FIGURE OUT

Definition: to find the answer to a problem, a question, or the reason for something by investigating it and thinking about it carefully.
       -  I can’t figure out why these totals don’t match.
    - I’ve finally figured out why she got so upset yesterday.
This phrasal verb can be separated.
Source: Knight's English

PASS OVER / STEER AWAY FROM

pass over: to deliberately avoid discussing something.
(This verb has more than one meaning; this phrasal verb can be separated.)
               He talked about his childhood, but passed over his teenage years.
                   We’ll pass over what happened last week, shall we?
steer away from: to avoid talking about something or doing something. (This phrasal verb can be separated.)
               She tried to steer the conversation away from the topic of her ex-boyfriend.
               He usually steers away from serious subjects.
Source: Knight's English

POP-UP STORES = LOJAS TEMPORÁRIAS

CARRY ON /HANG ON

Today's "London Evening Standard": The proprietor of a café who used a baseball bat to warn off looters said he would 'keep calm and carry on' as his business opened his morning.

QUORATE, QUORUM

noun: A quorum / adjective: Having a quorum

         - With only five people able to make it to the meeting, we were barely quorate.

         - It shall be quorate only if the majority of its members are present. (O quorum somente será atingido será atingido se a maioria dos seus membros estiver presente.)

         - The Panel’s resolutions will be considered quorate if at least three of its members are present. (Para serem válidas, as deliberações devem contar com a presença de, pelo menos, três dos membros do painel.)

         - The House had better be quorate indeed more than quorate or we risk having no budget. (É bom que haja quórum na Assembleia - mais do que quórum -, caso contrário arriscamo-nos a ficar sem orçamento.)

         - Madam President, on the same point of order that Mr Duff raised earlier, the roll-call vote has just shown that we are not quorate, so therefore, under the same rules, I would like to ask for the quorum to be established and I call on Members to support me by standing. (Senhora Presidente, intervenho para um ponto de ordem sobre a mesma questão que há pouco aqui foi suscitada pelo Sr. Duff. Com efeito, a votação nominal acaba de demonstrar que não há quórum, pelo que, nos mesmos termos aqui invocados pelo senhor deputado Duff, gostaria de solicitar a verificação do quórum, e convido os colegas da assembleia a erguerem¬se em sinal de apoio ao meu pedido.)

"MIND YOUR LANGUAGE!"

“(...) We seem unable to differentiate between "compare to" and "compare with". This, from a recent piece about the cricketer Mark Ramprakash, is typical: "Watchers compared the schoolboy with Denis Compton as he smashed the Yorkshire attack around Lord's." This sentence conjures up an image of the watchers, perhaps viewing archive footage of the late Compton, attempting to assess the similarities and differences between the two batsmen. What the watchers actually did was liken Ramprakash to Compton. They said he was just like Compton. They compared him to Compton! How hard is that?
         We have similar problems deciding between "who" and "whom". You can bet what's left of the equity in your house that, on one of the rare occasions when we summon up the courage to use the latter, the former would have been correct. It may not matter too much, as "whom" seems to be disappearing from English usage altogether, but it would be nice to get it right once in a while.
        As for "that" and "which", my faith in the infallibility of the style guide's formula (which I stole from a former colleague at the Independent) – "this is the house that Jack built; but this house, which John built, is falling down" – is daily tested by a near universal failure of my colleagues to observe the distinction.
        Although grammar is often fuzzy and open to interpretation, in my book these three mistakes all come down to a Manichean choice between good and evil, light and dark, right and wrong. If the style guide is no help, perhaps when faced with deciding between "compare to" and "compare with", "who" and "whom", or "that" and "which", we should simply toss a coin.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/24/grauniad-spelling-grammar-subeditors?INTCMP=SRCH
guardian.co.uk/styleguide

KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Keep it simple! UK is easier to read than U.K. and OK is easier than okay. (The Guardian Style Guide)

PIMM'S

PIMM'S, a brand of fruit cups, is a traditional beverage served at UK pubs and restaurants. The most popular is Pimm's No. 1, prepared as follows:
        Take a jug or long drink glass and fill it with ice.  Mix 1 part PIMM'S* No.1 with 3 parts chilled lemonade. Add some mint, cucumber, orange and strawberry.
        Voilá! Enjoy!

