Frasi idiomatiche italiane per conversazioni quotidiane naturali

What does “sputa il rospo” mean in Italian?

When an Italian wants you to stop stalling and confess, they say sputa il rospo — literally “spit out the toad.” The image is perfect: whatever you’re holding back sits in your mouth like something slimy and unpleasant, and the relief comes only once you’ve got it out. It’s the lively, slightly impatient equivalent of “out with it!” or “spill the beans,” used among friends rather than in formal settings.

You’ll hear it as Dai, sputa il rospo! — “Come on, out with it!” The flip side is ingoiare il rospo, “to swallow the toad,” meaning to grin and bear something unpleasant you can’t change — close to English “swallow a bitter pill.” Same toad, opposite move: spit it out to unburden yourself, swallow it to put up with a wrong in silence.