English translation of "sotto spirito" - "parents who shelter their children from life &/or who keep them under lock and key"

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159 months ago

Barbara Cochran (a guest user) asked this question:

Language pair:	Italian > English
Subject:	Other
Level of diffculty:	Easy / medium
Word or term in question:	sotto spirito
Context:	"Abbiamo fatto male a mandarlo a scuola. Dovevamo tenerlo chiuso, come fanno tutti gli...
Keywords:	...altri," alludendo ad una stretta cerchia di famiglie amiche che conservavano i figli sotto spirito, in casa, fino a quando non uscivano nell vita con pantaloni da uomo, ma con faccia e mentalità infantili.

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Complete list of answers and comments

159 months ago

wrote:

parents who shelter their children from life &/or who keep them under lock and key

The asker rated this answer best

159 months ago

MAGLO wrote:

restrict

My comment:

someone confined in a place

159 months ago

MAGLO wrote:

...kept their sons under their moral control

159 months ago

MAGLO wrote:

(who kept their children) tied up (at home)

159 months ago

MAGLO wrote:

..., who kept their children at home living in(side) a bubble ... / ... cocooned their children home ...

My comment:

The literal meaning of "conservazione sotto spirito" is a technique of preserving food in alcohol, as it is the case by dried strips of peach or apricot inside glass bottles or jars.

In this context the expression is of course figurative. "Parents followed a different drummer and made their children inhabit a fantasy world", so to speak. "Living in a dream world", would also do, I guess. :=)

159 months ago

MAGLO wrote:

wrap children up in cotton wool

My comment:

Penso che sia l'equivalente di tenere i figli sotto una campana di vetro la cui espressione inglese è "to wrap sb up in cotton wool"

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