paga pau

Portuguese

Meaning

brown-noser, suck-up

Example

Aquele estagiário é o maior paga pau do chefe.

That intern is the biggest brown-noser to the boss.

Origin

Paga pau labels a fawning suck-up, someone who flatters to win favour. It comes from the verb phrase pagar pau, "to pay homage to" or gush over someone; pau is a catch-all, slightly vulgar Brazilian word (literally "stick," also slang for money and for the male member), which gives the term its crude edge.

Create a free account to read the full origin

Practice idioms with the Idiom Trainer

Falando's Idiom Trainer teaches you to recognize idiom meanings and create sentences using them, so you can speak like a Brazilian.

Try the Idiom Trainer Create a free account

More idioms

não dar contacan't handle it, can't manage tá forradoto be loaded, rolling in cash boca de me dêfreeloader, moocher bão demais da contareally good, excellent dar uma ratato make a fool of oneself, to commit a gaffe quando é féall of a sudden, next thing you know