Literal translation
to make a sardine
Meaning
to make a crease or fold badly
Explanation
Sardino means the sardine, the well-known Mediterranean fish, and faire uno sardino literally means making a sardine, an image applied by shape analogy to a flatness defect: badly ironed fabric or poorly glued wallpaper that puckers into an elongated bump calls to mind the outline of a sardine lying flat. In use, the expression thus means making a crease or fold badly, a visible, elongated flaw that breaks the expected flat surface, whether on an ironed garment or on wallpaper hung with paste. The image of the fish, elongated and slightly rounded, precisely captures the shape of the flaw described, which explains how vivid the metaphor stays in everyday talk about sewing and household chores. The register is neutral and familiar, used with no particular connotation in conversations about housework, ironing, or interior decorating. The expression shows how Provençal draws very concrete images, here from Mediterranean fishing, to describe domestic realities.