*Abacaxi/ pepino: a hot potato, a tough nut to crack, a big problem
Don´t buy that old car! In a few months you may have a hot potato in your hands.
*Abobrinha: baloney, nonsense, rubbish (UK), stupid ideas
Most of the things she says is baloney, don´t take her seriously.
*Amigo secreto: Secret Santa
I hope his Secret Santa is me because he always buys nice gifts.
*Antenado: well-informed, alert, plugged into something.
Anyone who´s plugged into new teachnologies is eager to have the most updated gadgets.
*Bambambã: bigshot, expert, a whiz
My Japanese friend is a math whiz.
His boss is a big shot: he owns most Latin American branches of the company.
*Bater na mesma tecla: to harp on the same thing, to repeat the same thing over and over
"Doctors never stop harping on about the importance of the regular check-up."
*(Da) Boca prá fora: to (just) say something
If she keeps saying she´s gonna do something about it, I think she means it. She´s not just saying it.
*(Ser) Cara-de-pau: (to have the) nerve (to do something)
I barely know the guy and he kept asking me personal questions! What a nerve!
*Comer o pão que o diabo amassou/passar por maus bocados: to suffer severe hardships, to go through a rough path
Anyone who´d been through a rough path/ suffered a severe hardship comes a bit humbler out of it.
*Cricri: nitpicker, picky
All employees complain about the new manager saying he´s a nitpicker.
*Engolir sapos: to swallow insults
I´m sick and tired of swallowing insults and I´ll not put up with them anymore!
*(Ser) Farinha do mesmo saco: (to be like) two peas in a pod
You and your brother are so alike! Actually you´re like two peas in a pod.
*Fechar com chave de ouro: to bring to a perfect end, to finish off or conclude something perfectly
The band finished off the concert perfectly when they played my favorite song.
*Folgado: freeloader (the annoying one), roomy (the one that takes up a lot of space), a slacker (Am) /a shirker (Br-one who doesn´t like to work)
Her husband is real shirker. He´s unemployed and he´s not making any effort to get a job.
*Fulano: what´s his/her name
What´s his name was here yesterday looking for you.
*Fulano, sicrano e beltrano: Tom, Dick and Harry
"He argued with Tom, Dick and Harry".
*Gota d´água: the last straw
Their relationship was already going bad, but when she found out about her boyfriend´s affair, that was the last straw.
*(Levar) jeito (com): to have a way with something
Babysitters need to have a way with kids.
*"Laranja": stooge (an intermediary who uses his name in corrupt transactions)
"The ex-governor is the real owner of the company and Ferreira is his stooge".
*Cada macaco no seu galho: each one to his trade
I don´t give you opinions in your job and you shouldn´t interfere in mine. Each one to his trade.
*Macaco velho: an old hand
My mechanic always knows exactly what´s wrong with my car. He´s an old hand who´s been in the business for over 20 years.
*Mão-de-vaca: tight-fisted, cheap(skate), a scrooge
I think it´s ok to save money, but being tight-fisted all the time is a real pain in the ass.
*"Marmelada": (to be) fixed (competitions and games that have been dishonestly arranged beforehand)
I believe some soccer games are fixed sometimes.
*Em maus lençóis: in a tight spot, in a fix, in deep trouble, in a jam
If the teacher finds out you cheated on the test, you´ll be in a real fix.
*Nhenhenhém: grumbling, whining, complaining
Don´t you ever get tired of listening to their whining all the freaking time?
*Nota preta: a pretty penny, a fortune, a bundle
He won a pretty penny in the lottery. That´s why he´s so happy.
*Nu e cru: plain and simple
All I need is the plain and simple truth.
*Ossos do ofício: all part of the job
One of the downsides of working as an English teacher is that you have to work in the evening and on Saturdays. All part of the job, though.
*Pai coruja: doting father
He´s a doting father and he´s always there for his kids.
*Panelinha: clique
Wherever she goes she hangs out with her clique: at school, in church, at the club, etc.
*Para Inglês ver: just for show, just for the sake of appearances
My neighbor ´s not that rich but he changes his car every year. I think he does that just for show.
*Perua: bimbo (a beautiful and rich woman that´s usually stupid)
Look at the way that woman dresses! Isn´t she a real bimbo?
*Pisar na bola: to screw up, to drop tha ball
Man, how could you forget your mom´s birthday? You dropped the ball big time!
*Puxar o saco: to kiss ass, to suck up, to kiss up (Am), to brown-nose, to bootlick (Br)
I never need to kiss anybody´s ass to be successful. All I´ve got is due to my personal achievements.
*Queimar o filme: to lose prestige, to ruin your reputation
Once you lose your prestige, it´s hard to get people to trust you again.
*(De) Queixo caído: flabbergasted, astonished, amazed
I was flabbergasted when I learned how much money he makes.
*Ralar: to bust a gut. to bust your ass (informal), to slave, to work your fingers to the bone
We should get a raise, after all, we all bust a gut here.
*Rios de dinheiro: loads of money, a bundle, a mint
He´s a very successful man and he makes loads of money.
*Rodizio de carne: all-you-can eat barbecue restaurant
In this all-you-can-eat barbecue restaurant, they have the best kinds of meat.
*São e salvo: safe and sound
We´ve arrived safe and sound from our trip.
*(A) sete chaves: under lock and key, locked up safely
I´ll tell you my secret provided that you keep ip under lock and key.
*Show de bola: cool, awesome, wicked
That party was simply awesome. Lots of food, beautiful peple and very good music too.
*Tintim por tintim: blow by blow, in minute detail, point by point, in full detail
I want you to tell me all the gossips, blow by blow!
*Tô nem aí: I couldn´t care less, I don´t give a rat´s ass (informal), I don´t give a damn
So she said she doesn´t like me? I couldn´t care less!
*(Aos) Trancos e barrancos: by/in fits and starts
I´s been taking me long to finish this post, but I´m almost through, in fits and starts.
*Vá plantar batata!: take a hike!
Take a hike! Can´t you see you´re annoying me?
*Vapt-vupt: wham-bam, wham-zap
I personally don´t believe there´s a wham-bam method for learning a language efficiently.
*Vir a calar: to come in handy, to come at the right time
A raise is coming in very handy now that she has a kid.
*Vestibular: university entrance examination
Lots of students try to enter a public university but many don´t manage to pass the entrance examination.
*Xará: namesake
Your name´s also Flavia? So we´re namesakes!
*O xis da questão: the crux of the matter
The crux of the matter here is that his mother spoils him too much.