Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Portuguese term or phrase:
Você está com caraminhola na cabeça
English translation:
You must have bats in the belfry
Added to glossary by
Marcelo Gonçalves
Nov 4, 2008 13:55
15 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Portuguese term
Você está com caraminhola na cabeça.
Portuguese to English
Art/Literary
Slang
It should be an outdated expression, as the other person makes fun of him for this sentence.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +3 | You must have bats in the belfry |
Marcelo Gonçalves
|
| 4 +2 | You are thinking nonsense |
Heloisa Xavier
|
Change log
Nov 5, 2008 01:42: Marcelo Gonçalves Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+3
23 mins
Marcelo Gonçalves
Brazil
Brazil
Native in Portuguese
Brazil
Professional, Competent and Committed
Native in: Portuguese 
Works in: Portuguese to English, English to Portuguese, Portuguese to French, and 7 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Selected
You must have bats in the belfry
have bats in the belfry (old-fashioned)
to be crazy. Don't tell anyone else I said that or they'll think I've got bats in the belfry.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have bats in the belfry
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Note added at 50 mins (2008-11-04 14:46:29 GMT)
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A belfry is the place where the (church)bell resides. When you get bats in your belfry, it means it is unused for a long time.
Bat's in the belfry was coined to mean crazy. Since you aren't using your brain...
Crazy. "She has bats in the belfry" means "she's crazy". Very old-fashioned term.
Belfry = bell tower. Bells were rung daily.
Bats would not live in a place where the bell was rung daily.
Bats live in un-used towers.
Therefore "bats in the belfry" means that the belfry bell tower (your head) has not been 'rung' (functioning) recently.. Ergo, you are brain-dead = barmy, crazy or otherwise 'out to lunch'.
to be crazy. Don't tell anyone else I said that or they'll think I've got bats in the belfry.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have bats in the belfry
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Note added at 50 mins (2008-11-04 14:46:29 GMT)
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A belfry is the place where the (church)bell resides. When you get bats in your belfry, it means it is unused for a long time.
Bat's in the belfry was coined to mean crazy. Since you aren't using your brain...
Crazy. "She has bats in the belfry" means "she's crazy". Very old-fashioned term.
Belfry = bell tower. Bells were rung daily.
Bats would not live in a place where the bell was rung daily.
Bats live in un-used towers.
Therefore "bats in the belfry" means that the belfry bell tower (your head) has not been 'rung' (functioning) recently.. Ergo, you are brain-dead = barmy, crazy or otherwise 'out to lunch'.
Note from asker:
| Great! Thanks! |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot!"
+2
7 mins
Heloisa Xavier
Argentina
Argentina
Native in Portuguese
Argentina
Native in: Portuguese
Works in: Portuguese to English, Spanish to English, English to Portuguese, and 1 more.
You are thinking nonsense
"Caraminhola" is an "unecessary" worry. So, the translation can vary.."You are thinking too much", "you are worried in vain", "you are thinking nonsense"..etc.
Hope I helped you.
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Note added at 15 mins (2008-11-04 14:11:27 GMT)
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You have not mentioned Caraminhola in this context."Nossa, CARAMINHOLA!". In this case, it is just a surprise expression and it can be translated in many ways, depending on the region you are.
Hope I helped you.
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Note added at 15 mins (2008-11-04 14:11:27 GMT)
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You have not mentioned Caraminhola in this context."Nossa, CARAMINHOLA!". In this case, it is just a surprise expression and it can be translated in many ways, depending on the region you are.
Note from asker:
| Well, thanks, but not really. Like I said, a character in a soap opera says this sentence and the other character replies. Nossa, CARAMINHOLA! Não ouvia essa palavra há anos! So it has to be an outdated expression. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Marlene Curtis
: Minha avó usava muito este termo...
9 mins
|
| agree |
Maria José Tavares (X)
22 mins
|
| neutral |
Amy Duncan (X)
: This translation isn't slang
31 mins
|
|
I do not understand your comment. Caraminhola is used as a slang.
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