LET’S CALL IT A DAY.
Vamos encerrar por hoje.
IT’S A PIPE DREAM.
É um sonho impossível.
CUTTING A LONG STORY SHORT…
Indo direto ao ponto.
I’M PARTIAL TO VANILLA ICE CREAM.
Eu gosto de sorvete de baunilha.
TO TEACH YOUR GRANDMOTHER TO SUCK EGGS.
Ensinar o padre a rezar a missa.
WHY ARE YOU MAKING SUCH A FUSS?
Por que você está fazendo toda essa confusão?
“Let’s call it a day”
Meaning:
This expression means to stop working or doing an activity for now, usually because:
- you’re tired 😮💨
- you’ve done enough for today
- it’s late
- continuing wouldn’t be productive
It doesn’t mean the task is finished forever — just for today.
🕔 Very common at work, meetings, classes, or study sessions.
Examples
- “It’s already 6 p.m. Let’s call it a day.”
(We’ll continue tomorrow.) - “We’ve fixed the main problem. Let’s call it a day and review this tomorrow.”
- “Everyone looks exhausted — let’s call it a day.”
- “After three hours of studying, they decided to call it a day.”
Similar expressions
- That’s enough for today
- Let’s stop here
- Let’s wrap it up (slightly more informal / meeting-style)
- Time to pack it in (very informal)
Closest equivalents in Portuguese
- “Vamos encerrar por hoje.”
- “Por hoje é isso.”
- “Vamos parar por aqui.”
“It’s a pipe dream”
Meaning:
A pipe dream is a plan, idea, or hope that is very unrealistic — something that sounds nice but is almost impossible to achieve.
👉 In short: a fantasy, wishful thinking, not grounded in reality.
📌 The idea comes from old slang suggesting dreams someone might have while smoking a pipe — hazy, imaginary, not real.
Examples
- “Buying a beach house on that salary is a pipe dream.”
- “He thinks he’ll become famous overnight — it’s a pipe dream.”
- “Winning the lottery and retiring at 30 is just a pipe dream.”
- “Without funding, the project is a pipe dream.”
Tone & use
- Often slightly critical, but not aggressive
- Can sound realistic, skeptical, or gently sarcastic
Similar expressions
- Wishful thinking
- A fantasy
- A long shot (less negative — still possible, just unlikely)
- Unrealistic goal
🇧🇷 Closest equivalents in Portuguese
- “Isso é só um sonho.”
- “Pura ilusão.”
- “Viagem.” (informal)
- “Sonho impossível.”
Quick contrast 👇
- “It’s a long shot.” → hard, but maybe possible
- “It’s a pipe dream.” → basically not going to happen
“Cutting a long story short…”
Meaning:
This expression is used when someone wants to summarize or skip details and go straight to the main point.
👉 Think: “to make it brief” or “in short”.
It’s often used after a long explanation — or when you realize you could go on forever 😅
Examples
- “Cutting a long story short, we missed the flight.”
- “Cutting a long story short, the deal fell through.”
- “I won’t go into details — cutting a long story short, he said no.”
- “Cutting a long story short, everything worked out in the end.”
Very common variations
- “To cut a long story short…” (most common)
- “Long story short…” (more informal)
- “Short story long…” 😏 (joking / ironic)
Tone & use
- Friendly, conversational
- Often signals the conclusion is coming
- Used in stories, meetings, casual chats, explanations
🇧🇷 Closest equivalents in Portuguese
- “Resumindo…”
- “Enfim…”
- “Para encurtar a história…”
- “Em poucas palavras…”
Mini dialogue 🎭
A: What happened at the meeting?
B: Well… there was a delay, then a misunderstanding, then a budget issue — long story short, the project was canceled.
“I’m partial to vanilla ice cream.”
Meaning:
This means you like or prefer something, often slightly or personally, not in a super strong or exclusive way.
👉 Think: “I have a soft spot for…” or “It’s my personal preference.”
So here, the speaker is saying:
“Vanilla is my favorite (or one of my favorites).”
How it’s used
- To express preference
- Often sounds polite, understated, and casual
- Very common in conversation
More examples
- “I’m partial to vanilla ice cream, but chocolate is good too.”
- “I’m partial to quiet places.”
- “She’s partial to Italian food.”
- “He’s partial to working in the morning.”
- “I’m partial to that blue dress.”
⚠️ Important nuance
“Partial to” does not mean only that thing — just that you like it more than others.
Compare:
- “I like vanilla.” → neutral
- “I’m partial to vanilla.” → personal preference, warmer tone
🇧🇷 Closest equivalents in Portuguese
- “Eu tenho preferência por sorvete de baunilha.”
- “Eu gosto mais de sorvete de baunilha.”
- “Tenho um fraco por sorvete de baunilha.” 😄
Common structure to remember 🧠
I’m partial to + noun / gerund (-ing)
- I’m partial to coffee.
- I’m partial to working at night.
“To teach your grandmother to suck eggs”
Meaning:
It means to try to teach someone something they already know very well — especially when that person is older, more experienced, or an expert.
👉 In other words: giving unnecessary advice or explaining the obvious to the wrong person.
Why this expression?
