Where it is said
- the Northeast· strongly associated
- Pernambuco· more common here
- Bahia· more common here
How it is used
Northeastern insult for someone dim or slow on the uptake; both dictionaries label it Nordeste. It is a real put-down, so it belongs between friends joking or in an actual argument.
Examples
Cala a boca, seu tabacudo!
Shut up, you idiot!
Ele é um menino meio tabacudo.
He is a somewhat silly boy.
Que ideia de tabacudo foi essa?
What kind of idiot idea was that?
Practise “tabacudo” in context
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Sources cited on this page
Sources: Recife Mais — 15 gírias e expressões do Pernambuquês · tier 4; Aulete Digital — tabacudo · tier 2; Janelas Abertas — Dicionário de gírias recifenses · tier 4; Priberam — tabacudo · tier 2