Ask Lemmy

There's a bunch of weird ones in Portuguese.

• "Caroço de manga não é sabonete" Do you think that mango seed is soap? = "this is an absurd proposal/situation/etc."
• "Pobre só sobe na vida quando o barraco explode" Poor people only ascend on life when the [shit]shack explodes. = "don't expect social ascension"
• "Enquanto vem com o milho, já comi a polenta." While you're bringing the corn, I already ate the polenta. = "I've already handled this, you're too late."
• "um polaco de cada colônia" a Pole from each settlement = a bunch of randomly picked people or items. I don't think that people use this too much outside Paraná.
• "farinha do mesmo saco" flour from the same bag = extremely similar in some aspects that matter (and usually negative ones)
• "comer o pão que o diabo amassou" to eat the bread kneaded by the devil = to go through rough times
• "Vai chupar prego até virar tachinha!" Go suck an [iron] nail until it becomes a thumbtack! = somewhat polite way to tell someone to fuck off
• "Vai ver se estou na esquina." *Go check if I'm around the corner." = also a way to tell people to fuck off
• "anta quadrada" squared tapir = "anta" tapir is used to call someone stupid, so anta quadrada is stupid to the power of two.
• "anta cúbica" cubed tapir = because some people do some really, really stupid shit.
• "mais louco que o Requião de pedalinho" crazier than Requião on a paddle boat = Requião is a politician here in Paraná known for his crazy antics. The phrase highlights that something is completely fucking crazy. Clearly local.
• "teu cu" your arse[hole] = definitively, clearly, and blatantly "no".