“Green“O “Stay green” they are among the most used expressions in Italy to say that “You don’t have a euro“, Or that in general you do not have sufficient funds to face a situation. To explain the origins of this widespread phrase, different theories have been proposed with each other who have all a trait in common: the association of green color with the lack of opportunities or resources. For example, a hypothesis concerns the public auctions of the past in which a candle with the green background was used as a timer for offers. Once the candle was consumed, the green remained, indicating the end of the money.
Where the expression “remain at green” derives from
One of the most famous and accredited explanations, also testified by Paolo Minucciliterate and Italian poet, in his NOTES TO THE MALMANTILE RECORQUISTED (1688), traces the expression “Stay to the green“, therefore to remain without money, to the public auctions of Florence of the 17th century. During these events, they were used as timepiece from the candles which were green on the bottom. When the flame reached the green section, it meant that the auction had ended, indicating the end of the time for the offers. From here, “being in green” would have become synonymous with “being in the end” or “no longer having more opportunities to buy”. Another theory instead associates the expression to the world of gambling. It would derive from the fact that i tables As a game they are traditionally covered with green cloth: when a player lost all his chips, he could not help but stay to look at the green of the table, representing nothing with which he found himself. There are also those who argue that a possible origin of the expression is to be found in the color of the gates of the past, whose lining was really green. As a result, getting to see her when it opened its wallet, indicated a total absence of money.
It seems existing, in the ancient Pedrocchi Caffè of Padua, also known as “Coffee without doors“Because it seems never to close, the famous one famous”green room“, where, by tradition, anyone could sit without obligation to consumable, even simply to shelter from the cold. This space was frequented purely by less well -off students and people, again associating the green color with the lack of money.
