Meaning
To chip in / To pass the hat
Example
Que tal fazermos uma vaquinha para comprar alimentos e ajudar aquela família?
How about we chip in to buy food and help that family?
Origin
The expression dates from early-20th-century Brazilian football, when players earned no fixed wage and fans passed the hat to reward good results. The prizes were named after the animals of the jogo do bicho lottery: a win paid a "rabbit", a big win a "cow" (vaca, number 25), the largest pot of all — and collecting it took many people chipping in.
Source: O Povo.
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More idioms
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