há algo de podre no reino da Dinamarca
Meaning: something is deeply wrong or suspicious, though the truth may be hidden.
Language: Portuguese
Literally: there is something rotten in the kingdom of Denmark
Category: The Absurd
Origin: A direct allusion to Hamlet, where the phrase signifies hidden corruption at the heart of power.
More idioms — The Absurd
- brincar com fogo — to engage in a risky or dangerous behavior; to put oneself in harm's way.
- er met een jantje-van-leiden van afmaken — to perform a task carelessly, half-heartedly, or in a slipshod manner.
- bij de duivel te biecht gaan — to seek counsel or confide in someone who is untrustworthy, dangerous, or morally corrupt.
- van lotje getikt — To be crazy or eccentric; to be not quite sane.
- in de wind slaan — To deliberately ignore or disregard something.
- uit zijn plaat gaan — To lose control of oneself or go crazy.
More Portuguese idioms
- nascer em berço de ouro — to be born into wealth and privilege; to come from a rich family.
- colocar o carro à frente dos bois — To have the wrong priorities or do things in the wrong order.
- ombro a ombro — On equal terms, standing together as peers.
- 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.
From our proverbs
- A good name keeps its lustre in the dark. — Integrity unseen by others still preserves your character's worth and inner value.
- Take away my good name, and take away my life. — Loss of reputation destroys one's ability to function meaningfully in society and relatio…
- Tis the nature of the beast. — Creatures act according to their inherent character; expecting otherwise ignores fundamen…