estar com a pulga atrás da orelha

Portuguese

Meaning

to smell a rat, to be suspicious

Example

Estou com a pulga atrás da orelha, acho que meu sócio está me enganando.

I smell a rat, I think my business partner is cheating me.

Origin

The image comes from an annoying experience: a flea lodged behind the ear causes constant itching and unease, keeping a person alert. So estar com a pulga atrás da orelha means being suspicious and restless, feeling that something is wrong.

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More idioms

dar o trocoto get back at someone, to get even ter dois dedos de prosato have a quick chat tapar o sol com a peneirato try to hide the obvious, to bury one's head in the sand pegar no péto nag, to be on someone's case dar uma bananato make a rude bent-arm gesture, to show contempt engolir em secoto gulp, to swallow hard ficar com o pé atrásto be wary, to have reservations