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ENGLISH
PORTUGUESE LINGUISTICS & CULTURE |
Autor: | Tom |
E-mail: | não-disponível |
Data: | 25/MAR/2004 10:09 AM |
Assunto: | Re: as mad as a hatter |
Mensagem: | José roberto got the answer right. In Rio, not too far from the Canecão, is a sanitarium named after a Dr. Pinel. When I was a kid if you did something stupid or crazy people would say "He's Pinel." indicating you needed to be taken away for consultations. A similar expression in the states is "He needs to be put in the booby-hatch." Booby is bôbo; hatch is a small room on a boat or ship. Don't ask me where the term came from. It's probably from the sea (maybe they had to lock up sailors who went crazy or became delirious from thirst). |