Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Portuguese term or phrase:
malhar com as costas
English translation:
toiling away / breaking one's back
Added to glossary by
Ana Vozone
Jan 13, 2022 11:24
2 yrs ago
23 viewers *
Portuguese term
Portugal
Business Language Solutions Pt>Eng
Native in: English
Works in: Portuguese to English, English to Portuguese
malhar com as costas
Portuguese to English
Art/Literary
Slang
Esta merda desta guerra vai acabar
com a nossa juventude, pá! Que
alternativa é que um puto de 18
anos tem? Ou estuda ou vai malhar
com as costas em Angola! A malta
não quer morrer! E já se começaram
a pirar! E a culpa disto tudo,
sabes de quem é...
com a nossa juventude, pá! Que
alternativa é que um puto de 18
anos tem? Ou estuda ou vai malhar
com as costas em Angola! A malta
não quer morrer! E já se começaram
a pirar! E a culpa disto tudo,
sabes de quem é...
Proposed translations
(English)
References
| malhar com as costas |
Mark Robertson
|
Change log
Jan 18, 2022 08:06: Ana Vozone Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+3
2 hrs
Ana Vozone
Native in Portuguese
Will do!
Native in: Portuguese (Variant: European/Portugal) 
Works in: English to Portuguese, French to Portuguese, German to Portuguese, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Selected
toilin away / breaking one's back
What does it mean to toil away?
1 verb When people toil, they work very hard doing unpleasant or tiring tasks.
https://www.google.com/search?q="breaking their backs workin...
https://www.google.pt/search?q="toil away abroad"&sxsrf=AOae...
1 verb When people toil, they work very hard doing unpleasant or tiring tasks.
https://www.google.com/search?q="breaking their backs workin...
https://www.google.pt/search?q="toil away abroad"&sxsrf=AOae...
Example sentence:
One of the common reasons that drive overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to toil away abroad is to be able to give
Having access to visual evidence is reassuring for mothers, who toil away abroad in order to offer a better life and education to their children
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Simone Taylor
29 mins
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Obrigada, Simone!
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| agree |
Lucas Santos
1 hr
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Obrigada, Lucas!
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| agree |
Antônio Souza
13 hrs
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Obrigada, Antônio!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "'breaking his back' fitted well, thanks Ana"
30 mins
Luciano Eduardo de Oliveira
Brazil
Brazil
Native in Portuguese
Brazil
Passionate, reliable
Native in: Portuguese
Works in: English to Portuguese, German to Portuguese, Dutch to Portuguese, and 8 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
24
fight/be sent to war
Não conheço a expressão, mas só pode ser isso.
1 hr
Mario Freitas
Brazil
Brazil
Native in Portuguese
&
English
Brazil
32 years engineering/law/contracts
Native in: English (Variant: US) , Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian) 
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
8
(One either studies or is bound to) menial work in Angola
Sugestão
2 hrs
Oliver Simões
United States
United States
Native in Portuguese
United States
BA in Transl., MA in ESL, 15 yrs of exp.
Native in: Portuguese
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, Spanish to Portuguese, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
fight their butt off
I've never heard this expression. My answer is based on some research and comparative analysis.
malhar: dar pancadas (Priberam)
The following excerpt is a reminiscence of 25 April (Revolução dos Cravos) in Portugal; on that day the author says he woke up feeling the air of "transformation" in their lives. He says he was determined to do whatever it takes to change his "way of life", then recalls the "big threats" on the part of some politicians:
"Lembro-me de um célebre Dr. Casal Ribeiro, de Castelo de Vide, a ameaçar todos os padres que abandonassem o seu múnus que iriam malhar com as costas na guerra de África..." https://animussemper.blogs.sapo.pt/25-de-abril-233239
In my understanding, he's saying that those priests who gave up their clerical functions would have to fight their butts off in the war(s) in Africa, perhaps as a sort of punishment (?). (At the time, Angola, Mozambique, and other lusophone countries in Africa were fighting for independence from Portugal.)
