Brazilian Portuguese has some expressions that sound completely crazy when you translate them literally into English.
For example, what would you think if a Brazilian told you to “take your little horse out of the rain”?
Or said that someone was “traveling in the mayonnaise”?
These are expressions we actually use in Brazil, and today I’m going to show you five of them. You’ll learn what they really mean and, most importantly, how we use them in real-life situations.
1. Tirar o cavalinho da chuva
Let’s start with tirar o cavalinho da chuva.
Literally, it means “to take the little horse out of the rain.” Now, of course, when we say this, we don’t have a horse getting wet.
We use tirar o cavalinho da chuva when someone is expecting or hoping for something, and you want to tell them: That’s not going to happen. Forget about it. Don’t count on it.
Here’s a situation: Your friend loves your new car and keeps asking to borrow it.
He says: Me empresta seu carro? (Can I borrow your car?)
And you say: Pode tirar o cavalinho da chuva. Não vou te emprestar o carro. (That’s not going to happen. I’m not lending you my car.)
2. Ficar de molho
Next we have ficar de molho.
Literally, ficar de molho means “to stay soaking”—like something you leave soaking in water.
But when we’re talking about a person, it usually means that you’re staying home and resting because you’re sick, injured, or recovering from something.
Here’s a situation: Your friend invites you to go out, but you hurt your ankle yesterday.
She asks: Vamos sair hoje à noite? (Do you want to go out tonight?)
And you say: Hoje não. Machuquei o tornozelo e vou ficar de molho em casa. (Not today. I hurt my ankle, so I’m staying home to rest.)
So if someone tells you “Estou de molho” or “Vou ficar de molho,” don’t picture them soaking in a bathtub. They’re probably just stuck at home recovering.
3. Chutar o pau da barraca
Our next expression is considerably more dramatic: chutar o pau da barraca. Literally, it means “to kick the tent pole.”
And if you picture what happens when you kick the pole that’s holding up a tent, you actually get a pretty good idea of the expression.
We use chutar o pau da barraca when someone gets fed up, stops holding back, and does or says something drastic—without worrying much about the consequences.
Here’s a situation: Your coworker has been unhappy at work for months. One day, he finally snaps. Later, you tell a friend:
Paulo chutou o pau da barraca. Brigou com o chefe e pediu demissão. (Paulo snapped. He argued with his boss and quit.)
So when someone chuta o pau da barraca, they’ve reached that point where they think, “That’s it. I’ve had enough.” And then they do something drastic.
4. Viajar na maionese
Next we have one of my favorites: viajar na maionese.
Literally, it means “to travel in the mayonnaise.”
We use viajar na maionese when someone is being unrealistic, getting carried away with an idea, or saying something that doesn’t make much sense.
Here’s a situation: Your friend has just started learning Portuguese and already has some very ambitious plans.
She says: Daqui a um mês, vou estar falando português fluentemente. (A month from now, I’ll be speaking Portuguese fluently.)
And you say: Você tá viajando na maionese! (You’re dreaming! / You’re being totally unrealistic!)
So if a Brazilian tells you “Você tá viajando na maionese,” they’re basically telling you: Come back to reality.
5. Dar o braço a torcer
And our last expression is dar o braço a torcer.
Literally, it means something like “to give your arm to be twisted.” But this is not the same as the English expression “twist someone’s arm”.
We use our expression when someone finally admits that they were wrong, gives in, or accepts something they didn’t want to accept.
And very often, there’s a little resistance involved. You didn’t want to admit it—but eventually, you had to.
Here’s a situation: You told your friend that the restaurant she recommended wasn’t going to be good. But you went—and you loved it.
Later, you tell her:
Tá bom, eu dou o braço a torcer. O restaurante é ótimo. (Okay, I admit it. The restaurant is great.)
So dar o braço a torcer is what you do when you finally admit, “Okay, you were right.”
And there you have it: five Brazilian expressions that sound completely crazy in English—but make perfect sense to us.
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