' B: 'Scusa, ______ un pezzetto di mela.'
'Pezzetto' is masculine singular, so 'andato' is correct.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes! 'Lui mi è andato di traverso' means you find him annoying or hard to tolerate.
Both are correct and mean the same thing. 'Di traverso' is slightly more common in standard Italian.
Always use 'essere'. For example: 'Mi è andato di traverso'.
No, it's neutral. However, using it figuratively about a person can be quite direct and shows clear dislike.
Not usually. It's specifically for things you 'ingest' (food, drink, words, news).
Mi è andata di traverso la saliva.
Literally, yes. Figuratively, it means 'to ruin' or 'to become unpleasant'.
Not a direct one. You would just describe the event: 'Un boccone andato di traverso'.
Yes, 'Mi andava di traverso ogni cosa' (Imperfetto) means everything used to annoy me.
Yes, it is a standard national idiom.
Related Phrases
non andare giù
similarTo not go down; to be unacceptable.
rimanere sullo stomaco
similarTo stay on the stomach; to be hard to digest.
andare a rotoli
builds onTo go to ruins/to fail completely.
andare liscio
contrastTo go smoothly.