Another example sentence:
Não é de agora a ameaça que o autarca fez publicamente aos vereadores da oposição de que ainda irão “malhar com as costas na Justiça” coagindo a sua acção política para a qual foram, tal como ele, eleitos. (In this case, it means to fight their butt off in court.) http://gamvis.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-politica-da-rolha.html
Alternate translation: fight their arse off (EN-GB); fight their ass off (EN-US)
"Let his lawyers fight their arse off to prove in court that Team Palle has options for one more fight only and not three!!!" https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/palle-vs-kessler.12745...
I hope this helps.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2022-01-13 14:03:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I suggest asking out Portuguese colleagues to get their opinion on this. Definitely, it's not a Brazilian idiom.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2022-01-13 14:11:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Correction:
... asking our...
malhar: dar pancadas (Priberam)
The following excerpt is a reminiscence of 25 April (Revolução dos Cravos) in Portugal; on that day the author says he woke up feeling the air of "transformation" in their lives. He says he was determined to do whatever it takes to change his "way of life", then recalls the "big threats" on the part of some politicians:
"Lembro-me de um célebre Dr. Casal Ribeiro, de Castelo de Vide, a ameaçar todos os padres que abandonassem o seu múnus que iriam malhar com as costas na guerra de África..." https://animussemper.blogs.sapo.pt/25-de-abril-233239
In my understanding, he's saying that those priests who gave up their clerical functions would have to fight their butts off in the war(s) in Africa, perhaps as a sort of punishment (?). (At the time, Angola, Mozambique, and other lusophone countries in Africa were fighting for independence from Portugal.)
Another example sentence:
Não é de agora a ameaça que o autarca fez publicamente aos vereadores da oposição de que ainda irão “malhar com as costas na Justiça” coagindo a sua acção política para a qual foram, tal como ele, eleitos. (In this case, it means to fight their butt off in court.) http://gamvis.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-politica-da-rolha.html
Alternate translation: fight their arse off (EN-GB); fight their ass off (EN-US)
"Let his lawyers fight their arse off to prove in court that Team Palle has options for one more fight only and not three!!!" https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/palle-vs-kessler.12745...
I hope this helps.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2022-01-13 14:03:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I suggest asking out Portuguese colleagues to get their opinion on this. Definitely, it's not a Brazilian idiom.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2022-01-13 14:11:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Correction:
... asking our...
Reference comments
2 hrs
Mark Robertson
Native in English
Translations by lawyers for lawyers
Native in: English
Works in: Portuguese to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Reference:
malhar com as costas
Está instalado um regime persecutório no Rossio, uma atitude intimidatória e lesiva da democracia que visa impedir o exercício da liberdade de expressão por parte dos viseenses e que ocupa hoje os gabinetes do executivo viseense a julgar pelos acontecimentos que correm pela cidade.
Não é de agora a ameaça que o autarca fez publicamente aos vereadores da oposição de que ainda irão “malhar com as costas na Justiça” coagindo a sua acção política para a qual foram, tal como ele, eleitos.
http://gamvis.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-politica-da-rolha.html
Num fim de semana entalado entre de Maio principio de Junho, nos idos de 1969,perdido em imensa multidão de malta nova, eu próprio, jovem recruta, ao tempo, prestando serviço militar, sabendo já, por ter sido primeiro melhor classificado da especialidade, estava ao abrigo de ir " malhar " com as costas a guerra do Ultramar, mesmo assim, permaneci nas fileiras, 40 meses.
https://tudodenovoaocidente.blogs.sapo.pt/corrida-na-pista-d...
Não é de agora a ameaça que o autarca fez publicamente aos vereadores da oposição de que ainda irão “malhar com as costas na Justiça” coagindo a sua acção política para a qual foram, tal como ele, eleitos.
http://gamvis.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-politica-da-rolha.html
Num fim de semana entalado entre de Maio principio de Junho, nos idos de 1969,perdido em imensa multidão de malta nova, eu próprio, jovem recruta, ao tempo, prestando serviço militar, sabendo já, por ter sido primeiro melhor classificado da especialidade, estava ao abrigo de ir " malhar " com as costas a guerra do Ultramar, mesmo assim, permaneci nas fileiras, 40 meses.
https://tudodenovoaocidente.blogs.sapo.pt/corrida-na-pista-d...
Discussion
Em pt-pt e no contexto quer dizer algo como sofrer, penar, martirizar-se.