IdiomDaily Life
Portuguese
Portuguesecuspir no prato que comeu
Meaning: to betray or show ingratitude toward someone who has helped you.
Literally: To spit in the plate that one ate from
Example: “Falar mal da empresa que lhe deu o primeiro emprego é cuspir no prato que comeu.” — Badmouthing the company that gave him his first job is biting the hand that feeds you.
English equivalent: To bite the hand that feeds you
Equivalents in other languages
Vietnamese: Ăn cháo đá bát Literally: To eat the porridge then kick the bowl
French: Cracher dans la soupe Literally: To spit in the soup
English: bite the hand that feeds you
Origin: Spitting in the plate one has just eaten from is insulting the very person who fed one. The phrase is used for ingratitude toward a benefactor, an employer or one's own past, much like English "bite the hand that feeds you." No particular story lies behind it.
More Portuguese idioms
- arrastar pela lama to publicly humiliate or damage someone's reputation.
- há algo de podre no reino da Dinamarca something is deeply wrong or suspicious, though the truth may be hidden.
- do dia para a noite Very suddenly or extremely quickly.
- vaca sagrada Something so valued or protected that it cannot be criticized, changed, or harmed.
- morrer de rir To laugh very hard or uproariously.
- botar defeito to criticize something excessively or find fault where none reasonably exists.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
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- Há males que vêm por bem Some misfortunes turn out for the best.
- 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.
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