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Portuguese · Football & the Terraces

Perna de pau

PEHR-nah jee POW · /ˈpeʁ.na dʒi ˈpaw/

A terrible player / clumsy on the ball

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

Literally

"Wooden leg"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The classic put-down for a hopeless footballer — legs like planks, no touch. "Esse atacante é perna de pau" (that striker's useless). Used affectionately about yourself in a pickup game too. Mild; more mockery than aggression.

Heard in the wild

Comprou um perna de pau por 50 milhões, que vergonha.

They bought a wooden-legged dud for 50 million, embarrassing.

Where it lands

Brazil (universal).

Quick answers

What does "Perna de pau" mean?
In Portuguese, "Perna de pau" means "A terrible player / clumsy on the ball". Literally it's "Wooden leg". The classic put-down for a hopeless footballer — legs like planks, no touch. "Esse atacante é perna de pau" (that striker's useless). Used affectionately about yourself in a pickup game too. Mild; more mockery than aggression.
Is "Perna de pau" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
How do you pronounce "Perna de pau"?
Say it "PEHR-nah jee POW" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈpeʁ.na dʒi ˈpaw.

Related in Portuguese

Filho da puta FEE-lyoo dah POO-tah Son of a bitch / bastard Otário oh-TAH-ree-oo Sucker / gullible fool / mug Babaca bah-BAH-kah Jerk / idiot / asshole (mild) Corno KOR-noo Cuckold — a man whose partner cheats on him Vagabundo vah-gah-BOON-doo Bum / lowlife / good-for-nothing (f. 'vagabunda' = slut) Burro BOO-hoo Dumb / stupid (person)

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "You idiot".

how to say "You idiot" →

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