togliere le tegole

◆idiom

to remove someone's roof

Dopo la lite, lui gli ha minacciato di togliergli le tegole!

After the argument, he threatened to remove his roof!

◆ What It Really Means

to utterly destroy someone's life or livelihood

¶ Literal Meaning

to remove the roof tiles from someone's house

Literal Breakdown

togliereto take away+le tegolethe roof tiles

◇ Mental Image

A house stripped of its roof, leaving it exposed and uninhabitable, symbolizing complete ruin.

◈ When to Use

Two people arguing fiercely, one threatening the other with dire consequences if they continue to provoke them.

◉ Cultural Note

This idiom reflects the traditional Italian rural lifestyle, where a house's roof was essential for survival. Losing it meant losing everything.

informal

to ruin someone's life by taking away their home or livelihood, often metaphorically

Se continui a comportarti così, ti toglierò le tegole!

If you keep acting like this, I'll ruin your life!

Often used in threats or dramatic declarations of intent to cause severe harm.

Synonyms

to take the bread out of someone's mouth (to deprive them of their livelihood)

Use this idiom in informal, emotional contexts when you want to emphasize a severe consequence, often in anger or frustration.

This idiom is hyperbolic and dramatic, implying extreme consequences. It is not meant to be taken literally.

togliere

to remove

verb

le tegole

the roof tiles

noun phrase

Dizionario Italiano-Inglese