Glossary entry

Portuguese term or phrase:

A formiga tem catarro

English translation:

you\'re getting too big for your britches / too big for your boots

Added to glossary by Tania Pires
Apr 24, 2017 14:31
7 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Portuguese term

A formiga tem catarro

Portuguese to English Art/Literary Cinema, Film, TV, Drama Subtitles
'- Mas o que vem a ser isto? Já a formiga tem catarro? Olha agora...'

This is usually used towards children or teenagers who want to sound older. In this case, the son is complaining and this is the mother's reply.
I'm looking for a British equivalent.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Proposed translations

+1
1 hr
Selected

you're getting too big for your britches

you're getting too big for your britches
Note from asker:
Thanks, Nick!
Peer comment(s):

agree Verginia Ophof : or too big for your boots
7 hrs
Absolutely Verginia
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
1 hr

Look at the (little) whippersnapper!

Whippersnapper:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pt/dicionario/ingles/whipper...
A young person who is too confident and shows no respect towards other, especially older, people.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/whipper...
If you refer to a young person as a whippersnapper, you disapprove of them because you think that they are behaving more confidently than they should.
Note from asker:
Thanks, Margarida!
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Teach your granny to suck eggs, would you?

See ref.

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Note added at 1 hr (2017-04-24 16:03:25 GMT)
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Hi Tania, I'm a bit confused as you initially said 'In this case, the son is complaining and this is the mother's reply' - in which case the above expression would work.
Note from asker:
Thanks Marian, the explanation's exactly the one that I had read in order to understand this expression, but in this case he's not giving advice, he's complaining. I think it's like he's an 'insignificant' being who is trying to sound as important as the older people (his mum, in this case). I don't know if I'm making myself clear.
He's complaining, he's not giving advice. Your suggestion is used when someone is giving advice to someone else about a subject of which they know more http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/teach-your-grandmother-to-suck-eggs
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2 hrs

(So we're) getting a little cheeky, are we?

So you think you're smart, huh?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheeky
Note from asker:
Obrigada, Ana!
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