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Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #48

A mentira tem pernas curtas - Lies have short legs

Literally, “The lie has short legs”

A way of saying “lying doesn’t pay, because you’ll get found out sooner or later.”

Sort of the Portuguese equivalent of “the truth will out.”

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Brazilian Culture: Differences #6

In Brazil there is no distinction between shade and shadow.

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Brazilian Pop Culture: Protesting #23

Would you like to format Brazil?

Yes

Brazilian Pop Culture: Protesting #22

The dictatorship is over!!

[Someone] just forgot to tell the police

Brazilian Pop Culture: Protesting #21

I’m so pissed off that I even made a poster

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #45

Péra eu! - Slow down!/Wait uuuup!

A common shortening of espera eu, which in turn is a colloquial form of espere por mim (wait for me).

Particularly popular by younger children running after their older siblings.

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #44

Vira-Folha - Turn Leaf

Someone who used to cheer for one team but changed sides because their team lost; someone who cheers for whoever’s winning. Derogatory, but can have various level of how insulting it is depending on who says it an in what tone.

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #43

Eminha é filhote de ema! - A little emu is an emu’s baby!

A play on the words é minha (it’s mine) and eminha (little emu). Often used by parents when their kids are arguing (it’s mine, she can’t have it!” etc) as a way of saying “it’s not yours/stop arguing/give me that” etc.

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #42

Nem que a porca torça o rabo - Not even if/when the sow twists her tail

A way of saying never ever/not in a million years

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #41

Filho de peixe peixinho é - The child of a fish is [bound to be] a fish [too]

Similar to “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” but doesn’t usually hold the somewhat negative connotation of its English equivalent.

Literally, “the offspring/child of a fish is a little fish.”

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #38

[Estar com] cara de quem comeu e não gostou - [To look like] someone who ate [it/something] and didn’t like it

To be scowling, making an unpleasant/displeased face.

Brazilian Pop Culture: Protesting #19

Public transport’s [even] worse than Tim!!!

Tim is a big phone/internet service provider in Brazil (Italian in origin, I believe).

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #37

Quem pariu Mateus que o embale - Whomsoever gave birth to Matthew [should/shall/ought to] bury him

A way of saying “you created the problem, you fix it.” More or less equivalent to “you made your bed, now you must lie in it.”

Literally, embalar in this context means “to embalm” (it can also mean “to wrap up/package”).

Brazilian Pop Culture: Protesting #17

[A little] more love please

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #36

Tentando ensinar Pai Nosso ao vigário - Trying to teach Our Father to the priest

Someone who’s “trying to teach Our Father to the priest” is someone who’s trying to teach something to someone who’s already an expert - NOT “preaching to the choir.”

Vigário is another name for a priest (the Portuguese word for vicar)

Brazilian vs European Portuguese #1

You know how in the UK a “rubber” means “the school supply you use to erase pencil marks with” while in Canada/the US it means “a condom”?

Well, in Brazil durex means “scotch tape.”

In Portugal it means “condom.”

Brazilian Colloquialisms, Sayings, and Slang #35

Nem a pau - Not even by stick

No chance whatsoever, no snowball’s chance in hell, etc.

The general idea is that the thing won’t work/the person won’t do what they’re being asked to do even if prodded/beaten with a stick.

Brazilian Culture: Differences #5

Unlike in Anglo-Saxon culture, mooning and streaking are taboo in Brazil.

They’re such bizarre concepts to Brazilians that we don’t even have terms for it. If you did either one you could end up with a charge of indecent exposure.