UP AND RUNNING

in operation; functioning properly: "I'm up and running!"

Ask yourself: "Am I doing this because I want to, or because someone else think I should?"

"I'm so passionate about my work that boundaries have merged and I no longer know when I'm working or not. I'd encourage people to ask themselves: "Am I doing this because I want to, or because someone else think I should?"  You can accept being trapped, or you can break out  and find something more fulfilling."
                                                                 - Deborah Meaden

STORE D'OEUVRES

Snacks and food samples that a grocery store will serve at various locations in order to tempt the patrons into buying something they weren't planning on (pizza, chips and dip, sausage, etc.).
        - I went to Costco the other day and filled up on store d'oeuvres.
Stopping at the store or usually a quickie mart to grab and throw down some snacks while on your way to eat at someone's house. Usually because you know there's going to be little or no good food there.
        - We better stop and grab some store d'oeuvres, you know that she never has enough food.  (on the way to a party at some chick's house)
        - Isn't she a vegetarian? We'd better stop and get some store d'oeuvres. I can't eat that shit all night.

GO VIRAL ON/OVER THE INTERNET = VIRAR FEBRE NA INTERNET

"In the very likely case that you're on the Internet right now, you already know what a "meme" is. But you may not realize that the concept -- a meaningless phrase, image or joke getting repeated endlessly for no reason at all -- predates the Internet generation by a long shot."

Meme = A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another (a replicator).

       "Last week, this really crappy pop song by a teenager with rich parents went viral. It was called “Friday” and ..."
       "The clip went viral over the summer".
       "The near-constant playing of the buzz-sounding vuvuzela instrument during games of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa led to numerous vuvuzela-based memes, including YouTube temporarily adding a vuvuzela effect that could be added to any video during the World Cup."
       "One of the most hated and loved Internet memes of recent memory is Boxxy, who posted a video of herself back January 2009 that went viral..."
       "Insane Foreign Memes That Put Lolcats To Shame"

Gente! There is a whole world out there! We have to keep up with it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7fJPDPuUzo

APAGÃO = BLACKOUT = SNAFU(?)

SNAFU is an acronym that stands for Situation normal: all fucked up. It is sometimes bowdlerized to Situation normal: all fouled up or similar.  In simple terms, it means that the normal situation is in a bad state, as it always is, therefore nothing unexpected. It's usually used in jest, or as a sign of frustration. The acronym is believed to have originated in the US Army during World War II.
            In modern usage, snafu is sometimes used as an interjection. Snafu also sometimes refers to a bad situation, mistake, or cause of trouble. For example, in 2005, The New York Times published an article titled "Hospital Staff Cutback Blamed for Test Result Snafu".

"The more ignorant you are about a subject, the easier it seems to you.'"

From: http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2011/01/13/the-dunning%E2%80%93kruger-effect-and-you:
            "The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled people make poor decisions and reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the metacognitive ability to realize their mistakes." (Wikipedia)

             ...

As a corollary, the more we know about a subject, the more likely we are to know our limitations.

...

 “Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.”

This is food for thought.

