IdiomDaily Life
Portuguese
Portuguesebotar defeito
Meaning: to criticize something excessively or find fault where none reasonably exists.
Literally: To place a defect
Example: “Ele bota defeito em tudo o que a sogra cozinha.” — He picks holes in everything his mother-in-law cooks.
English equivalent: To pick holes in
Equivalents in other languages
Dutch: gaten schieten in Literally: To shoot holes in
French: Chercher la petite bête Literally: To look for the little beast
English: pick holes in
Origin: Botar is the colloquial Brazilian verb for putting or placing, and botar defeito is putting a flaw on something: finding fault, often where there is none. It is most often used in the negative, não dá para botar defeito, of something faultless. No particular story lies behind it.
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