Idiomatic Expressions - 1/21/25 Flashcards
Ele está sempre a meter o nariz onde não é chamado.
He’s always sticking his nose where he’s not called. (He’s always poking his nose into others’ business.)
Isso é conversa para boi dormir.
That’s talk to make the ox sleep. (That’s nonsense.)
Acordei com os pés de fora hoje.
I woke up with my feet out today. (I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.)
Ele anda a fazer tempestade num copo de água.
He’s making a storm in a glass of water. (He’s making a mountain out of a molehill.)
Estou com a pulga atrás da orelha com essa história.
I have the flea behind my ear with this story. (I’m suspicious about this story.)
Ela está com um grão na asa.
She has a grain on her wing. (She’s tipsy.)
Ele deu o braço a torcer no final da discussão.
He gave his arm to twist at the end of the argument. (He gave in.)
Falar pelos cotovelos é o passatempo preferido dele.
Talking through the elbows is his favorite pastime. (He talks too much.)
Estou a ver navios com esta conta complicada.
I’m seeing ships with this complicated bill. (I’m lost/confused.)
Não adianta chorar sobre leite derramado.
There’s no use crying over spilled milk. (It’s no use crying over spilled milk.)
Ele comeu gato por lebre no mercado.
He ate cat for hare at the market. (He was deceived.)
Vamos ver se ele vai separar o trigo do joio.
Let’s see if he separates the wheat from the chaff. (Let’s see if he discerns the good from the bad.)
Ela está a pôr as mãos no fogo por ele.
She’s putting her hands in the fire for him. (She’s vouching for him.)
Estou entre a espada e a parede com essa decisão.
I’m between the sword and the wall with this decision. (I’m between a rock and a hard place.)
O Pedro saiu a francês da festa ontem à noite.
Pedro left like a Frenchman from the party last night. (Pedro left without saying goodbye.)
Isso é só para inglês ver.
That’s just for the English to see. (That’s just for show.)
Ele está com água pela barba.
He’s got water up to his beard. (He’s in trouble.)
Vamos andar com o coração nas mãos até saber o resultado.
We’ll walk with our hearts in our hands until we know the result. (We’ll be anxious until we know the result.)
Ela é a última bolacha do pacote.
She’s the last cookie in the packet. (She thinks she’s the center of attention.)
Ele partiu a loiça toda na reunião.
He broke all the crockery in the meeting. (He shook things up.)
Quando o gato sai, os ratos fazem a festa.
When the cat leaves, the mice throw a party. (When the cat’s away, the mice will play.)
É melhor não contar com o ovo no cu da galinha.
It’s better not to count on the egg in the chicken’s backside. (Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.)
Andar com a cabeça nas nuvens não vai ajudar.
Walking with your head in the clouds won’t help. (Being absent-minded won’t help.)
Não faças isso, ou vais meter os pés pelas mãos.
Don’t do that, or you’ll put your feet in your hands. (You’ll mess things up.)
Ele está sempre com a faca e o queijo na mão.
He’s always with the knife and cheese in hand. (He’s always in control of the situation.)
Vamos falar sem papas na língua.
Let’s speak without mush in the tongue. (Let’s speak bluntly.)
Essa empresa tem o rei na barriga.
That company has the king in its belly. (That company is arrogant.)
Puxar a brasa à sua sardinha é típico dele.
Pulling the ember to his sardine is typical of him. (He always looks out for himself.)
Ele tem as costas quentes, por isso não se preocupa.
He has warm backs, so he doesn’t worry. (He has someone protecting him.)
Comprar gato por lebre é um risco nesse mercado.
Buying a cat for a hare is a risk in this market. (Being deceived is a risk in this market.)
Vamos meter a mão na massa e começar o projeto.
Let’s put our hands in the dough and start the project. (Let’s get to work.)
O João deu um nó na garganta ao ouvir a notícia.
João got a knot in his throat upon hearing the news. (João was choked up upon hearing the news.)
Ele prometeu mundos e fundos para ganhar votos.
He promised worlds and bottoms to win votes. (He promised the world to win votes.)
Estou com a pulga atrás da orelha com esse acordo.
I’ve got a flea behind my ear with this deal. (I’m suspicious about this deal.)
Não ponha a carroça na frente dos bois.
Don’t put the cart in front of the oxen. (Don’t put the cart before the horse.)
Ele faz tempestade em copo d’água.
He makes a storm in a glass of water. (He makes a mountain out of a molehill.)
Está tudo como água debaixo da ponte.
It’s all like water under the bridge. (It’s all water under the bridge.)
Essa ideia é tiro no pé.
