C2 · 47 words
Idioms: the situation and the move in Portuguese
What you do when things get tight, said in pictures.
Practise this list
From these 47 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
The twenty-ninth entry is pôr o dedo na ferida, and English has the same gesture in almost the same words, which is exactly why it goes wrong. « To put your finger on something » is common, and it means nothing like this. In English the finger identifies: « I cannot put my finger on what is missing » says the speaker has not yet located the fault, and « she put her finger on the real problem » praises an accurate diagnosis. Nobody is hurt in either sentence. Pôr o dedo na ferida presses on a wound that is already there. It names the thing the room was avoiding, and whoever does it knows in advance that it will sting. The two phrases sit on opposite sides of one picture: English is about finding, Portuguese about touching. What English reaches for here is another part of the body altogether, « to touch a raw nerve » or « to hit a nerve », and the literal rendering reads like a translation because it is one. The Portuguese phrase has a quieter neighbour worth keeping beside it, mexer na ferida, for going back to it once too often.
The words
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Phrase (47)
resistir à tempestadeto ride out a crisisPhraseC2
A empresa resistiu à tempestade sem despedir ninguém.The company rode out the crisis without laying anybody off.
deixar passar o piorto sit it outPhraseC2
Preferiu deixar passar o pior e só depois responder.He preferred to sit the worst of it out and answer only afterwards.
manter a sete chavesto keep under lock and keyPhraseC2
O acordo foi mantido a sete chaves até à assinatura.The agreement was kept under lock and key until the signing.
amortecer o golpeto soften the blowPhraseC2
Um aviso a tempo teria amortecido o golpe.A warning in good time would have softened the blow.
ganhar tempoto buy timePhraseC2
Pediu mais documentos apenas para ganhar tempo.He asked for more papers purely to buy time.
deixar correr o relógioto run down the clockPhraseC2
A defesa deixou correr o relógio até ao intervalo.The defence ran down the clock until half-time.
cortar as perdasto cut one’s lossesPhraseC2
Vendeu a posição inteira para cortar as perdas.He sold the whole holding to cut his losses.
pôr um ponto finalto draw a line under itPhraseC2
Puseram um ponto final naquela discussão.They drew a line under that argument.
abrir um novo capítuloto open a new chapterPhraseC2
Depois da mudança, a equipa abriu um novo capítulo.After the change, the team opened a new chapter.
começar do zeroto start from scratchPhraseC2
Perdeu os ficheiros e teve de começar do zero.He lost the files and had to start from scratch.
voltar à estaca zeroto be back to square onePhraseC2
O ensaio falhou e voltámos à estaca zero.The trial failed and we were back to square one.
mudar de rumoto change coursePhraseC2
A direção mudou de rumo a meio do ano.The board changed course halfway through the year.
mudar as condições a meioto move the goalpostsPhraseC2
O cliente mudou as condições a meio do trabalho.The client moved the goalposts halfway through the job.
fazer mossato make a dentPhraseC2
As novas medidas ainda não fizeram mossa.The new measures have not made a dent yet.
ganhar terrenoto gain groundPhraseC2
A proposta ganhou terreno entre os colegas.The proposal gained ground among the colleagues.
perder fôlegoto lose momentumPhraseC2
A campanha perdeu fôlego ao fim de umas semanas.The campaign lost momentum after a few weeks.
chegar ao ponto de viragemto reach a tipping pointPhraseC2
A negociação chegou ao ponto de viragem naquela tarde.The negotiation reached a tipping point that afternoon.
bater num muroto hit a brick wallPhraseC2
A investigação bateu num muro e parou.The investigation hit a brick wall and stopped.
chegar ao fim da linhato be at the end of the roadPhraseC2
Aquele modelo antigo chegou ao fim da linha.That old model has reached the end of the road.
estar entre a espada e a paredeto be caught between a rock and a hard placePhraseC2
Sem apoios, o clube está entre a espada e a parede.With no backing, the club is caught between a rock and a hard place.
