IdiomThe Absurd
Portuguese
Portuguesebrincar com fogo
Meaning: to engage in a risky or dangerous behavior; to put oneself in harm's way.
Literally: To play with fire
Example: “Conduzir sem seguro é brincar com fogo.” — Driving without insurance is playing with fire.
English equivalent: To play with fire
Equivalents in other languages
Arabic: رمى بنفسه في التهلكة (ramā bi-nafsihi fī at-tahluka) Literally: He threw himself into destruction/ruin.
English: play with fire
Origin: Children are warned not to play with fire, and playing with it anyway is courting danger. The phrase is shared across European languages (English "play with fire," French jouer avec le feu) and has no particular story behind it.
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- É difícil agradar a gregos e troianos You can't satisfy both sides of a dispute.
- A galinha da minha vizinha é mais gorda do que a minha Other people's things always seem better.
- A pressa é inimiga da perfeição Rushing leads to mistakes.
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