ERRO MÉDICO = NEGLIGÊNCIA MÉDICA >MALPRACTICE

           iatrogenia (sf): Med. Doença ou alteração patológica decorrente de medicamento ou tratamento médico. [Costuma designar erros resultantes da conduta médica]
           malpractice: Improper or negligent treatment of a patient, as by a physician, resulting in injury, damage, or loss. Improper or unethical conduct by the holder of a professional or official position. The act or an instance of improper practice. Improper or immoral conduct of a professional in the performance of his duties, done either intentionally or through carelessness or ignorance; commonly applied to physicians, surgeons, dentists, lawyers, and public officers to denote negligent or unskillful performance of duties where professional skills are obligatory. Misconduct, lack of ordinary skill, or breach of duty in the performance of a professional service (e.g., in medicine) that results in injury or loss. The plaintiff must usually demonstrate a failure by the professional to perform according to the field's accepted standards

DEVERAS, ASSAZ

Termos em desuso?
"Deveras interessante a análise feita por este periódico sobre o desfecho processual da Operação XXX."
              deveras (adv): Ex.: Na verdade, realmente, de fato: Merecia deveras um severo castigo. [para destacar ou reafirmar a veracidade do que se diz ou para enfatizar a relevância de algo.]  //indeed, downrightly, in earnest, truly, really, certainly, in fact. Ex.: I am truly fed up > Estou deveras aborrecido.
              assaz (adv): Muito, demais - Ex.: O cliente ficou assaz interessado no projeto [que tal escrever isso em um relatório - será que vão entender? rs, rs, rs...!].  Bastante, suficientemente - Ex.: Ela é assaz sincera para dizer o que sente. //enough, sufficiently, tolerably.
                      (pr.indef): Muito, demais - Ex.: O casal age com assaz complacência em relação aos filhos. Bastante, suficiente - Ex.: O magistrado decidiu-se com assaz prudência.

O poeta é um fingidor.

Finge tão completamente

Que chega a fingir que é dor

A dor que deveras sente.

            - Fernando Pessoa

SONHOS & ILUSÕES / DREAMS & DELUSIONS

              Dream: [sonho] A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. A daydream; a reverie.A state of abstraction; a trance. A wild fancy or hope. A condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration: a dream of owning their own business. One that is exceptionally gratifying, excellent, or beautiful: Our new car runs like a dream.
              Delusion [ilusão,delírio]: The act or process of deluding [delude]: - To deceive the mind or judgment of: fraudulent ads that delude consumers into sending in money. See synonyms at deceive. The state of being deluded. A false belief or opinion: labored under the delusion that success was at hand. Psychiatry. A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness: delusions of persecution [delírios de perseguição].
Source: Answers.com

BETWEEN vs. AMONG

Most people adhere to the general rule: “between” is used for choices that involve two items, and “among” for three or more. You can also use the word “between” when you're talking about distinct individual items even if there are more than two of them. For example, "she chose between coffee, tea and water". Here, you can use “between” because the drinks are individual items. You can also use “between” in one-to-one relationships:
         "she chose between the ball and the Frisbee", and
         "let's keep this between you and me".
Those are examples where there is a one-to-one relationship -- you use the word “between” as opposed to “among”. Other times “between” can be used where there are more items when you’re referring to groups or people. For example:
         "the negotiations between the lawyers, the buyers and the sellers were going well", and
         "the differences between English, Chinese and Arabic are significant".
These are classic cases when you would use “between” even though it's more than two items.
Alternatively, you can use “among” when you're talking about things that are not distinct items or individuals. For example, if you were talking about colleges collectively you could say "she chose among the State schools". If you're talking about a group of people you also use “among”. For example:
         "fear spread among the prisoners", and
         "the scandal in the school caused uproar among the parents".
These are two very good examples of when you use “among”. Another instance where you use “among” is when you're part of a group:
         "there is a code of honour among thieves", and
         "upon returning from her long trip she found that she felt like a stranger among friends".
Here it indicates that someone is part of a group or they're left out of a group.
Another case is location. “Between” and “among” can also tell the reader different things about a location or a direction that they're taking. For example, when I give you these example sentences I want you to think about the differences:
         "she walked between the trees", and
         "she walked among the trees".
The first sentence, "she walked between the trees", gives you the idea that she stayed on a path or that she's either walking between two trees or she was on one route surrounded by trees on both sides. As opposed to "she walked among the trees". Here you get the sense, or you get the idea, that she was in a park or forest surrounded by trees all around. She's walking among trees. It doesn't sound as if there is a defined path.
That's a good way to see the difference between the two with respect to location and the feeling of the different contexts when you use “among” and “between” -- and the sense you get when you use both of them.
Finally, you can see it's not always as easy using the general rule that a lot of people follow, i.e. that between is for two things and among is for three or more things. Use the terms in the context and don't always follow the general rule.
Source: http://www.translegal.com/legal-english-lessons/between-vs-among-2

