Why do we say that when we risk being scammed, we let ourselves be fooled? Here’s why
Among the many idioms of the Italian language, there is also “to be duped”, used to indicate the scams received: where does it come from?
The Italian language is also rich in numerous idioms , often used on certain occasions. And which have become part of everyday speech. Very often, these ways of saying are born in very specific places, but over time they spread regionally and then throughout the national territory. These are phrases whose meaning should not be taken literally , but rather figuratively. Just think of one of the most common sayings, namely “move aside”: in this case, in fact, we are telling the other person to move away and not to get out of our way.
Getting screwed, why do they say that? The story behind the famous saying
Idioms, also called idiomatic expressions, enrich speech and add even more value to what we say. It’s obvious that we need to know how to use them, otherwise we risk not being able to make ourselves understood.
Because that’s called being fooled
As mentioned, the Italian language includes many idioms, such as “It rains on rain”, “The nail chases the nail”, “Don’t mince your words” and many others.
Another widely used saying is undoubtedly that of being “duped” . We too will have heard at least once “You are being fooled”, or “Don’t be fooled” and so on.
This saying is used to warn the other person about a possible scam , or to point out that they have already been “ripped off” and there is no time to fix it. Where does this saying come from?
The birthplace of the saying “Don’t be fooled” is the ancient Roman tavern. It was, after all, a very clever move by the innkeepers once they realized their wine was losing its flavor and becoming more and more like vinegar.
The innkeepers’ solution to continue offering wine to their guests was to serve raw fennel before the wine. Why this choice? The reason will soon be revealed.
“Be fooled,” the expression was born in Roman taverns
Fennel, in fact, is rich in aromatic substances that have the effect of “numbing” the mucous membranes of the tongue. To be more precise, the intense aroma of raw fennel didn’t allow customers to realize that the wine was now tending towards vinegar.
Ancient Roman tavern
Thanks to this scam, the hosts of ancient Roman taverns could continue to serve wine without customers realizing that it was no longer good.
As we mentioned, initially, the saying “to be had” only concerned the customer deceived by the innkeeper. Over time, this saying became increasingly popular and became part of everyday language to denounce any fraudulent situation.
Much of the credit must be given to Alessandro Manzoni , who included the saying in his masterpiece The Betrothed, thus allowing the saying to become a legitimate part of the Italian vocabulary.