tirare il fiato

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to pull the breath”.

Verb

tiràre il fiato (first-person singular present tìro il fiato, first-person singular past historic tirài il fiato, past participle tiràto il fiato, auxiliary avére)

1. (idiomatic) to take a breath (pause after strenuous activity)
   • 2012, John Green, translated by Giorgia Grilli, Colpa delle Stelle [The Fault in our Stars], Mondadori, page 89:

     Ho sollevato la testa dalla sua spalla per un momento, per tirare il fiato da tutto quell'orrore e guardare Augustus che guardava il film.

     I took my head off his shoulder for a moment to get a break from the gore and watched Augustus watch the movie.

     (literally, “I lifted my head from his shoulder for a moment, to take a breath from all that horror and to watch Augustus who was watching the film.”)