"O dono do defunto pega na cabeça."

English translation: The eye of the master fattens his cattle.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:\"O dono do defunto pega na cabeça.\"
English translation:The eye of the master fattens his cattle.
Entered by: Rafael Brandão

00:28 Jan 3, 2020
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Portuguese term or phrase: "O dono do defunto pega na cabeça."
It's for subtitles for a video about a sushi truck owner. He says it as he's getting his crew ready for the day, meaning he, as the owner, has the responsibility to work as much as anyone, or more.

What would be a good English equivalent, please?
Rafael Brandão
Brazil
Local time: 06:14
The eye of the master fattens his cattle.
Explanation:
Doing a bit of research on the net, I read that an equivalent proverb of “O dono do defunto....” would be: “O olho do dono que engorda o gado” .....

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Note added at 1 day 15 hrs (2020-01-04 15:49:40 GMT)
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Sorry for the delayed response:

https://tinyurl.com/vv5njwy

https://tinyurl.com/wden5da
Selected response from:

Gilmar Fernandes
United States
Local time: 05:14
Grading comment
Great answers here, but I'm going with this one because it best retains the folk quality of the original.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2all hands on deck
Nick Taylor
3 +1The eye of the master fattens his cattle.
Gilmar Fernandes
3No rest for the wicked.
Scott Hendry Jackson
3To the victor go the spoils.
Scott Hendry Jackson
3A good leader leads from the front
Adam Dickinson
2The early bird gets the worm.
Scott Hendry Jackson
Summary of reference entries provided
take the bull by the horns
José Patrício

Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
The early bird gets the worm.


Explanation:
I'm not 100% sure about the meaning of the source phrase, but "the early bird gets the one" could be one option in English. This saying is typically used to congratulate proactivity and getting work done early in the day. Used by a boss to refer to himself as one "early bird" among others (his team) this would imply that he is seeking positive results for his operation by being active in the daily work.

Scott Hendry Jackson
Argentina
Local time: 06:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
No rest for the wicked.


Explanation:
"No rest for the wicked" is a very common idiom in English that might work here. In this context, the owner would be saying that he is obliged --almost supernaturally-- to work constantly because of his previous shortcomings (a.k.a. "sins" as implied by the religious metaphor). This would be an example of dry humour, with the owner basically saying he is compelled to work because of his "sin" of being an entrepreneur.

Scott Hendry Jackson
Argentina
Local time: 06:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
To the victor go the spoils.


Explanation:
Here the boss would be implying that he is pushing for a positive result (the spoils) by working alongside his employees and providing an outstanding active presence (the victor). The saying also implies the competitive nature of business (i.e. the boss is willing to be a positive role model for his team by outperforming them).

Scott Hendry Jackson
Argentina
Local time: 06:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
all hands on deck


Explanation:
all hands on deck

Nick Taylor
Local time: 09:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Clauwolf: superb
52 mins
  -> Thanks Clau

agree  Tereza Rae: Ótima sugestão Nick! Veja aqui: https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/all-hands-on-deck
13 hrs
  -> Thanks Tereza
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
A good leader leads from the front


Explanation:
The idea, as the OP mentions, is that the person responsible for the business should be the one working the hardest.

The English saying "lead from the front" means that the leader should take the initiative and set an example in order to inspire his or her followers (employees, soldiers, etc.) to work their hardest. I think it's appropriate in this context since the scene OP describes is the business owner hustling to get his crew ready.

What this translation is missing, however, is the self-effacement present in the original Portuguese, where the owner is referring to his business as a cadaver of which he, being responsible for said cadaver, has to carry by the head. The English phrase is pretty self-aggrandizing, and anyone who says it about themselves might be the subject of some eye-rolling. It's also a bit militaristic, in the sense of 'leading from the front lines'. However, it could work for a subtitle where the goal is to get a common idea across quickly and effectively.

References:

On "dono de defunto"
http://www.fernandoguifer.com.br/index.php/2017/02/23/tua-vi...
Apesar disso, deve-se haver cuidado em não transferir as responsabilidades para um alguém que não carrega autoridade suficiente para bater o martelo.
Este papel é teu. Incompetência não deve ser terceirizada e o dono do defunto deve pegar sempre na cabeça.

For "lead from the front"
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/lead from the front
lead from the ˈfront: take an active part in what you are telling or persuading others to do: If you want to succeed in this business, you need to lead from the front. We need people who can motivate their team to get the best possible results.

https://www.lexico.com/definition/lead_from_the_front
Lead from the front: Take an active role in what one is urging and directing others to do. ‘in his two appearances as captain, he led from the front’

Adam Dickinson
Canada
Local time: 05:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: That's an amazingly in-depth answer. I'm honestly impressed, Adam.

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
The eye of the master fattens his cattle.


Explanation:
Doing a bit of research on the net, I read that an equivalent proverb of “O dono do defunto....” would be: “O olho do dono que engorda o gado” .....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 15 hrs (2020-01-04 15:49:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry for the delayed response:

https://tinyurl.com/vv5njwy

https://tinyurl.com/wden5da

Gilmar Fernandes
United States
Local time: 05:14
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
Great answers here, but I'm going with this one because it best retains the folk quality of the original.
Notes to answerer
Asker: But are you translating or does that saying also exist in English in those words?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mark Robertson
9 hrs
  -> Cheers Mark :)
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Reference comments


7 hrs peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: take the bull by the horns

Reference information:
take the bull by the horns (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/take-the... organize a group of people to do something: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/get-sth-...

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Note added at 7 horas (2020-01-03 08:27:17 GMT)
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take the bull by the horns=organize a group of people to do something:

José Patrício
Portugal
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Verginia Ophof
5 hrs
  -> thanks
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