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Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

volersi mettere addosso i panni altrui

English translation:

trying to be somebody you are not

Added to glossary by James (Jim) Davis
Jun 30, 2010 14:45
13 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Italian term

volersi mettere addosso i panni altrui

Italian to English Art/Literary Other
this is taken from a text describing the style of sculptures and the context is:

Tentativi di questo genere, ovvero volersi mettere addosso i panni altrui, sembrano quantomeno ridicoli.

(it refers to imitating the style of other sculptures). Do we have an idiomatic phrase in English for this Italian idiom? Or could I just put "wishing to be who we are not" OR "wishing to imitate others".
I'm really stuck!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 trying to be somebody you are not
4 +2 trying to walk in someone else's shoes
3 +2 dressing up in someone else's clothes / style OR dressing up their style as someone else's
5 trying to follow in the footsteps of somebody else
4 riding on others' coattails
2 wanting to put oneself in somebody else's shoes
Change log

Jul 5, 2010 22:00: James (Jim) Davis Created KOG entry

Discussion

meirs Jun 30, 2010:
The real McKoy Maybe you can use this idiom in reverse (it is not...)
Oliver Lawrence Jun 30, 2010:
what type of imitations? Flattering imitations? Parodies? Plagiarism? Are they trying to make some satirical comment about the other sculptures? I assume there is no suggestion of fraudulent copying?

Proposed translations

+2
44 mins
Selected

trying to be somebody you are not

The nearest idiom is putting yourself in other people's shoes, but it is not quite the same thing, it is about empathy and not imitation.
This phrase, although not an idiom, is commonly used and would seem to fit.
http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&=&q="tryin...
Peer comment(s):
agree Sonia Hill : I like this solution. Although the idiomatic translations are correct, this just sounds more natural in English.
4 hrs
agree Ernestine Shargool : Jim, totally agree with you that one of these expresses empathy, the other imitation. They are different. My suggestion is a variation on yours only in the way it is expressed.
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "This was the one which was most suitable considering the context, Thanks to all for suggestions. "
42 mins

wanting to put oneself in somebody else's shoes

"mettersi nei panni altrui" usually isn't negative; it means seeing things from the other's point of view. Its best stock translation is the one above. Unless there is some hidden meaning that escapes me (whence the low confidence), I'd simply add volition (as a choice that is being criticized) to that translation.
Peer comment(s):
neutral James (Jim) Davis : It doesn't say "nei panni" but "adosso i panni", which seems slightly different to me, especially in the context.
4 mins
You are probably right. Thank you.
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49 mins

riding on others' coattails

.
Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riding_coattails

Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

trying to walk in someone else's shoes

this is a pretty standard expression
Peer comment(s):
agree Roberto Lipani : I agree with this option. The italian idiomatic expression "Se fossi nei tuoi panni" is translated in English "If I were in your shoes". Have a nice day. Regards, Roberto
21 mins
agree Mr Murray (X) : to put yourself in someone's shoes (or place) [source La Biblioteca di Republica's l'Enciclopedia Dizionario di Italian-Inglese]
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

dressing up in someone else's clothes / style OR dressing up their style as someone else's

To dress up as in to put on fancy dress and pretend to be someone else

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Note added at 6 hrs (2010-06-30 20:45:37 GMT)
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There is also another pointer or giveaway to this interpretation, i.e. the words "Tentativi di questo genere [....] sembrano quantomeno ridicoli":
empathy is not ridiculous, aping is.
Peer comment(s):
agree luskie : was going to suggest "pretending to be someone else" right now, but now that I see it I strongly suspect that someone else's clothes may well do it
5 mins
Thanks, luskie. Means the same as yours while keeping the sartorial metaphor...
agree Daniela Zambrini
3 hrs
Thanks, Daniela :-)
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15 hrs

trying to follow in the footsteps of somebody else

The sculptor is slavishly copying the style of another.

I couldn't have thought of this without reading all of the other suggestions first. So this isn't really all my work. (Modest, eh?)
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