pugno nell'occhio

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “punch in the eye”.

Noun

pugno nell'occhio m (plural pugni nell'occhio)

1. eyesore
   • 2013, chapter 1, in F. Scott Fitzgerald, translated by Ferruccio Russo, Il Grande Gatsby [The Great Gatsby], Edizioni Scientifiche e Artistiche, page 39:

     Tornando alla mia casa, era un pugno nell'occhio, ma un piccolo pugno nell'occhio, quasi trascurabile, cosicché potevo godere della vista sul mare, di uno scorcio parziale sul parco affianco e della rassicurante vicinanza di gente milionaria – tutto per ottanta dollari al mese.

     My own house was an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires – all for eighty dollars a month.

     (literally, “Coming back home, it was an eyesore, but a small eyesore, almost negligible, so that I could enjoy the view of the water, a partial view of the park besides it and of the reassuring vicinity of millionaires – all for eighty dollars a month.”)