While reading Carofiglio's "Una notte a Bari" I came across the expression "Dagli all'untore".
"Quando abbiamo finito magari andiamo a cena all'osteria 'Dagli all'untore'."
Is "Hit the scapegoat" what it means?
Italian Language Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for students, teachers, and linguists wanting to discuss the finer points of the Italian language. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityWhile reading Carofiglio's "Una notte a Bari" I came across the expression "Dagli all'untore".
"Quando abbiamo finito magari andiamo a cena all'osteria 'Dagli all'untore'."
Is "Hit the scapegoat" what it means?
It comes directly from “I promessi sposi” (see page 630 in the linked file): untori were people accused of smearing substances which caused the plague (or other disease).
In the mentioned scene, Renzo is asking for Lucia at the house where she had been lodged, but a servant refuses to open the door and he's seen in the act of knocking at the door; a passer-by accuses him of being a smearer and people start screaming “dagli all'untore!”.