ridere a crepapelle
Lemma: ridere a crepapelle
Translation: to laugh uproariously; to laugh one's head off; to split one's sides laughing; to laugh until one bursts (idiom)
Etymology: This Italian idiom combines 'ridere' (to laugh) with 'a crepapelle', where 'crepare' means 'to burst' or 'to crack' (from Latin 'crepare'). The suffix '-pelle' refers to 'skin'. So literally, it means 'to laugh until your skin bursts' - conveying the image of someone laughing so hard they might burst out of their skin.
Example Usage
Quando ha raccontato quella barzelletta, tutti ridevano a crepapelle.
When he told that joke, everyone was laughing their heads off.
Il film era così divertente che abbiamo riso a crepapelle per due ore.
The movie was so funny that we laughed uproariously for two hours.
Non riuscivo a smettere di ridere a crepapelle quando ho visto la sua faccia.
I couldn't stop laughing my head off when I saw his face.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'crepa' as 'crack' and 'pelle' as 'skin' - laughing so hard your skin cracks open
- Imagine someone laughing so hard they're about to 'burst' (crepare) out of their skin (pelle)
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This expression is commonly used in everyday Italian conversation to describe moments of intense laughter. It's often used when recounting funny stories or jokes that provoked extreme amusement.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'ridere a crepapelle' means laughing genuinely and uncontrollably, 'ridere a denti stretti' means to laugh forcedly or insincerely (literally 'to laugh with clenched teeth').
Confused word:
Ha riso a denti stretti quando il capo ha fatto quella battuta offensiva.
He laughed forcedly when the boss made that offensive joke.
Notes: The difference highlights the contrast between genuine, uncontrolled laughter and forced, insincere laughter.
Mnemonic: 'Crepapelle' involves bursting (genuine laughter), while 'denti stretti' involves tension (forced laughter).