Quiz – Brazilian Hand Gestures 2
Everyone likes a quizinho on a Friday don’t they? Well today that’s what you’re getting – it’s the return of the Brazilian Hand Gesture videos! (The first one is here)
I’m afraid that if you’re Brazilian, or you’ve lived here for a while, then this will be mamão com açucar for you. For the non-Brazilians, you may find it a little more challenging (and in case you’re wondering, that phrase I just used literally means ‘papaya with sugar’ and signifies that it will be very easy, like shooting fish in a barrel).
So without any further ado, let’s get started with the first video:
Any ideas? I have to say I found this one baffling the first time I encountered it. Particularly as the person who used it was in the middle of a rather animated discussion and basically used this gesture to describe how they felt about their ex-boyfriend! I think a rough translation would be “I’m not bothered” or “I couldn’t care less”. Let’s be dramatic and imagine that an ex is running round town telling bad stories about you. If you want to signify that you don’t care about that person or what they’re doing, this is what you might do.
OK, so let’s move on to the second video:
What do you think? Personally I find this one less confusing than the first video – it looks a bit rude somehow and just instinctively makes sense to me. Someone phones to tell you’re they’re going to be late to your party because their car has broken down. When they eventually arrive covered in oil and looking grumpy, you ask them how their car is. This is their response. I would translate this as “It’s fucked!”.
Right then, that’s your lot for today. I still have quite a few of these in my locker, so look out for more hand gesture quizzes in the near future. Have a great weekend!
Regarding Hand Gestures 3 perhaps it could be described as saying "It's out of my hands, it has nothing to do with me" . Kind of like when one person advises another not to plant a certain type of tree in a specific place but the second person plants it there anyway. Afterwards said tree tumbles and the genius who planted it comes back to the first person asking for help in the matter. Would gesture 3 be an appropriate reply from the person, who was right all along, to convey that he will have nothing to do with the matter, that it is not his responsibility?
Now let's take hand gesture 4 and put a picture on it. A guy claims, in a post on his blog, that his girlfriend or wife did not understand the meaning of the word in his language used to describe a round projectile fired from a cannon. Could gesture number 4 describe this guy's situation in relation to this person after she read this post?
Ha ha! Right on both counts! In a later post I may show you the hand gesture she did to me to communicate her displeasure when she read that cannonball bit… Luckily I was sitting across the table, just out of arms reach!
the 2nd gesture is the infamous "top top" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai-rk1ngofo
Ah cool, thanks Anon. All the Brazilians I know seem to love Os Mutantes – I'm still working on it – I find them a bit shrill, you know? I'll get there eventually… :)
Hey, Tom, The Mutantes have reunited recently (2007?) to play some concerts. In place of Rita Lee they had Zélia Duncan, and the songs were revisited somewhat differently and updated. Look out for a grey covered DVD/CD set: Mutantes Live at the Barbican Theatre.
Hi Daishoo – thanks for that. I guess it’s kind of natural seeing as I’m immersed in all this Brazilian culture, but more than 50% of the music I listen to is Brazilian nowadays – I will have to give Os Mutantes another try… Cool that they played back in London! I see they were supported by Nação Zumbi too!
http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=4152