Glossary entry

português term or phrase:

A montanha pariu um ratito

inglês translation:

the mountain gave birth to a mouse

Added to glossary by David Warwick
Mar 6, 2007 10:59
17 yrs ago
português term

A montanha pariu um ratito

português para inglês Outra Expressões/máximas/ditados
I think this must be a saying. It's from Angolan Portuguese, but I've found a reference on the net from a site in Portugal. Here's the complete phrase, referring to the unacceptable situation in the country: "«Só agora descobriram que a montanha pariu um ratito, um nado morto para outros».

Any ideas?
thanks

Proposed translations

+2
11 minutos
Selected

the mountain gave birth to a mouse

well known expression

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Note added at 12 mins (2007-03-06 11:11:48 GMT)
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The mighty mountain gave birth to a little mouse. , March 24, 2005 ... as a reader I'd expect to receive at least a definition of the relevant terms: ...
www.amazon.com/Short-History-Ethics-Philosophy-Twentieth/dp... -
Peer comment(s):

agree Paula Vaz-Carreiro : yes indeed!
1 hora
agree Henrique Magalhaes
2 horas
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks for all the comments. I'd never heard this phrase before, but it fits perfectly and allows me to continue with the stillborn idea in the next clause. Thanks for the reference to the Bard, but in this case it's not much ado about nothing, but rather that after seemingly great efforts the results were underwhelming."
6 minutos

it was a fiasco

Results 1 - 8 of about 14 for "a montanha pariu um ratito"

Jornal de Negócios Online :: Economia --
... tem sido um verdadeiro fiasco...a montanha pariu um ratito e ele fugiu. ... tem sido um verdadeiro fiasco...a montanha pariu um ratito e ele fugiu. ...
www.negocios.pt/default.asp?CpContentId=279133&ListComment=...
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+5
19 minutos

Much ado about nothing; to make a mountain out of a molehill

As the Great Bard himself said... interestingly, this proverb is based on Aesop's 'A Mountain in Labour'.

See this:
"A MOUNTAIN was once greatly agitated. Loud groans and noises were heard, and crowds of people came from all parts to see what was the matter. While they were assembled in anxious expectation of some terrible calamity, out came a Mouse.

Moral: Don't make much ado about nothing."
Peer comment(s):

agree Henrique Serra
17 minutos
Obrigada Henrique!
agree oxygen4u : :)
1 hora
Thank you Oxygen!
agree R. Alex Jenkins : Both expressions are widely used in English
1 hora
Thank you Richard!
agree rhandler
3 horas
agree Marina FS
3 horas
Something went wrong...
+1
3 horas

to make a mountain out of a molehill

The idea is that something quite small (generally an issue or conflict of some sort) becomes a big deal.
Peer comment(s):

agree Cristina Santos
3 horas
Thanks, Cristina!
Something went wrong...
4 horas

The mountain shook, (but only) a mouse was born

:)

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Note added at 4 hrs (2007-03-06 15:23:24 GMT)
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it is a saying
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