IdiomBody & Senses
Portuguese
Portuguesedar um tiro no pé
Meaning: To harm oneself through one's own actions; to undermine one's own interests.
Literally: To give a shot in the foot
Example: “Ao aumentar os preços antes do Natal, a loja deu um tiro no pé.” — By raising prices before Christmas, the store shot itself in the foot.
English equivalent: To shoot oneself in the foot
Equivalents in other languages
French: Scier la branche sur laquelle on est assis Literally: To saw the branch one is sitting on
English: shoot oneself in the foot
Origin: Shooting oneself in the foot is wounding oneself with one's own weapon, by accident or, as soldiers are said to have done, on purpose to escape the front. Portuguese uses the phrase, like English, for undermining one's own interests. No particular story lies behind it.
More Portuguese idioms
- sujo falando do mal lavado Hypocritical criticism from someone guilty of the same fault being criticized.
- pôr os pontos nos is To clarify a matter by spelling out details explicitly.
- Matar dois coelhos com uma cajadada só To get two benefits from a single effort.
- Diz o roto ao nu: porque não te vestes tu? Said when someone criticizes another for a fault they share.
- Engolir sapos To put up with unpleasant things without complaining.
- Pagar o pato To take the blame for something you didn't do.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Mudam-se os tempos, mudam-se as vontades As times change, so do people's wishes and values.
- Devagar se vai ao longe Going slowly gets you far.
- Sol na eira e chuva no nabal You want two things that cannot both happen.
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