Sens

Avoir honte, se ridiculiser en public

Exemple

Tive que pagar sapo na frente de todo mundo na reunião.

J'ai dû me ridiculiser devant tout le monde en réunion.

Origine

The image of swallowing a toad — bitter, humiliating — is found in several Romance languages (French avaler des couleuvres, Italian inghiottire un rospo). In São Paulo Portuguese the figurative meaning overlaps with pagar mico: enduring something embarrassing in front of others.