For your entertainment and mine, here are some of my very favorite expressions heard during my time in Brazil:
10. Vai catar coquinho…
- Translation: “Go pick up little coconuts…”
- Usage: An expression that’s used when someone’s being a complete pain in the pants. You can also tell them to to “Vai pentear macacos” (go comb monkeys) or“Vai plantar batatas” (go plant potatoes).
9. Oi, gatona!
- Translation: “Hey, big cat!”
- Usage: The direct translation sounds completely bizarre. Believe it or not, calling someone a gata (cat), means that you’re calling them hot. You can also call them a gatinha (little cat), which is a more endearing way of saying the same thing. I love it because Cariocas are always calling each other bonita or linda (pretty/beautiful), querida (darling), gostosa (delicious), or tesuda (sexy). And they are.
8. Ai, meu Deus do ceu!
- Translation: “Oh, my God in heaven!”
- Usage: I love this one for its flexibility. I’ve heard it at least 25 times in the past day, once by 2 teenage girls who were gushing over a cute puppy, another time by a shrieking mother after her daughter fell and knocked out her front teeth: “Meu DEUS do ceu!!!” Also used by our cleaning woman, who was expressing shock over how neat I’d kept the apartment all week. (I will explain our maid situation in another post one day; suffice to say, I will always make my own bed and wash my own dishes). “Meu Deus do ceu” can be interchangeably exchanged with “Nossa Senhora” (Virgin Mary) or just “NOS-sa!”
7. Mala com tres cocos
- Translation: A suitcase with three coconuts
- Usage: An irritating situation. Imagine carrying around a suitcase with three coconuts and you get the idea. It’s heavy and lopsided. This one is also used when referring to a person. Imagine, for example, traveling with someone who is always whining, wanting to do a different thing, in a bad mood, etc. That person for sure “é uma mala!”
6. Que saco!
- Translation: “What a sack!” (as in, testicles)
- Usage: This can be used to describe a person or a situation. In my experience, there are far more expressions that utilize masculine vs. feminine body parts.
5. Que abacaxi…
- Translation: “What a pineapple!”
- Usage: Basically, President Obama has been handed a big, prickly pineapple as Bush’s predecessor. The economic crisis, The War on Terror, the housing flop, deplorable foreign relations, John Roberts: “Que abacaxi!”
4. Ele nasceu com o cu virado a lua.
- Translation: He was born with his ass facing the moon.
- Usage: If you tried to guess the meaning of this one, I bet you couldn’t. It’s a way to describe someone who was born lucky. You could also say, “Ele tem um cu largo.” (He has a large…um, rectum). You call this luck?!
3. Onde eu amarrei meu burro?
- Translation: Where did I tie my donkey?
- Usage: This one comes from Minas Gerais, the state where Helena’s family has a fazenda de café (coffee farm). Imagine that you paid a friendly visit to your neighbor and you tied your donkey in front while you went inside for some pinga (Brazilian moonshine). When you head outside a few hours later, you realize that your donkey has gotten loose and eaten up your neighbor’s garden. That’s the literal interpretation of an expression that’s used when you’ve gotten yourself into a bad situation. You could even combine this one with #8 by saying, “NOS-sa Senhora, onde eu amarrei meu burro?”
2. Brazilian Reader Participation
I know you’re out there, queridos…send me your favorite expressions! I’ll buy the winner the first round of banana-spirulina shakes at Universo Organico.
1. Voce e muita areia para o meu caminhao!
- Translation: “You’re too much sand for my truck!”
- Usage: By far my favorite, Helena used this one when we were first together. As I recall, I’d just finished doing a samba on top of a table, and as I jumped down, she shook her head, saying: “Voce e muita areia para o meu caminhao!” It means, “You’re too hot to handle.”
Today, at 106 F degrees, I totally agree.
Due to today’s high of 106 F degrees and no air conditioning in our apartment, today’s post was written from a coffee shop in Gavea. Notice the sweaty, cosmetics-free face and frizzy hair:
