Trump phrase 'kiss my ass' is actually an invention of the Florentines (italians)
“I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass,” Trump said during a speech at the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner on Tuesday night, his comments garnering a giggle from the audience.
In reality, the expression “kiss the ass” originated in medieval and Renaissance Florence. The Marzocco, the lion symbol of the Florentine Republic, was not only a central emblem of power but also tied to humiliating practices aimed at subjugating enemies.
After the victory over Pisa in 1364, the Florentines, returning triumphantly to the city, paraded the chained Pisan prisoners through the Porta SanSubscriberiano gate. According to Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli’s “Memorie,” a live lion cub was set up there, and the defeated prisoners were forced to “kiss the ass” of the lion as a gesture of humiliation and surrender. This episode, described with stark realism, reflects a symbolic use of the act, which went beyond mere physicality to become a sign of dominance and mockery.
While this practice doesn’t directly give rise to the modern expression “kiss the ass” in the sense of servile flattery, it shows how the gesture was already laden with symbolic meaning in Italian popular culture. Over time, vulgar language transformed this image into an idiom denoting exaggerated submission, often with an ironic or derogatory undertone.
After all, President Trump has never done anything new in his life that wasn’t first done by a European, and in particular an Italian, or rather a Tuscan
In reality, the expression “kiss the ass” originated in medieval and Renaissance Florence. The Marzocco, the lion symbol of the Florentine Republic, was not only a central emblem of power but also tied to humiliating practices aimed at subjugating enemies.
After the victory over Pisa in 1364, the Florentines, returning triumphantly to the city, paraded the chained Pisan prisoners through the Porta SanSubscriberiano gate. According to Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli’s “Memorie,” a live lion cub was set up there, and the defeated prisoners were forced to “kiss the ass” of the lion as a gesture of humiliation and surrender. This episode, described with stark realism, reflects a symbolic use of the act, which went beyond mere physicality to become a sign of dominance and mockery.
From a narrative perspective, we can picture the scene: a noisy crowd gathers along the walls, the scorching sun illuminates the cobblestones, and the Pisans, with bowed heads and bound hands, advance under the scornful gazes of the victors. The lion cub, perhaps startled by the uproar, roars weakly, while a Florentine soldier, grinning, shoves the first prisoner toward the animal’s rear. “Kiss it, Pisan, and be thankful it’s not your last day!” a voice booms amid the laughter. The act, brutal in its simplicity, becomes a tale passed down, a symbol of Florentine supremacy woven into civic pride.
While this practice doesn’t directly give rise to the modern expression “kiss the ass” in the sense of servile flattery, it shows how the gesture was already laden with symbolic meaning in Italian popular culture. Over time, vulgar language transformed this image into an idiom denoting exaggerated submission, often with an ironic or derogatory undertone.
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