Você está com caraminhola na cabeça.

English translation: You must have bats in the belfry

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:Você está com caraminhola na cabeça
English translation:You must have bats in the belfry
Entered by: Marcelo Gonçalves

13:55 Nov 4, 2008
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang
Portuguese term or phrase: Você está com caraminhola na cabeça.
It should be an outdated expression, as the other person makes fun of him for this sentence.
Raquel Bragança
Local time: 21:25
You must have bats in the belfry
Explanation:
have bats in the belfry (old-fashioned)
to be crazy. Don't tell anyone else I said that or they'll think I've got bats in the belfry.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have bats in the belfry

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Note added at 50 mins (2008-11-04 14:46:29 GMT)
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A belfry is the place where the (church)bell resides. When you get bats in your belfry, it means it is unused for a long time.
Bat's in the belfry was coined to mean crazy. Since you aren't using your brain...
Crazy. "She has bats in the belfry" means "she's crazy". Very old-fashioned term.

Belfry = bell tower. Bells were rung daily.
Bats would not live in a place where the bell was rung daily.
Bats live in un-used towers.
Therefore "bats in the belfry" means that the belfry bell tower (your head) has not been 'rung' (functioning) recently.. Ergo, you are brain-dead = barmy, crazy or otherwise 'out to lunch'.

Selected response from:

Marcelo Gonçalves
Brazil
Local time: 10:25
Grading comment
Thanks a lot!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3You must have bats in the belfry
Marcelo Gonçalves
4 +2You are thinking nonsense
Heloisa Xavier


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
You are thinking nonsense


Explanation:
"Caraminhola" is an "unecessary" worry. So, the translation can vary.."You are thinking too much", "you are worried in vain", "you are thinking nonsense"..etc.
Hope I helped you.

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Note added at 15 mins (2008-11-04 14:11:27 GMT)
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You have not mentioned Caraminhola in this context."Nossa, CARAMINHOLA!". In this case, it is just a surprise expression and it can be translated in many ways, depending on the region you are.

Heloisa Xavier
Argentina
Local time: 10:25
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
Notes to answerer
Asker: Well, thanks, but not really. Like I said, a character in a soap opera says this sentence and the other character replies. Nossa, CARAMINHOLA! Não ouvia essa palavra há anos! So it has to be an outdated expression.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marlene Curtis: Minha avó usava muito este termo...
9 mins

agree  Maria José Tavares (X)
22 mins

neutral  Amy Duncan (X): This translation isn't slang
31 mins
  -> I do not understand your comment. Caraminhola is used as a slang.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
You must have bats in the belfry


Explanation:
have bats in the belfry (old-fashioned)
to be crazy. Don't tell anyone else I said that or they'll think I've got bats in the belfry.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have bats in the belfry

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 50 mins (2008-11-04 14:46:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A belfry is the place where the (church)bell resides. When you get bats in your belfry, it means it is unused for a long time.
Bat's in the belfry was coined to mean crazy. Since you aren't using your brain...
Crazy. "She has bats in the belfry" means "she's crazy". Very old-fashioned term.

Belfry = bell tower. Bells were rung daily.
Bats would not live in a place where the bell was rung daily.
Bats live in un-used towers.
Therefore "bats in the belfry" means that the belfry bell tower (your head) has not been 'rung' (functioning) recently.. Ergo, you are brain-dead = barmy, crazy or otherwise 'out to lunch'.



Marcelo Gonçalves
Brazil
Local time: 10:25
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks a lot!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Great! Thanks!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Amy Duncan (X): This is perfect, because it's old-fashioned slang.
15 mins
  -> Thanks, Amy!

agree  Lucio C P Soluchinsky
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Lúcio!

agree  Oceansize22: Nice! Hadn't heard this in a while.
21 hrs
  -> Thanks, Oceansize22!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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