That idea is a shot in the foot. (That idea will backfire.)
Vamos quebrar o galho para terminar isso a tempo.
Let’s break the branch to finish this on time. (Let’s improvise to finish this on time.)
Ele está no olho da rua agora.
He’s in the eye of the street now. (He’s been fired.)
Não podemos deixar a peteca cair.
We can’t let the shuttlecock fall. (We can’t let the ball drop.)
O segredo foi contado em cima da hora.
The secret was told on top of the hour. (The secret was told at the last minute.)
Ele está entre a cruz e a espada.
He’s between the cross and the sword. (He’s between a rock and a hard place.)
Vamos dar um jeitinho nisso.
Let’s give it a little way. (Let’s figure something out.)
A verdade veio à tona no final.
The truth came to the surface in the end. (The truth came to light in the end.)
Ela foi a cereja no topo do bolo na festa.
She was the cherry on top of the cake at the party. (She was the highlight of the party.)
Não adianta colocar panos quentes nessa situação.
It’s no use putting warm cloths on this situation. (It’s no use sugarcoating this situation.)
Ele não tem papas na língua quando fala a verdade.
He doesn’t have mush on his tongue when he speaks the truth. (He doesn’t mince words.)
Vamos andar devagar para não dar um passo maior que a perna.
Let’s walk slowly so we don’t take a step bigger than the leg. (Let’s not bite off more than we can chew.)
Ela ficou a ver navios depois que o projeto foi cancelado.
She was left seeing ships after the project was canceled. (She was left empty-handed.)
Ele é um pau para toda obra.
He’s a stick for every work. (He’s a jack of all trades.)
Não coloque a mão no fogo por ele.
Don’t put your hand in the fire for him. (Don’t vouch for him.)
O projeto foi aprovado em cima da hora.
The project was approved on top of the hour. (The project was approved at the last minute.)
Ele sempre está com um pé atrás em situações de risco.
He’s always with one foot behind in risky situations. (He’s always cautious in risky situations.)
Eles deram um tiro no escuro com essa estratégia.
They took a shot in the dark with this strategy. (They took a wild guess.)
Você pode fazer isso, mas cada um no seu quadrado.
You can do this, but everyone in their square. (Everyone should stick to their role.)
Ela não é flor que se cheire.
She’s not a flower to be smelled. (She’s not someone to be trusted.)
Ele fez o trabalho com as calças na mão.
He did the work with his pants in his hand. (He worked in a rush.)
Precisamos arrumar a casa antes da reunião.
We need to tidy up the house before the meeting. (We need to get organized before the meeting.)
Não adianta bater na mesma tecla.
It’s no use hitting the same key. (It’s no use repeating the same argument.)
Esse projeto é um tiro no escuro.
This project is a shot in the dark. (This project is a gamble.)
Ele é um peixe fora d’água nessa cidade.
He’s a fish out of water in this city. (He feels out of place in this city.)
Aquele jogador tem sangue nos olhos.
That player has blood in his eyes. (That player is highly determined.)
Ela passou a perna em todo mundo na negociação.
She passed the leg on everyone in the negotiation. (She outsmarted everyone in the negotiation.)
Ele está com a faca nos dentes para ganhar.
He’s with the knife in his teeth to win. (He’s determined to win.)
O clima ficou pesado depois da discussão.
The atmosphere became heavy after the argument. (The mood became tense after the argument.)
Não adianta jogar conversa fora agora.
It’s no use throwing conversation away now. (It’s no use wasting time talking now.)
Ele não sabe nadar e está a remar contra a maré.
He doesn’t know how to swim and is rowing against the tide. (He’s going against the odds.)
Estamos todos no mesmo barco com esse problema.
We’re all in the same boat with this problem. (We’re all in this together.)
Não dê murro em ponta de faca.
Don’t punch the tip of a knife. (Don’t waste your efforts on something futile.)
Ele foi com muita sede ao pote e acabou se machucando.
He went with too much thirst to the pot and ended up hurting himself. (He rushed into something and got hurt.)
Ela está no olho do furacão com tantas tarefas.
She’s in the eye of the hurricane with so many tasks. (She’s overwhelmed with so many tasks.)
O chefe sempre corta as asinhas de quem se destaca.
The boss always cuts the wings of those who stand out. (The boss always undermines ambitious employees.)
Ele pegou no sono durante a aula.
He caught sleep during the class. (He dozed off during the class.)
Não coloque todos os ovos na mesma cesta.
Don’t put all the eggs in the same basket. (Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.)
Ela deu com a língua nos dentes e contou o segredo.
She gave with the tongue on the teeth and spilled the secret. (She let the cat out of the bag.)
