My glass is weeping?
February 25, 2011 11:15 AM   Subscribe

Is "my glass is weeping" a real Italian expression? What does it mean?

I'm working on a Tennessee Williams play called Vieux Carre, and in it one of the characters says "my glass is weeping, an Italian expression." I googled that but all that turns up are other Tennessee Williams plays an a paper (that I can't access) about food and drink in Tennesee Williams' writing.

So: is that a real expression? Is it really Italian? What does it mean? (The context implies an empty glass, not condensation on the outside of the glass, which was my first thought, but I want some confirmation.)
posted by hapticactionnetwork to Writing & Language (6 answers total)
 
Wine glasses often collect wine vapors on the inside of the glass, which then weep or "tear" down the sides.
posted by paulsc at 11:20 AM on February 25, 2011


The appropriate Italian phrase seems to be "bicchiere piange".
posted by mr_roboto at 11:22 AM on February 25, 2011


"Quando รจ vuoto il bicchiere piange" is an old proverb. "When it is empty, the glass weeps."

And then people use it as a joking way to say "Pour me some more wine."
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:01 PM on February 25, 2011 [5 favorites]


Confirming Sidhedevil. Similarly you'll hear il piatto piange when playing a round of cards/tombola/etc. and not everyone has put in the ante.
posted by romakimmy at 1:44 PM on February 25, 2011


never heard of il bicchiere piange, but then again i dont drink. Il piatto piange (the plate weeps) is much more common in my experience and not just in card-playing contexts -- it means someone hasnt chipped in, possibly for a shared expense.
posted by 3mendo at 2:24 AM on February 26, 2011




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