a pesci in faccia

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “at fishes in face”.

Prepositional phrase

a pesci in faccia

1. (idiomatic) with malice or insensitivity; like dirt; poorly (of a way someone is treated)
   • 2020, Barack Obama, chapter 22, in Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, Giuseppe Maugeri, transl., Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:

     Normalmente ci vogliono un paio di settimane, a volte un mese, prima che i media si stanchino di pigliarti a pesci in faccia perché sei riuscito a risolvere il problema, hai chiesto scusa o magari hai ottenuto una vittoria...

     Usually, this lasts for a couple of weeks, maybe a month, before the press loses interest in smacking you around either because you fixed the problem or you expressed contrition, or you chalked up a win...

     (literally, “Normally a couple weeks are needed, at times a month, before the media gets tired of treating you like dirt because you succeded in resolving the problem, you asked for forgiveness or maybe got a victory...”)

Usage notes

• Typically preceded by verbs like prendere (“to take”), pigliare (“to take”), trattare (“to treat”), etc.