Expression of the week: Give somebody the third degree

“Give somebody the third degree”.

Portuguese equivalent: “interrogar alguém”.

Sample sentences:

“Every time I get home after 11pm my Mom gives me the third degree“.

“I haven’t done anything wrong! Why are you giving me the third degree?”

Ainda está difícil entender a expressão? Que tal uma aula?

Expression of the week: Couch potato

“Couch potato”.

Portuguese equivalent: “alguém preguiçoso, que passa o dia na frente da TV”.

Sample sentences:

“I wish my brother wasn’t such a couch potato! He never wants to go anywhere!”

“I used to be a couch potato, but I’ve changed my ways: my hobbies are all outdoors now!”

Ainda está difícil entender a expressão? Que tal uma aula?

Expression of the week: Easy does it

“Easy does it”.

Portuguese equivalent: “Devagar e sempre./ Vá com calma!/ Devagar com o andor, que o santo é de barro!”

Sample sentences:

-“Have you been promoted yet?”
-“Not yet. But easy does it, I’m sure they’ll see my potential in time”.

“Easy does it! I don’t think girls like it when we stare at them so hard!”

“The piano goes next to that window, but please: easy does it!”

Ainda está difícil entender a expressão? Que tal uma aula?

Expression of the week: Hidden agenda

“Hidden agenda”.

Portuguese equivalent: “segundas intenções”.

“She agreed to go to the mall with you? I’m sure she has a hidden agenda. She must want new shoes, or something”.

“The Congressman had his own hidden agenda when casting his vote: he was trying to benefit his partisans with it”.

Ainda está difícil entender a expressão? Que tal uma aula?

PS: To my reader, Roque: I swear this post was ready before you mentioned the expression on the comments!!

Expression of the week: Paint the town

“Paint the town”.

Portuguese equivalent: “pintar o sete”.

Sample sentences:

“It’s São Paulo’s 457 anniversary today! Let’s go out and paint the town! I wanna drop by every bar in Vila Madalena!”

“You look terrible! I’ll bet you were out painting the town last night!”

This one goes out for São Paulo – SP, my hometown, the place where I’ve lived a great part of my life and which has always given me wonderful work opportunities!

Here’s to a brighter and better future with fewer traffic jams, fewer slums, fewer floods, more sunny Sundays at Ibirapuera Park, more concerts at Sala São Paulo, more civility from us, dwellers!

Happy 457!!

Ainda está difícil entender a expressão? Que tal uma aula?

Expression of the week: Let alone

“Let alone”

Portuguese equivalent: “muito menos/ sem dizer”.

Sample sentences:

“He can’t afford a new TV set, let a lone a new car”.

“The Government hadn’t been able to prevent the mudslides, let alone rescue all the people who were affected by them”.

Ainda está difícil entender a expressão? Que tal uma aula?

Expression of the week: dia sim, dia não

“Dia sim, dia não”.

English equivalent: “every other day”.

Sample sentences:

“Experts say that you shouldn’t run every day; every other day is enough”.

“I wash my hair every other day, otherwise it gets oily”.

Notice that the expression “every other” can be combined with other periods of time to express the meaning of “each alternate”:

Sample sentences:

“The Arts Bienal takes place in São Paulo every other year“.

“My car is quite economical: I just have to fill it up every other week“.

“My teacher is such a pain! She gives us a pop quiz every other class!”

Expression of the week: Don’t be a stranger now!

“Don’t be a stranger now!”

Portuguese equivalent: “mantenha contato!”

Sample sentences:

(At the end of a dinner with friends) “Well, it was great seeing you again!”  “Definitely! Don’t be a stranger now!”

“Sweetheart, I’ll see you next year. Now, don’t be a stranger!”  “Ok, Grandma. I promise I’ll call you every week!”

PS: those of you who have played Carmen San Diego (yeah, I’m old, don’t bug me about it!) will remember this expression…