Ele virou o bicho quando ouviu a notícia.
He turned into the animal when he heard the news. (He lost his temper when he heard the news.)
Não faça tempestade em copo d’água.
Don’t make a storm in a glass of water. (Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.)
Estamos a juntar os cacos depois do incidente.
We’re gathering the shards after the incident. (We’re picking up the pieces after the incident.)
O professor cortou as asas dos alunos desatentos.
The teacher cut the wings of the inattentive students. (The teacher disciplined the inattentive students.)
Ele jogou tudo para o alto e mudou de vida.
He threw everything to the top and changed his life. (He gave everything up and started over.)
Estamos a pisar em ovos com essa situação delicada.
We’re walking on eggs with this delicate situation. (We’re treading carefully with this situation.)
Ele deu a volta por cima depois da crise.
He turned the top over after the crisis. (He bounced back after the crisis.)
O time está com a corda no pescoço no campeonato.
The team has the rope around its neck in the championship. (The team is in a tight spot in the championship.)
Ela quebrou a cabeça tentando resolver o enigma.
She broke her head trying to solve the puzzle. (She racked her brain trying to solve the puzzle.)
Não entre em pânico, estamos no mesmo barco.
Don’t panic; we’re in the same boat. (Don’t panic; we’re in this together.)
Ele virou a casaca quando viu que ia perder.
He turned his coat when he saw he was going to lose. (He changed sides when he saw he was going to lose.)
Estamos a colher os frutos do nosso esforço.
We’re reaping the fruits of our effort. (We’re reaping the rewards of our effort.)
Não conte com o ovo antes de a galinha botar.
Don’t count on the egg before the chicken lays it. (Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.)
Vamos virar a página e começar do zero.
Let’s turn the page and start from zero. (Let’s move on and start fresh.)
Ele está com a cabeça a mil por causa do trabalho.
His head is at a thousand because of work. (He’s overwhelmed with work.)
Não é fácil nadar contra a corrente.
It’s not easy to swim against the current. (It’s not easy to go against the flow.)
Estamos a andar em círculos com essa discussão.
We’re walking in circles with this discussion. (We’re going around in circles with this discussion.)
Ele passou a perna em todos na competição.
He passed the leg on everyone in the competition. (He outsmarted everyone in the competition.)
Não tem jeito, ele vai sempre arrumar sarna para se coçar.
There’s no way, he will always find scabies to scratch. (He’ll always find trouble for himself.)
Depois de tanto esforço, finalmente ele tirou a barriga da miséria.
After so much effort, he finally took his belly out of misery. (He finally had a feast.)
Ela está a dar o pulo do gato para conseguir o emprego.
She’s giving the cat’s jump to get the job. (She’s using a clever trick to get the job.)
Vamos separar as águas antes de tomar uma decisão.
Let’s separate the waters before making a decision. (Let’s clarify things before deciding.)
Ele não tem onde cair morto.
He has nowhere to fall dead. (He’s dirt poor.)
Esse problema é fácil, está na cara.
This problem is easy; it’s on the face. (This problem is obvious.)
Ele trabalha devagar, mas vai comendo pelas beiradas.
He works slowly but eats along the edges. (He achieves his goals little by little.)
Foi direto ao ponto sem rodeios.
He went straight to the point without detours. (He got straight to the point.)
Não adianta tapar o sol com a peneira.
It’s no use covering the sun with a sieve. (It’s no use hiding the obvious.)
A situação é urgente, temos de matar a cobra e mostrar o pau.
The situation is urgent; we have to kill the snake and show the stick. (We have to prove what we’ve done.)
Ele está com a macaca hoje.
He’s with the monkey today. (He’s acting crazy today.)
Cuidado para não dar com os burros n’água.
Be careful not to give the donkeys in the water. (Be careful not to fail.)
Ele passou por um aperto durante a viagem.
He went through a tight spot during the trip. (He faced a difficult situation during the trip.)
Está na hora de virar o disco e mudar de assunto.
It’s time to turn the record and change the subject. (It’s time to move on and talk about something else.)
Ela cortou um dobrado para terminar o trabalho a tempo.
She folded a double to finish the work on time. (She struggled a lot to finish the work on time.)
Ele tem memória de elefante, nunca esquece nada.
He has an elephant’s memory, he never forgets anything. (He has a very good memory.)
Fiquei a ver navios enquanto todos comemoravam.
I was left seeing ships while everyone celebrated. (I was left out while everyone celebrated.)
Ele está batendo na mesma tecla há horas.
He’s hitting the same key for hours. (He’s repeating the same argument for hours.)