UTILIZAR vs. USAR

UTILIZE vs. USE:  Are there circumstances where 'utilized' is better than 'used'? Or has a different meaning?
            A number of critics have remarked that utilize is an unnecessary substitute for use. It is true that many occurrences of utilize could be replaced by use with no loss to anything but pretentiousness, for example, in sentences such as They utilized questionable methods in their analysis or We hope that many commuters will continue to utilize mass transit after the bridge has reopened. But utilize can mean "to find a profitable or practical use for." Thus the sentence The teachers were unable to use the new computers might mean only that the teachers were unable to operate the computers, whereas The teachers were unable to utilize the new computers suggests that the teachers could not find ways to employ the computers in instruction.

Usar e Utilizar – diferenças de uso.

Sempre que o uso for específico, usa-se a palavra usar.
        - Foram usados uma faca para cortar carne e um garfo para comer arroz.
Quando for preciso substituir, utiliza-se utilizar.
        - Utilizei uma faca para parafusar uma dobradiça, pois não havia uma chave de fenda para usar.
        - Utilizei uma chaleira para ferver leite, pois a leiteira foi utilizada para ferver água.

LIers cope with poor air quality

LIers = Long Islanders (Long Island people)
A layer of smog hung over Long Island Thursday, prompting some residents to change their outdoor plans.

CAPTCHA

Sabe aqueles números e letras que pedem para você digitar antes de alguma operação no computador para evitar entradas automáticas?
Isso se chama CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart). A category of technologies used to ensure that a human is making an online transaction rather than a computer. Developed at Carnegie Mellon University, random words or letters are displayed in a camouflaged and distorted fashion so that they can be deciphered by people, but not by software. Users are asked to type in the text they see to verify they are human.
Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/captcha-1#ixzz1RSexLUe2

MAL >< BEM MAU >< BOM

mal-humorado / bem-humorado
mal-estar / bem-estar
mal escrito / bem escrito
praticar o mal / praticar o bem
mal-afamado / bem-afamado

mau funcionamento / bom funcionamento
em mau português / em bom português
má-criação / boa criação
mau humor / bom humor

GRATITUDE

A Chinese Fable: The Tiger and the Cat
                Once upon a time, a tiger asked a cat to teach him her skills, and he promised he would not eat her. Day after day the cat taught her tricks to the tiger patiently. One day, the tiger thought that he had learned everything and now he could eat the cat. But as the tiger approached the cat, the cat jumped onto a nearby tall tree and climbed to the top branch.
               The tiger then realized that the cat had not taught him how to climb trees. And to this date, tigers can't climb trees. They can just stand there and stare. That's the punishment for their ungratefulness.
               Gratitude is a trait of a person of character. In every phase of our lives we meet a lot of different people and many will help us. And even though someone who helps does not expect a compensation, a person of character will be grateful.
Moral da história: "Nem tudo os mestres ensinam aos seus discípulos".

LETTER OF THE LAW VS. SPIRIT OF THE LAW

             The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law is an idiomatic antithesis. When one obeys the letter of the law but not the spirit, one is obeying the literal interpretation of the words (the "letter") of the law, but not the intent of those who wrote the law. Conversely, when one obeys the spirit of the law but not the letter, one is doing what the authors of the law intended, though not necessarily adhering to the literal wording.
             with the spirit, as well as the letter, of the law = dentro do espírito e dos termos da lei
             letter and spirit of the law = letra e espírito da lei

