The cat is on the roof

Part of my job involves working with an application that is regularly updated by a team of programmers. Before each update is released to the (Brazilian) client, we check all the new features to make sure everything is working properly (sounds like fun right?).

Last week, when we were checking the new features, we found a little problem (it’s too boring to actually describe in detail), so I needed to speak with one of my Brazilian colleagues. When I asked  if he thought it was going to delay the next release, his reply was this: “Le me put it this way Tom – O gato subiu no telhado.”

O gato subiu no telhado

“Huh?” I thought to myself intelligently. Then the section of my brain labelled ‘Brazilian Portuguese’ stepped in and said “Leave this to me!”. Some moments later it informed the rest of my brain that my colleague had just told me that the cat had gone up on the roof.

“Huh?” I thought again. I decided a little internet investigation was necessary. A few minutes later I discovered that this phrase stems from an old joke that goes something like this:

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A wealthy couple go on holiday, leaving a young maid to take care of the house. After several days, the lady of the house calls home to ask how things are going.

The maid tells her that the cat has died. The lady drops the phone and collapses onto the floor in tears. The husband picks up the phone and, on hearing the news, scolds the maid:

“You must learn to break news like this more gently!”

The maid protested and asked how she could have broken the news more gently, so he continued:

“You could have said that the cat had gone up on the roof. Then you could go on to say that it had lost its balance and was seriously injured in the fall. Finally you could have said that the cat didn’t make it.”

The maid indicated that she understood, so the man left it at that.

A few days before they were due to return home, the wife decided to call home again to check on things.

“How is everything?” She asked. The maid replied:

“Your mother has gone up on the roof.”

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There’s nothing like translating a joke from another language and then actually finding it funny. As you laugh, you congratulate yourself too – it’s a great feeling!

However, once I stopped laughing I realised that what my colleague was telling me was that I was going to have to work late. Oh great…