na ponta da língua
Meaning: To have something in one's mind but be unable to recall or express it completely.
Language: Portuguese
Literally: on the tip of the tongue
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: The phrase pictures a word or memory sitting at the very edge of articulation, almost but not quite accessible.
More idioms — Body & Senses
- dar um tiro no pé — To harm oneself through one's own actions; to undermine one's own interests.
- uit de voeten maken — to flee or scram hastily.
- met de nek aankijken — to regard someone with scorn or disdain; to look down on.
- voor dovemansoren — Said or done in vain; unheeded by those it is meant for.
- in zijn oren knopen — To make someone pay close attention to what you are saying, implying they should remember…
- de nek omdraaien — To kill or destroy someone or something, or to bring an end to a project or endeavor.
More Portuguese idioms
- ao fim e ao cabo — After everything is considered; ultimately; in the final analysis.
- fazer uma tempestade num copo de água — To make an excessive fuss over something trivial.
- 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.
- Engolir sapos — To put up with unpleasant things without complaining.
- Pagar o pato — To take the blame for something you didn't do.