Fare il portoghese
Meaning: To sneak in without paying.
Language: Italian
Literally: To do the Portuguese
Category: Daily Life
Origin: In 18th-century Rome, guests of the Portuguese embassy entered a theater free, and gatecrashers soon claimed the same nationality.
Equivalents in other languages
- Russian: Ехать зайцем (Yekhat' zaytsem) — literally: To ride as a hare
- Swedish: Att smita från notan — literally: To slip away from the bill
More idioms — Daily Life
- Rimanere in mutande — To be left penniless.
- Onde Judas perdeu as botas — In the middle of nowhere; the back of beyond.
- 七転び八起き (Nanakorobi yaoki) — To keep getting up no matter how often you fall.
- 入乡随俗 (Rù xiāng suí sú) — When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
- 등잔 밑이 어둡다 (Deungjan mit-i eodupda) — The answer is overlooked right under your nose.
- Iets met de Franse slag doen — To do it carelessly and half-heartedly.
More Italian idioms
- Avere le mani bucate — To be a spendthrift.
- Prendere lucciole per lanterne — To be completely and badly mistaken.
- Tutto fa brodo — Every little bit helps.
- Capire fischi per fiaschi — To misunderstand completely.
- Essere in gamba — To be sharp, capable and on the ball.
- Fare orecchie da mercante — To turn a deaf ear deliberately.
From our false friends
- Firma — Actually means 'signature'. Metti la tua firma = Put your signature here.
- Magazzino — Actually means 'warehouse' or 'storeroom'. A magazine (periodical) is una rivista.
- Conveniente — Actually means 'affordable', 'good value', or 'suitable'. È conveniente = It's a good dea…