carne al fuoco

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “meat at the fire”.

Noun

carne al fuoco m (plural carni al fuoco)

1. (idiomatic) irons in the fire
   • 2020, Barack Obama, chapter 20, in Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, Giuseppe Maugeri, transl., Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:

     C'era troppa carne al fuoco con i cinesi – senza contare che anche noi non ci tiravamo affatto indietro quando si trattava di spiarli – per alzare un polverone.

     We had too much business to do with the Chinese – and did enough of our own spying on them – to make a stink.

     (literally, “There were too many irons in the fire with the Chinese – not to mention that we also did not hold back when it came to spying on them – to raise a fuss.”)

Usage notes

• Typically preceded by troppa (“too much”), molta (“a lot”), and similar.