SERIAL COMMA DROPPED

The University of Oxford styleguide has decided that as ‘a general rule’the use of the serial comma should be avoided.
What is a serial comma? E.g.: "a, b, and c" (it is the comma before the "and") - Here’s the official entry:
"As a general rule, do not use the serial/Oxford comma: so write ‘a, b and c’ not ‘a, b, and c’. But when a comma would assist in the meaning of the sentence or helps to resolve ambiguity, it can be used – especially where one of the items in the list is already joined by ‘and’: The serial comma, dubbed the Oxford comma because of its use by writers and editors based at the University of Oxford, had been waning in popularity. For example, most journalists in Canada and the U.S. who follow the AP or CP stylebooks do not use it.
The Canadian Press Stylebook has this to say: “Put commas between elements of a series but not before the final "and, "or" or "nor" unless that avoids confusion. But reactions among the grammar police on Twitterseem to be divided, with strong opinions on both sides. All this over a punctuation mark.

NO COMMENTS

YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO

This phrase is easier to understand if it is read as "You can't eat your cake, and have it too". Obviously once you've eaten your cake, you won't have it any more. Used for expressing the impossibility of having something both ways, if those two ways conflict.  E.g.:  He works so hard to pay for that fancy house of his that he never has any time to stay home and enjoy it.

GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out

                Garbage In, Garbage Out (abbreviated to GIGO, coined as a pun on the phrase First-In, First-Out) is a phrase in the field of computer science or information and communication technology. It is used primarily to call attention to the fact that computers will unquestioningly process the most nonsensical of input data (garbage in) and produce nonsensical output (garbage out).
                It was most popular in the early days of computing, but applies even more today, when powerful computers can spew out mountains of erroneous information in a short time. The term was coined as a teaching mantra by George Fuechsel, an IBM 305 RAMAC technician/instructor in New York. Early programmers were required to test virtually each program step and cautioned not to expect that the resulting program would "do the right thing" when given imperfect input.
                It is also commonly used to describe failures in human decision making due to faulty, incomplete, or imprecise data.
              Garbage In, Gospel Out is a more recent expansion of the acronym. It is a sardonic comment on the tendency to put excessive trust in "computerized" data, and on the propensity for individuals to blindly accept what the computer says. Because the data goes through the computer, people tend to believe it.
                Decision-makers increasingly face computer-generated information and analyses that could be collected and analyzed in no other way. Precisely for that reason, going behind that output is out of the question, even if one has good cause to be suspicious. In short, the computer analysis becomes the gospel.
Source: Wikipedia

My Catch Phrase: HAVE WIRELESS, WILL TRAVEL

Have Gun — Will Travel is an American Western television series that aired on CBS from 1957 through 1963. The title was a catch phrase used in personal advertisements in newspapers like The Times, indicating that the advertiser was ready for anything. It was used in this way from the early 1900s. A form common in theatrical advertising was "Have tux [a man's outfit], will travel," and this was the inspiration for the writer Herb Meadow. The TV show popularized the phrase in the sixties, and many variations of it were used as titles for other works such as Have Space Suit—Will Travel by Robert Heinlein.
Have Cake, Will Travel
Have Webcast, Will Travel
Have Pen, Will Travel
Have Dreams, Will Travel
Have Netbook, Will Travel
Have Gym, Will Travel
Have Diabetes, Will Travel
Have Surfboard, Will Travel
Have Passport, Will Travel
What is yours?
Tem festa? Então eu vou!

BY / UNTIL / UP TO

While both 'by' and 'until' are used to indicate actions in time, there are essential difference between the two usages.
'until': an action or event which will occur any time before the time period that usually follows the word, but not beyond that time. The word 'until' is used to indicate the time period that a situation or event has been going on for. E.g.: I worked until 3 a.m. last night. It is also used to denote negativity. E.g.: There will be no voting until the day after tomorrow. Rate is valid until 31st March 2009 or Rate is valid up to 31st March 2009
'by': an event or a situation that happens at or before a given time. For example - You have to close your shop by 9 p.m.