in tondo

Literally, “in round”

in tondo

1. in circles

   Synonyms: in giro, in cerchio, tutt'intorno

   • 1981, “Ma quale idea”, performed by Pino D'Angiò:

     Lei ti farà girare in tondo senza avere mai / Le cose che pretendi e in fondo, scusa, in cambio tu che dai?

     She will lead you in circles but you will never get the things you want / And tell me, what are you going to give her?

   • 2020, Barack Obama, chapter 27, in Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, Giuseppe Maugeri, transl., Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:

     E attraverso la sorveglianza aerea il nostro team era stato in grado di osservare un uomo alto che non lasciava mai la proprietà ma camminava regolarmente in tondo in un minuscolo giardino...

     And through aerial surveillance, our team had been able to observe a tall man who never left the property but regularly walked in circles in a small garden...

     (literally, “And through the area surveillance, our team was able to observe a tall man who never left the property but regularly walked in circles in a minute garden...”)

• Can also be used with reduplication.

• tondino