Portuguesesair do armário
Meaning: To reveal a secret identity or hidden truth, especially regarding sexual orientation or personal circumstances one has concealed.
Literally: Out of the closet
Example: “Ele saiu do armário aos vinte anos, e a família apoiou-o.” — He came out of the closet at twenty, and his family supported him.
English equivalent: To come out of the closet
Origin: A calque, a word-for-word translation, of English "to come out of the closet." The English phrase blends "coming out," which gay slang took from a debutante's entry into society, with the closet that hides a secret, and took hold around the 1960s and 70s. Portuguese adopted it with the gay rights movement.
Equivalents in other languages
English: come out of the closet
More Portuguese idioms
- virar bicho To become extremely angry or enraged.
- unha e carne Extremely close or inseparable; bound together in an intimate connection.
- morde e assopra To hurt someone and then soothe them; to alternate harshness and kindness.
- arrastar pela lama to publicly humiliate or damage someone's reputation.
- há algo de podre no reino da Dinamarca something is deeply wrong or suspicious, though the truth may be hidden.
- nascer em berço de ouro to be born into wealth and privilege; to come from a rich family.
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- És uma joia You're a gem — a precious, lovely person.
- Cabeça de alho chocho A forgetful scatterbrain whose thoughts won't stay put.
- Você é um amor You're a sweetheart — warm, caring, and impossible not to like.
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