esperar pela hora certato wait for the right momentPhraseC2
Preferiu calar-se e esperar pela hora certa.He preferred to keep quiet and wait for the right moment.
estar a jogar à defesato be on the back footPhraseC2
Desde a notícia, a empresa está a jogar à defesa.Since the news broke, the company has been on the back foot.
levar a melhorto come off bestPhraseC2
No fim, levou a melhor quem tinha mais paciência.In the end, whoever had more patience came off best.
pôr todos em pé de igualdadeto put everyone on an equal footingPhraseC2
As novas regras põem todos em pé de igualdade.The new rules put everyone on an equal footing.
pôr a fasquia mais altato raise the barPhraseC2
O novo diretor pôs a fasquia mais alta.The new director raised the bar.
baixar a fasquiato lower the barPhraseC2
Ninguém quis baixar a fasquia por causa do prazo.Nobody wanted to lower the bar because of the deadline.
dar o tomto set the tonePhraseC2
A primeira frase da carta deu o tom.The first sentence of the letter set the tone.
tocar uma corda sensívelto strike a chordPhraseC2
O discurso tocou uma corda sensível na sala.The speech struck a chord with the room.
pôr o dedo na feridato touch a raw nervePhraseC2
A pergunta pôs o dedo na ferida.The question touched a raw nerve.
exaltar os ânimosto inflame tempersPhraseC2
A proposta exaltou os ânimos na reunião.The proposal inflamed tempers at the meeting.
acalmar as águasto pour oil on troubled watersPhraseC2
Coube ao mais velho acalmar as águas.It fell to the eldest to pour oil on troubled waters.
construir pontesto build bridgesPhraseC2
Passou o ano a construir pontes entre os dois grupos.He spent the year building bridges between the two groups.
queimar as pontesto burn one’s bridgesPhraseC2
Saiu da casa antiga sem queimar as pontes.He left the old firm without burning his bridges.
guardar as forças para depoisto hold something in reservePhraseC2
Falou pouco e guardou as forças para depois.He said little and held something in reserve.
pôr as cartas na mesato put one’s cards on the tablePhraseC2
Chegou a altura de pôr as cartas na mesa.The moment has come to put our cards on the table.
jogar com as cartas escondidasto play one’s cards close to one’s chestPhraseC2
O comprador jogou com as cartas escondidas até ao fim.The buyer played his cards close to his chest until the very end.
apanhar alguém em falsoto catch somebody outPhraseC2
O registo das entradas apanhou-o em falso.The entry log caught him out.
arriscar o pescoçoto stick one’s neck outPhraseC2
Arriscou o pescoço com aquela previsão.He stuck his neck out with that forecast.
arriscar uma cartadato take a gamblePhraseC2
Arriscou uma cartada e mudou de fornecedor.He took a gamble and changed supplier.
forçar a decisãoto force the issuePhraseC2
Marcou a votação para forçar a decisão.He called the vote in order to force the issue.
tomar partido abertamenteto nail one’s colours to the mastPhraseC2
Mais cedo ou mais tarde terá de tomar partido abertamente.Sooner or later he will have to nail his colours to the mast.
levar as coisas ao limiteto push things to the limitPhraseC2
Levou as coisas ao limite para obter uma resposta.He pushed things to the limit to get an answer.
empurrar com a barrigato kick it into the long grassPhraseC2
Empurrou o assunto com a barriga até ninguém perguntar.He kicked the matter into the long grass until nobody asked any more.
não deixar nada por tentarto leave nothing untriedPhraseC2
A equipa não deixou nada por tentar.The team left nothing untried.
lançar a rede ao largoto cast the net widePhraseC2
Para encontrar alguém, lançaram a rede ao largo.To find somebody, they cast the net wide.
reduzir a uma mão-cheiato cut down to a handfulPhraseC2
A lista foi reduzida a uma mão-cheia de nomes.The list was cut down to a handful of names.
passar o crivoto make the cutPhraseC2
Só três projetos passaram o crivo.Only three projects made the cut.
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This list belongs to Language, style and argument — 30 lists and 1 225 words that can also be practised as a whole.