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Idiomatic Expressions
Common Portuguese idioms for natural speech.
Engolir sapos
To put up with unpleasant things
Engolir sapos
Lit: to swallow toads
Ficar a ver navios
To be left empty-handed
Ficar a ver navios
Lit: to be left watching ships
Pôr o carro à frente dos bois
To put the cart before the horse
Pôr o carro à frente dos bois
Lit: to put the cart before the oxen
Estar com a corda no pescoço
To be in dire straits
Estar com a corda no pescoço
Lit: to have a rope around the neck
Procurar agulha em palheiro
To look for a needle in a haystack
Procurar agulha em palheiro
Custar os olhos da cara
To cost an arm and a leg
Custar os olhos da cara
Lit: to cost the eyes of the face
Dar com os burros n'água
To fail completely
Dar com os burros n'água
Lit: to end up with the donkeys in the water
Meter o nariz onde não é chamado
To be nosy
Meter o nariz onde não é chamado
Lit: to stick one's nose where one isn't called
Macaquinhos na cabeça
Suspicions or worries
Macaquinhos na cabeça
Lit: little monkeys in the head
À sombra da bananeira
Without a care in the world
À sombra da bananeira
Lit: in the shade of the banana tree
Tirar o cavalinho da chuva
To give up on an idea
Tirar o cavalinho da chuva
Lit: to take the little horse out of the rain
Cair o Carmo e a Trindade
All hell breaks loose
Cair o Carmo e a Trindade
Refers to two Lisbon churches
