Food for thought!

Question

Food for thought is very common English expression meaning:

An idea or issue to ponder, as in 'That interesting suggestion of yours has given us food for thought.' (It is a metaphoric phrase that uses the idea of digestion to indicate something in the mind.)

Cibo per la mente is generally used as a translation. What other expressions can best convey the meaning of 'food for thought'?

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spunti interessanti? – Walter Tross Jan 28 '15 at 12:48

Stubborn · Answer 1 · 2015-01-28T20:44:49.017

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According to wordreference, you can also translate it with "spunto di riflessione" or "stimolo per una riflessione".

edited Jan 28 '15 at 20:44

answered Jan 28 '15 at 19:48

Stubborn

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score 4 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 30 '15 at 05:48

Possible equivalent sentences:
"Il suo interessante suggerimento/intervento ci ha dato molto su cui pensare/ riflettere" (= Your interesting suggestion gave us a lot to think about).
"Il suo spunto ci ha dato molto su cui riflettere".

An expression with related meaning:
Digerire qualcosa (to digest something). Example: "Quanto mi dici non è facile da digerire!" (= What you're telling me is not easy to accept/ absorb).

Anyway, "cibo per la mente" is definitely not used as an idiom like "food for thought" is in English.

Food for thought!

2 Answers2