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 theatre free, and gatecrashers soon claimed the same nationality.

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 — To keep getting up no matter how often you fall.
• 入乡随俗 — When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
• 등잔 밑이 어둡다 — 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.

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