Fare il portoghese
To pose as a Portuguese
This idiom is used to describe someone who tries to avoid paying for a service or sneaks into an event without paying. The phrase originates from the 18th century in Rome when the Portuguese ambassador invited Portuguese citizens to attend a theatre performance at the Teatro Argentina without needing an official invitation. They simply had to declare their nationality to gain free entry. Many locals took advantage of this opportunity by pretending to be Portuguese to avoid paying for the ticket. Thus, the phrase “fare il portoghese” came to mean benefiting from a service without paying by pretending to be someone else.
It’s important to clarify that “fare il portoghese” does not mean “acting like a Portuguese person” in a general sense, but specifically “pretending to be a Portuguese person” to gain an unfair advantage. This distinction helps avoid any unintended insult or misunderstanding. The expression is not a comment on Portuguese people themselves, but rather a reference to a historical incident involving the evasion of payment.
Esempi
- “Ha cercato di entrare al concerto senza biglietto, facendo il portoghese.” – He tried to get into the concert without a ticket, posing as a Portuguese.
- “Ogni volta che c’è una festa, prova a fare il portoghese per non pagare l’ingresso.” – Every time there’s a party, he tries to sneak in without paying.
- “Non fare il portoghese, paga il conto come tutti gli altri.” – Don’t try to avoid paying, pay the bill like everyone else.