coda di paglia

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “straw tail, tail made of straw”.

Noun

coda di paglia f (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic) a guilty conscience, pangs of conscience, especially of actions unknown or undisclosed to others

   Synonym: coscienza sporca

Usage notes

• Used especially in the expression avere la coda di paglia (“to feel guilty, to have a guilty conscience”).