avere la testa sulle spalle

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to have the head on the shoulders”.

Verb

avére la testa sulle spalle (first-person singular present (with syntactic gemination after the verb) hò la testa sulle spalle, first-person singular past historic èbbi la testa sulle spalle or ébbi la testa sulle spalle, past participle avùto la testa sulle spalle, first-person singular future avrò la testa sulle spalle, first-person singular subjunctive àbbia la testa sulle spalle, second-person singular imperative àbbi la testa sulle spalle, auxiliary avére)

1. to have a head on one's shoulders

   Synonym: avere la testa a posto

   • 2013, John Steinbeck, translated by Sergio Claudio Perroni, Furore [The Grapes of Wrath], Bompiani, page 366:

     Tom sorrise. "Il nostro Al ha la testa sulle spalle pure se fa il galletto."

     Tom smiled. "This here Al got a lot of sense along with he's randy-pandy."

     (literally, “Tom smiled. "Our Al has a head on his shoulders even if he gets cocky a lot."”)