Portuguese Portugal

mata-velhos

Expression USED Frequently BY Most People

(old-people-killer) • This is one of the expressions used to refer to microcars, the ones that don't require a driving license. This term is usually used in Alentejo (a province in the center-south of Portugal). We call it "mata-velhos" because, usually, elderly people are the ones who drive microcars and because of this, they're more prone to having accidents driving microcars (or being hit by them). In northern regions we call it "papa-reformas" (pension-eater) because they're very expensive and one can spend their entire pension money paying for it.

"Olha, vai ali um mata-velhos!"

"Look, there goes an old-people-killer!"

Portuguese Brazil

trocar seis por meia dúzia

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Some People

(to exchange six for half a dozen) • To make a choice or to perform an adjustment that results in zero net change.

"Viu que o Alberto comprou um carro novo?" "Comprar carro usado de novo é trocar seis por meia dúzia."

"Have you seen Alberto in his new car?" "To buy a used car is to exchange six for half a dozen."

Portuguese Brazil

bater com as dez

Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations

(to beat with ten) • An euphemistic way to say one has died.

"Soube da novidade? O tio Felipe sofreu um infarto e bateu com as dez."

"Have you heard? Uncle Felipe had a heart attack and pushed up daisies."

Portuguese Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

estar atucanado

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Everybody

Used to express the feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount of issues (often work-related) one has to deal with.

"Tenho três relatórios pra entregar até sexta, então estou atucanado esta semana."

"I have three reports due by Friday, so I'm feeling overwhelmed this week."

Portuguese Brazil

na casa do caralho

Expression USED Frequently BY Young People

It literally means in the house of the dick. But what people really want to say with it is that it's somewhere far away.

"Tu vai pra festa de Paulinha?" "Vou nada, ela mora lá na casa do carai!"

"Are you going to Paulinha's party?" "Definitely not, she lives in the dick's house!"

Portuguese Brazil

picar a mula

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations

(sting the mule) • To escape from an uncomfortable situation or to be forced to move on or leave by others. For example, as in when a person is being held back at a place by a never-ending stubborn conversation and wants or needs to move on to do other things.

"A conversa está boa e tudo, mas preciso picar a mula."

"The talk is fine and all, but I need to sting the mule."

Portuguese Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

coé

Expression USED Very frequently BY Almost everyone

(sup) • Contraction of the expression "Qual é?" (What's up?). It is an informal way to greet a person.

"Coé, cara, tudo bem?"

"Sup, dude, how are you?"

Portuguese Brazil

cão chupando manga

Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost everyone

(dog sucking mango) • Used to refer to an ugly person.

"Ele é tão feio, parece um cão chupando manga."

"He is so ugly, he looks like a dog sucking mango."

Portuguese Brazil

De Taubaté

Slang USED Frequently BY Young People

(From Taubaté) • Used to refer to something that is a lie or fake. The slang came up with the story of the fake pregnant woman in the city of Taubaté (São Paulo), who in 2012 deceived the Brazilian media by saying she was pregnant with quadruplets.

"Eu sou loiro" "Sim, loiro de Taubaté"

"I am blonde" "Yes, blonde from Taubaté"

Portuguese Brazil

o Papa é argentino, mas Deus é brasileiro

Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults

(the Pope is Argentine, but God is Brazilian) • It is used whenever Brazil faces or is compared to Argentina. You can also just say "God is Brazilian" when something good happens in Brazil.

"Acho que a Argentina ganha a próxima copa" "Não mesmo! O papa é argentino, mas Deus é brasileiro"

"I think Argentina wins the next world cup" "No way! The Pope is Argentine, but God is Brazilian"

Portuguese Brazil

tirar o cavalinho da chuva

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(to take the little horse off the rain) • When someone should not get their hopes up.

"Mãe, posso jogar videogame?" "Pode tirar o cavalinho da chuva porque você precisa estudar pra prova."

"Mom, can I play videogame?" "You can take the little horse off the rain because you need to study for the test."

Portuguese São Paulo , Brazil

chorir

Neologism USED On Rare Occasion BY Young People

(cry-laugh) • The act of laugh about a tragicomic situation or cry and laugh at the same time.

"Eu comecei a chorir porque escorreguei em frente a todos os meus colegas de trabalho."

"I start to cry and laugh because I slipped in front of all my co-workers."

Portuguese Brazil

de Taubaté

Expression USED On Occasion BY Young People

(from Taubaté) • Something "from Taubaté" is something fake. The expression became popular after a woman, who became famous for being pregnant with quadruplets and giving lots of interviews to famous TV hosts asking for donations, was discovered to be a fraud. She wore a fake pregnant belly, and not even her husband knew that it was a lie.

A Denise nem chegou a se formar, o diploma dela é de Taubaté.

Denise didn't even graduate, her diploma is from Taubaté.

Portuguese Brazil

virado no Jiraya

Expression USED On Occasion BY Teens

(to be acting like Jiraya) • When someone's very angry because something upsetting happened, or simply woke up in a bad mood, they are "like Jiraya".

"Elisa ficou virada no Jiraya quando viu que ficou em terceiro lugar no concurso."

"Elisa started acting like Jiraya after she discovered that she got third place in the contest. "

Portuguese Brazil

de graça, até injeção na testa!

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(for free, even injection in the forehead) • When something is for free and you get/do it, even though it's not something really that good/nice, but, hey, it's for free!

"Eu ganhei uma entrada grátis pra assistir aquele filme de terror que saiu." "Tu não tem medo desse tipo de filme?" "Ah, de graça, até injeção na testa!"

"I got a free ticket to watch that horror movie that premiered." "Aren't you afraid of these?" "Ah, for free, even injection in the forehead!"

Portuguese Portugal

miúfa

Slang USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

A slang for saying you're really scared.

"Vá, entra! Então, estás com miúfa?"

"Come on, come in! What's going on, are you with miúfa?"

Portuguese Brazil

te conheço de outros carnavais

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some people

(I know you from other carnival parties) • When someone you know very well pretends to be what they are not.

"Eu nunca usei drogas!" "Eu te conheço de outros carnavais."

"I never used drugs!" "I know you from other carnivals."

Portuguese Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

71

Slang USED On Occasion BY Some People

An abbreviation of "171", the penal code for swindling and fraud. Used to refer to a person that often lies.

"Na minha cidade tem um político muito sete um"

"In my city there is a very seven one politician"

Portuguese Capital city of Salvador, and the nearby region Recôncavo , Brazil

ó o auê aí, ó!

Interjection USED On Rare Occasion BY Young people

(look at the mess over there, look!) • A person trying to call somebody's attention to a nearby confusion or mess (auê). It's a fantastic example of synthesis, shortening the expression "look at the mess here, look." (olhe auê aí, olhe). It's said that it is the only sentence in Portuguese without a single consonant! A Paradise of vowels!

"Olhe para aquilo, que confusão! Ó o auê aí, o!"

Look at that, what a mess, look!

Portuguese Brazil

até aí tudo bem

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(all good till here) • When telling a story of something that went bad in the middle of the story, but things at that point were no longer well.

"Atropelei um homem, até aí tudo bem, o interessante é que fui apaixonada por ele nos tempos de colégio."

"I ran over a man, all good till here, the interesting thing is that I was in love with him back in school."