The animal kingdom undoubtedly provides a rich

variety of metaphors and expressions, and there

are countless in

referring to animals.

Não coma mosca*!

Check out this super

list, and pick the one you like the most.

Have fun!

*don’t waste time

Pagar o pato - It means to bear the brunt of it and suffer the consequences, but the literal translation is very funny: . Ex: Você cometeu o erro e eu é quem tenho que pagar o pato? You made a mistake and I have to suffer the consequences?

A vaca foi pro brejo – It’s used when something is becoming worse, deteriorating. The equivalent in English is Go to the dogs. Ex: Ela era uma excelente atriz, mas sua arrogância fez sua carreira ir pro brejo. She was an excellent actress but her arrogance caused her career to go to the dogs.

Nem que a vaca tussa - or in English when pigs fly, no way. This expression indicates that something is highly unlikely ever to happen. Ex: Nem que a vaca tussa eu vou nessa festa! No way I am going to this party!

Acertar na mosca – Translating literally this expression would be something like “Hit the fly”, but what it really means is to hit the bull’s eyes. Ex: Você acertou na mosca quando deu aquele vestido para sua manorada! You hit the bull’s eyes when you gave that dress to your girlfriend!

Cutucar a onça com vara curta – To poke the jaguar with a short stick, which means to tease someone creating a problem as consequence; to poke the bear. Ex: O teu chefe está super bravo? Você cutucou a onça com vara curta agora aguenta. Is your boss really angry? Well you poked the bear now deal with it.

Dar zebra - Dar means to give and zebra… well, I believe you can guess this one! Obviously the real meaning is very different and it relates when something didn’t work

out as expected, resulting in unusual or bad outcome. Ex: Deu zebra nos jogos da Copa do Mundo. There were unexpected results in the World Cup games.

Conversa pra boi dormir - The literal translation of this one is quite funny: “soft talk to put the cow asleep”. The actual meaning is: an improbable story that it isn’t true. Cock-and-bull story, or idle talk would be the equivalent English idioms. Ex: Ele sempre vem com essa conversa para boi dormir. É incrível! He always comes with this cock and bull story. It’s unbelievable!

Pulga atrás da orelha - This one is very interesting; the translation is a flea behind the ear, and there is a very similar idiom in English: a flea in one’s ear”, but the meaning is quite different. For Brazilians , or to suspect something is wrong, to smell a rat. Ex: Ele está com a pula atrás da orelha porque sua mulher tem chegado tarde todos os dias. He smells a rat, because his wife is getting home late every day.

Comprar gato por lebre – to be deceived, fooled. A similar expression in English is buying a pig in a poke. Ex: Aquele perfume importado era falso. Comprei agto por lebre! That perfume was fake. I bought a pig in a poke!

Matar dois coelhos com uma cajadada só - To kill two birds with one stone. Same meaning but different animal. (they prefer rabbit in Brazil - just kidding.) Ex: Eu matei dois coelhos com uma cajadada e vi meus amigos enquanto estava em São Paulo visitando meus pais. I killed two birds with one stone and saw my friends while I was in São Paulo visiting my parents.

Ter sangue de barata - literally means to have , but the real meaning is to be able to keep cool in all sorts of difficult situations. Ex: Ele tem sangue de barata! Foi insultado por todos mas não brigou com ninguém. He knows how to keep cool! He was offended by everybody but didn’t argue with anyone.

Lobo em pele de cordeiro - This one has an almost direct translation from English: wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ex: Aquele cara é mau caráter! Um verdadeiro lobo em pele de cordeiro. That guy is dishonest! He is a wolf ins sheep’s clothing.

Hope you enjoyed this quick lesson on

Brazilian Portuguese idioms.

And beware!

If you want to learn Portuguese choose always: