I am guilty of having adopted two of the many Venetian expressions that make no sense whatsoever: "Sempre dritta" & "It's the same". Over time, these absurdities have become almost normal to me even though sempre dritta (always strait?!!), and things that are "the same" as one another absolutely positively do not exist in Venice. I know they don't exist; Venetians know they don't exist. Moreover, we use these expressions in conversation without even knowing if they mean the same things to each other! In fact, I'm pretty sure that "it's the same" means the exact opposite to me as it does to my Venetian friends. But let's talk about "sempre dritta"…
I can only think of a few streets in Venice - Via Garibaldi, the Strada Nova, the Zatere, Fondamenta Della Misericordia, Riva Schiavoni and Fondamenta Nove - where it's possible to always go strait for more than two minutes and even those streets are slightly curved! Meanwhile, you are unlikely to be in any of those places when you stop to ask directions. So, when you hear the expression "sempre dritta", especially if you are very assiduous about following directions, you are guaranteed to end up confused. You will immediately discover that it is completely impossible to always go strait. You may even question the good intentions of the person who directed you! But here's the thing: This expression makes perfect sense to Venetians even if it seems to translate into a cruel joke.
So… What does "sempre dritta" really mean in Venice? Easy! It means go strait until you are forced to turn, then take the first opportunity to turn back into the direction you were going when you started and continue walking in this fashion until you reach your destination. Not the same, is it?!
Meanwhile, Venetians will try to tell you that Sant ' Elena is "the same" as Burano and Lido is "the same" as La Giudecca. But these are all completely different worlds! Just as with "sempre dritta", in order to communicate it becomes necessary to dispense with the literal meaning of this expression. The meanings of these words are not the same as you think they are. I think, though I'll freely admit to being uncertain, that they are used in two contexts which naturally, happen to be the opposites of each other: 1. "It's all the same to me", meaning I don't mind doing whatever you're asking. or 2. Lets not do that because it's too similar to this.
Personally, when I say "it's the same", I am talking about the amount of energy that it will cost me to do something or go somewhere. If it's "the same" as staying where I am, then I will definitely go. Does that sound contradictory?
Anything is possible in Venice including always going strait while making frequent turns and walking three kilometers using the same amount of energy that it takes to stay home.
I can only think of a few streets in Venice - Via Garibaldi, the Strada Nova, the Zatere, Fondamenta Della Misericordia, Riva Schiavoni and Fondamenta Nove - where it's possible to always go strait for more than two minutes and even those streets are slightly curved! Meanwhile, you are unlikely to be in any of those places when you stop to ask directions. So, when you hear the expression "sempre dritta", especially if you are very assiduous about following directions, you are guaranteed to end up confused. You will immediately discover that it is completely impossible to always go strait. You may even question the good intentions of the person who directed you! But here's the thing: This expression makes perfect sense to Venetians even if it seems to translate into a cruel joke.
So… What does "sempre dritta" really mean in Venice? Easy! It means go strait until you are forced to turn, then take the first opportunity to turn back into the direction you were going when you started and continue walking in this fashion until you reach your destination. Not the same, is it?!
Meanwhile, Venetians will try to tell you that Sant ' Elena is "the same" as Burano and Lido is "the same" as La Giudecca. But these are all completely different worlds! Just as with "sempre dritta", in order to communicate it becomes necessary to dispense with the literal meaning of this expression. The meanings of these words are not the same as you think they are. I think, though I'll freely admit to being uncertain, that they are used in two contexts which naturally, happen to be the opposites of each other: 1. "It's all the same to me", meaning I don't mind doing whatever you're asking. or 2. Lets not do that because it's too similar to this.
Personally, when I say "it's the same", I am talking about the amount of energy that it will cost me to do something or go somewhere. If it's "the same" as staying where I am, then I will definitely go. Does that sound contradictory?
Anything is possible in Venice including always going strait while making frequent turns and walking three kilometers using the same amount of energy that it takes to stay home.
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