Portuguese Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

pila

Slang USED Frequently BY Everyone

(n.) • The term is known as the unofficial currency of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, but it has also spread to other places in Brazil. It can be used interchangeably with the official currency ("Real") in every informal situation. The term started tu be used in the 1930's when the friends of the exiled politician Raul Pilla started selling bills of money (as financial bonds) with Pilla's face on it to raise money for him.

"Coitado do Raul Pilla, foi exilado sem ter nenhum pila no bolso..." "Tu não tem uns pilas aí pra me emprestar?" "Não acredito que encontrei 50 pila no chão!"

"Poor Raul Pilla, he was exilled without any pila in the pocket..." "Don't you have some pilas to lend me?" "I can't believe I found 50 pila on the floor!"

Portuguese Brazil

cabra de sorte

Slang USED Frequently BY Some people

(goat of luck) • The word 'cabra' is actually in play here, as in some places in Brazil people use it to describe 'person' or 'man'... so 'cabra de sorte' means a lucky person.

"Marcos é um cabra de sorte, ele ganhou $ 500 numa raspadinha de loteria outro dia!"

"Marcos is a goat of luck, he won $500 on a lottery scratch-off the other day!"

Portuguese Brazil

sextou

Slang USED Frequently BY Young people

(it has Fridayed) • The expression transforms the noun "Friday" ("sexta-feira") into a verb (conjugated in the past, meaning "it has Fridayed"). It is used to mean "the weekend is here", or "let's start the weekend".

"Sextou? Vamos no bar tomar uma cerveja?"

"Has it Fridayed? Shall we go to the pub have a beer?"

Portuguese Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

caô

Word USED Frequently BY Young people

(noun) • Used to say that something is a lie, when people are surprised or when something or someone will get in trouble.

"Não acredita nele, ele tá de caô." "Caô que você ganhou na loteria!" "Não faça isto, vai dar caô!"

"Don't believe him, he's lying to you." "I can't believe you won the lottery!" "Don't do it, you're gonna get in trouble!"

Portuguese Brazil

0800

Slang USED On Occasion BY Some people

It comes from the possibility to call companies customer service in Brazil using the prefix 0800 without being charged for it.

"Vamos à festa na sexta-feira, a entrada vai ser 0800."

"Lets go to the party on Friday, the entrance will be for free."

Portuguese Brazil

a Perseguida

Slang USED On Occasion BY Some People

(n.) • (the Chased) • A slang word for vagina.

"Os homens gostam da perseguida"

"Men like the chased"

Portuguese Brazil

estar mais pra lá do que pra cá

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(to be more there than here) • Used when someone is close to death.

"A Rainha Elizabeth tem 95 anos!" "Tá mais pra lá do que pra cá"

"Queen Elizabeth is 95 years old!" "She's more there than here"

Portuguese Brazil

coroa

Slang USED Frequently BY Young People

(crown) • A word generally used by young people to refer to older people, especially the elderly ones. Also used to refer to someone's or their own parents.

"Eu vim sentado ao lado de um coroa no ônibus." "Vi seus coroas ontem numa loja."

"I came sitting next to a crown (old guy) at the bus." "I saw your crowns (parents) yesterday at a store."

Portuguese Brazil

isso foi a gota d'água

Slang USED Frequently BY Everyone

(that was the drop of water) • In Brazilian Portuguese we say "isso foi a gota d'água", which means "this was the drop of water", literally "the drop that was missing for the glass to overflow". It means that an action has exceeded the limit of something that was already saturated.

"Esse atraso no trabalho foi a gota d'água para ele ser despedido."

"This delay in work was the drop of water for him to be fired."

Portuguese Brazil, Brazil

lenga-lenga

Expression USED Frequently BY Everybody

Meaningless conversation. Boring and monotonous conversation, narrative or oratory piece.

"Essa tua lenga-lenga está me cansando."

"This lenga-lenga of yours is tiring me."

Brazilian Portuguese Brazil

rebolar no mato

Expression USED Frequently BY People from the northeast of Brazil

(to twerk in the jungle) • Used by people when they want to say that they've thrown something away.

"Comecei uma dieta hoje então peguei o açúcar que tinha em casa e rebolei no mato."

"I started a diet today so I took the sugar I had at home and twerked in the jungle."

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

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 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."