Thursday, May 17, 2018

Portuguese idioms

Portuguese idioms

From Swedish to Japanese, & now to Portuguese idioms — thanks for joining me on Wordmonger’s World Idiom Tour. I hope you enjoy the poetic imagery in these idioms.

It’s the color of a donkey on the run = it’s color is difficult to describe

Many years turning chickens = much experience

Take your little horse away from the rain = give up

He’s like a racing mackerel = he’s too big for his britches

Break all the dishes = cause problems

There’s no beauty without an if = there’s no such thing as perfection

Monkeys bit me = I am intrigued

To do something so the English can see it = to show off

Swallow frogs = shut up & listen

Under the banana tree shade = no worries

To speak by the elbows = to be a motor mouth

Donkeys’ voices don’t reach the heavens = you’re saying something stupid

Bread to bread & cheese to cheese = easy as pie

To have a flea behind one’s ear = to feel suspicious

He’s got a head of rotten garlic = he is foolish or forgetful

From very small, the cucumber is bent = character traits are acquired at an early age

This is too much sand for my truck = I’m in over my head



My thanks go out to this week’s sources: Omniglot, Matador Network, tagide.com, &Twisted Sifter.

6 comments:

  1. These are a lot of fun. The Portuguese obviously have a great sense of humor. I'd love to tell somebody to "swallow frogs" when they need to shut up. :-)

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    1. I agree that these are pretty darned funny. The flea behind the ear? the donkey's voices? the bent cucumber? the racing mackerel? Great societal sense of humor.

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  2. I SPENT A MONTH IN NAZARE, PORTUGAL, ONE WEEK.

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    1. So after a month you just took your little horse away from the rain, eh? Thanks for coming by, Steve.

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  3. These are very entertaining! I was surprised by "under the banana tree shade". Are there banana trees in Portugal? I would like to spend a bit of time in that shade right about now.

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    1. Hi Christine - You could, indeed, use a bit of banana tree shade. Perhaps it would work to embrace your climate reality & appreciate some Coast Live Oak tree shade, instead. I hear it's at least as relaxing.

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