Matar a cobra e mostrar o pau
Meaning: To prove you actually did what you claim.
Language: Portuguese
Literally: To kill the snake and show the stick
Category: Animals
Origin: Rooted in genuinely rural Brazilian life, particularly the country's northeast, from a time when snakebite was a real and immediate danger for anyone working outdoors, and killing a venomous snake with whatever stick or branch happened to be at hand was an ordinary act of self-defense. Bringing the stick back along with proof of the kill — showing exactly what had happened rather than simply reporting it — served as concrete, undeniable evidence in a rural culture where a spoken account, however dramatic, could easily be doubted without something to back it up. Over time the phrase broadened well past snakes and sticks into a general expression for backing up any claim with hard, checkable proof rather than leaving it as an unverified story.
More idioms — Animals
- Noyer le poisson — To confuse the issue deliberately; to dodge a question.
- Appeler un chat un chat — To call things by their proper name; to speak bluntly.
- Donner sa langue au chat — To give up trying to guess the answer.
- Faire d'une mouche un éléphant — To make a mountain out of a molehill; to exaggerate wildly.
- faire la morte — Pretending not to notice something or ignoring a situation.
- montrer les dents — Displaying aggression, defiance, or readiness to fight.
More Portuguese idioms
- dar um jeito — Find a creative solution or workaround, often bending rules pragmatically.
- estar com a corda no pescoço — Be in serious financial or personal trouble with no easy escape.
- meter os pés pelas mãos — Make a clumsy mistake or bungle something badly through carelessness.
- estar com água na boca — Feel eager anticipation or desire, especially for food or something pleasant.
- Viajar na maionese — To talk nonsense or drift off into your own dream world.
- Chutar o balde — To stop caring and let everything go — unlike the English, nobody dies.
From our proverbs
- All's well that ends well — A good outcome justifies the difficulties along the way.
- A rolling stone gathers no moss — Those who keep moving avoid stagnation (or commitments).
- Give credit where credit is due — Acknowledge others' contributions fairly.