IdiomBody & Senses
Portuguese
Portuguesenu e cru
Meaning: To speak with brutal, unvarnished honesty, holding nothing back.
Literally: Naked and raw
Example: “Ela contou a verdade nua e crua: a empresa ia fechar.” — She called a spade a spade: the company was going to close.
English equivalent: To call a spade a spade
Equivalents in other languages
Spanish: No tener pelos en la lengua Literally: To have no hairs on the tongue
French: Appeler un chat un chat Literally: To call a cat a cat
Norwegian: Å snakke rett fra leveren Literally: To speak straight from the liver
Italian: Non avere peli sulla lingua Literally: To have no hairs on your tongue
Polish: bez owijania w bawełnę Literally: Without wrapping in cotton
English: call a spade a spade- French: Ne pas y aller par quatre chemins Literally: Not to go by four roads
- French: Ne pas mâcher ses mots Literally: Not to chew one's words
- English: not mince one's words
Origin: Nu e cru (naked and raw) is something with nothing covering it and nothing cooked or softened about it: the plain, unvarnished truth. The rhyme of the two short words helps it stick. It is used above all in a verdade nua e crua, the naked truth.
More Portuguese idioms
- à toa To drift aimlessly or act without purpose or direction.
- nem carne nem peixe Something or someone that does not fit into any clear category and remains ambiguous or u…
- homem dos sete ofícios A person who can do many different jobs or possesses many different skills, though often…
- olho da tempestade The center of a crisis or controversy; the thick of it.
- cair em saco roto Words or advice that fail to reach their intended audience; to be ignored or dismissed.
- ás na manga A hidden advantage or resource held in reserve to be revealed when needed.
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