to try to hide the obvious, to bury one's head in the sand
Não adianta tapar o sol com a peneira, todo mundo já sabe que a empresa está falindo.
There's no point hiding the obvious, everyone already knows the company is going bankrupt.
The image is literal and clear: it is impossible to cover the sun with a sieve, because light passes through the utensil’s holes. So the expression describes a futile attempt to hide what is obvious.
Source: Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa.
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