dare corda

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to give rope”.

Verb

dàre corda (first-person singular present (with syntactic gemination after the verb) dò corda, first-person singular past historic dièdi corda or diédi corda or détti corda or (traditional) dètti corda, past participle dàto corda, first-person singular future darò corda, first-person singular subjunctive dìa corda, first-person singular imperfect subjunctive déssi corda, second-person singular imperative dài corda or dà' corda, auxiliary avére)

1. (idiomatic, transitive with a) to cut someone some slack; to give someone enough rope

   Synonym: dare tregua

   • 2020, Barack Obama, chapter 9, in Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, Giuseppe Maugeri, transl., Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:

     Quando un uomo, durante un raduno in Minnesota, annunciò al microfono di essere spaventato all'idea di avermi come presidente, McCain non gli diede corda.

     When a man at a Minnesota rally announced into the microphone that he was afraid of having me as a president, McCain wouldn't have it.

     (literally, “When a man, during a Minnesota rally, announced into the microphone that he was afraid at the idea of having me as president, McCain did not cut him any slack.”)