hair shirt
US /ˈher ˌʃɜrt/
UK /ˈher ˌʃɜrt/
1.
cilicio
a shirt made of coarse animal hair, worn next to the skin as a penance or mortification of the flesh
:
•
In medieval times, some ascetics wore a hair shirt to demonstrate their devotion.
Nel Medioevo, alcuni asceti indossavano un cilicio per dimostrare la loro devozione.
•
The monk's severe penance included wearing a rough hair shirt.
La severa penitenza del monaco includeva l'indossare un ruvido cilicio.
2.
fardello, fonte di tormento
something that causes constant discomfort or annoyance, especially as a self-imposed burden
:
•
His constant worrying about trivial matters was a real hair shirt for him.
La sua costante preoccupazione per questioni banali era un vero cilicio per lui.
•
Living with such strict self-imposed rules became a kind of hair shirt.
Vivere con regole autoimposte così severe divenne una sorta di cilicio.