Procurar pelo em ovo

Meaning: To nitpick over nothing.

Language: Portuguese

Literally: To look for hair on an egg

Category: Food & Drink

Origin: An egg has no hair, so hunting for it pictures pointless, excessive fault-finding.

More idioms — Food & Drink

• 朝飯前 — A task so easy it can be done before eating.
• 棚から牡丹餅 — An unexpected stroke of good luck.
• 그림의 떡 — Something desirable but completely out of reach.
• 김칫국부터 마신다 — To count your chickens before they hatch.
• 우물에 가 숭늉 찾는다 — To demand results with absurd impatience.
• Iets voor zoete koek aannemen — To swallow a story uncritically.

More Portuguese idioms

• 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.
• Dar com os burros n'água — To fail despite all your effort.
• Tirar o pai da forca — Said of something done in frantic urgency.
• Chorar de barriga cheia — To complain when you have nothing to complain about.

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