Back in the day, elderly people sometimes sucked eggs because they were easy to eat.
So the idea is:
Why would you teach your grandmother something she’s been doing forever?
Examples
- “Don’t tell her how to run a company — that would be teaching your grandmother to suck eggs.”
- “He tried to explain grammar to the English teacher. Talk about teaching your grandmother to suck eggs.”
- “I won’t explain how the system works — I’d be teaching my grandmother to suck eggs.”
Tone & use
- Often humorous
- Slightly critical, but usually playful
- Common in British English (less common in American English)
Similar expressions
- To preach to the choir
- To state the obvious
- To tell someone what they already know
- To reinvent the wheel (related, but not identical)
🇧🇷 Closest equivalents in Portuguese
- “Ensinar o padre a rezar a missa.” ✅ (very close!)
- “Ensinar o peixe a nadar.”
- “Chover no molhado.”
Quick tip ⚠️
Because it can sound a bit cheeky, be careful using it in very formal situations — it’s best for casual or friendly contexts.
“Why are you making such a fuss?”
Meaning:
This is used when someone thinks another person is overreacting, complaining too much, or making a big deal out of something small.
👉 In short: “Why are you exaggerating?”
How it’s used
- Usually said when annoyed or surprised
- Can sound mildly critical or impatient
- Tone depends a LOT on voice and context
Examples
- “It’s just a scratch — why are you making such a fuss?”
- “Why are you making such a fuss over a typo?”
- “She made a big fuss about the seating arrangement.”
- “Stop making a fuss — everything’s fine.”
⚠️ Tone warning
This expression can sound dismissive if the person’s concern is actually valid.
Compare:
- Neutral: “Why are you making such a fuss?”
- Softer: “Is it really that big a deal?”
- More empathetic: “I know it’s annoying, but maybe we don’t need to worry so much.”
🇧🇷 Closest equivalents in Portuguese
- “Por que você está fazendo tanto drama?”
- “Por que tanto alarde?”
- “Pra que esse escândalo todo?”
- “Por que essa confusão toda?”
Related expressions
- To make a big deal out of something
- To overreact
- To blow things out of proportion
Using Idioms in Context
By late afternoon, everyone in the office looked exhausted, and the tension was starting to show. What had begun as an ambitious plan now felt overwhelming. Expecting everything to work perfectly with such a small budget was clearly a pipe dream.
After hours of discussions, delays, and minor arguments, the manager finally stepped back. Cutting a long story short, nothing had been approved and no real progress had been made. Still, one colleague continued to complain about every tiny detail, prompting someone else to ask why they were making such a fuss over issues that could easily wait until the next day.
Realizing that pushing any further would only make things worse, they all agreed it was time to call it a day and continue fresh in the morning.
On the way out, they stopped for ice cream to lift their spirits. Some debated flavors, but one person smiled and said they were partial to vanilla ice cream. When another tried to convince them otherwise, everyone laughed — there was no point in teaching your grandmother to suck eggs.
Choose the Right Idiom
By the end of the afternoon, everyone at the office was tired and impatient. The project had taken much longer than expected, and some of the ideas now seemed unrealistic — almost like ________________________.
After a long explanation about what had gone wrong, the manager sighed and said, “________________________,” and skipped straight to the final decision: nothing would move forward that day.
One employee started complaining loudly about a minor issue, and a colleague finally asked, “________________________?”
Seeing that no real progress would be made and that tempers were rising, the team agreed it was time to ________________________ and continue the next morning.
Later, trying to relax, they stopped for dessert. While everyone discussed their favorite flavors, one person smiled and said, “I’m ________________________.” When someone tried to explain why another flavor was better, the group laughed — it felt like ________________________.
🔹 NÍVEL INICIANTE
By the end of the day, everyone was tired at work. The project was difficult, and some ideas seemed unrealistic, like ________________________.
After talking for a long time, the manager decided to stop and said, “________________________.”
One person complained too much about a small problem, and someone asked, “________________________?”
Before going home, they bought ice cream. One person said, “I’m ________________________.”
When another person tried to explain flavors, everyone laughed. It felt like ________________________.
🔹 NÍVEL INTERMEDIÁRIO
By late afternoon, the team was exhausted. They realized that finishing everything that day was ________________________.
The manager explained the situation in detail and then said, “________________________,” and shared the final decision.
One colleague kept complaining about a minor issue, and another finally asked, “________________________?”
Since no progress was being made, everyone agreed to ________________________ and continue the next day.
Later, while having ice cream, one person said, “I’m ________________________.”
When someone tried to change their mind, the group joked that it was ________________________.
🔹 NÍVEL AVANÇADO
As the afternoon dragged on, frustration grew in the office. What once seemed like a solid plan now felt like ________________________.
After a long explanation full of delays and problems, the manager paused and said, “________________________,” before getting straight to the point.
When a coworker started overreacting to a trivial detail, another asked bluntly, “________________________?”
Recognizing that productivity was gone, the team decided to ________________________ and revisit the issue the following morning.
Later, while unwinding over dessert, one person admitted, “I’m ________________________.”
When someone tried to lecture them about better choices, it was clear they were ________________________.