rimettersi in sesto
Parola del giorno | Word of the day
Today's Parola del Giorno is the verb expression, rimettersi in sesto, which means to get back on one's feet.
Il sesto is the ancient word for il compasso or compass, which is used by architects, for example, to draw circles (not to be confused with la bussola, which is a compass used for navigation and directions). The logic is that the curvature of an arch, for example, must be correct to support the weight above it. Thus, the expression refers to find that “correct angle” again to support oneself after a long illness.
See the expression used below:
Non pratico sport da due mesi per via dell’influenza. Adesso però ho ripreso e mi sto rimettendo in sesto con gli allenamenti.
I haven't been playing sports for two months due to the flu. But now I have recovered and am getting back on my feet with my workouts.
As a boy in England I was taight that a compass found direction while the drawing instrument was "a pair of compasses".
I also wondered if sesto is related to sextant - also a device for measuring angles. Ciao