Portuguese

“Armar-se em carapau de corrida”
Literal meaning: “To race like a mackerel”
Meaning in conversation: Brazilian Portuguese insult directed at one who has a greater sense of self importance than they should
Example:“He thinks that he’s the best basketball player of all time, but this is just a friendly game in a local park. He’s really just racing like a mackerel out there.”


“De pequeno se torce o pepino”
Literal meaning: “The cucumber twists from when it’s very small”
Meaning in conversation: A Brazilian Portuguese phrase meaning that people learn their habits from a young age
Example:“He’s lazy and barely washes, but you can’t change him. Cucumbers twist from when they’re very small.”


“Filho de peixe sabe nadar”
Literal meaning: “A fish’s child knows how to swim”
Meaning in conversation: Expressing characteristics similar to a parent (In English, ‘Like father, like son’)
Example:“She dances just like her mother.” “Well, a fish’s child knows how to swim!”


“Cão picado por cobra, tem medo de linguiça ”
Literal meaning: “A dog bitten by a snake fears sausages”
Meaning in conversation: Experience with an unpleasant event will cause one to act in a more cautious manner (In English, ‘Once bitten, twice shy’)
Example:“I used to arrive to the airport half an hour before my flight, but then I missed my ride home. Now I get there three hours early. I’ve learned my lesson: a dog bitten by a snake fears sausages.”

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