Different animals can mean a variety of things for different cultures. Let’s take a look at some expressions with animals, what they mean as well as when to use them.
- Pagar o pato
Photo by Tom Simpson
This expression translates literally as to “pay the duck”, but it has nothing to do with money or ducks. It means to have to deal with something gone wrong when it is not your fault.
Exemplo: Gustavo não foi trabalhar, mas sua colega de trabalho pagou o pato, pois ela teve que fazer hora extra.
(Gustavo didn’t show up for work, but his workmate got it bad since she had to work extra hours.)
- Pegar o boi
This expression translates literally as “to get the ox” and it means to get something easily even when you do not deserve it (as by luck), and it is slightly annoying to other people.
Exemplo: Mariana me pediu carona de novo, ela pegou o boi que a casa dela é no caminho.
(Mariana asked me for a ride again, she is lucky her house is on the way.)
- Estar no mato sem cachorro
This expression translates literally as “to be out on the fields without a dog” and it means to be in a difficult situation.
Exemplo: Júnior deve muito dinheiro ao banco e ele acabou de perder o emprego. Ele está no mato sem cachorro agora.
(Júnior owes a lot of money to the bank and he just lost his job. He is in a really difficult situation now.)
- Ter sangue de barata
This expression translates literally as “to have cockroach’s blood” and it means to be insensitive.
Exemplo: Manuel não ficou triste ao ver a foto da criança abandonada, ele tem sangue de barata.
(Manuel wasn’t sad when he saw the photo with the abandoned child, he is very insensitive.)
- Ficar uma arara
This expression translates literally as “to become a macaw” and it means to become extremely angry.
Exemplo: Quando eu bati o carro da minha mãe ela ficou uma arara!
(When I crashed my mom’s car she was very angry!)
- Pagar mico
This expression translates literally as “to pay the monkey” and it means to do something embarrassingly funny.
Exemplo: Lorena pagou mico na aula de educação física, quando ela foi pular a calça dela rasgou na parte de trás.
(Lorena had an embarrassingly funny experience today in Physical Education class. When she jumped her pants got ripped at the back.)
