IdiomAnimals
Portuguese
PortugueseNem que a vaca tussa
Meaning: No way; under no circumstances.
Literally: Not even if the cow coughs
Example: “Não empresto o meu carro a ele nem que a vaca tussa.” — I won't lend him my car, not when hell freezes over.
English equivalent: When hell freezes over
Origin: "Not even if the cow coughs": a cow coughing on cue is pictured as something that will never happen, so the phrase means never, under no circumstances. It is colloquial Brazilian Portuguese with no documented origin and no particular story behind it.
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: Когда рак на горе свистнет (Kogda rak na gore svistnet) Literally: When a crayfish whistles on the mountain
French: Quand les poules auront des dents Literally: When hens have teeth- Russian: После дождичка в четверг (Posle dozhdichka v chetverg) Literally: After the little rain on Thursday
English: at latter Lammas
Italian: alle calende greche Literally: On the Greek calends- English: when hell freezes over
- French: Aux calendes grecques Literally: At the Greek calends
- French: À la Saint-Glinglin Literally: On Saint Glinglin's day
- English: when pigs fly
More Portuguese idioms
- Tirar o cavalo da chuva To give up on an expectation.
- Pagar mico To embarrass yourself publicly.
- Procurar pelo em ovo To nitpick over nothing.
- Ficar a ver navios To be left disappointed and empty-handed.
- Onde Judas perdeu as botas In the middle of nowhere; the back of beyond.
- Acertar na mosca To be exactly right; to hit the bullseye.
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- Você é um amor You're a sweetheart — warm, caring, and impossible not to like.
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