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Quer moleza mastica água

English translation: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen/You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:Quer moleza, mastiga água
English translation:If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen/You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs
Entered by: Julia Caldana

12:41 Feb 18, 2021
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Slang
Portuguese term or phrase: Quer moleza mastica água
How can I say this in English? moleza - a piece of cake, something easy, not difficult...
I kind of get the meaning, but just can't think of a suitable phrase in English. Sorry, there's no context.
Fiona Stephenson
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:55
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen/You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs
Explanation:
(“... without breaking A FEW eggs” é a expressão original, encurtei para caber no espaço limitado de caracteres).
Selected response from:

Julia Caldana
Brazil
Local time: 09:55
Grading comment
Other suggestions were good, but this one fitted my very limited context the best. Thanks everyone.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2Take the easy way out and see where it gets you
Katarina Peters
5If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen/You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs
Julia Caldana
5Want things easy? Trail the path of least resistance.
Oliver Simões
3Simple doesn't quite cut it
Ana Vozone
3Want something easy? then chew water.
Bruno Dutra
2 +1No pain no gain
Caroline Varella Gonsioroski


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Simple doesn't quite cut it


Explanation:
Or, depending on the context, you kight also consider: Nearly never won a race...

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk03_fgWp_ceMEFTYTUay...

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02qQ-nOU_hyT7X400wr...

Ana Vozone
Local time: 13:55
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 8
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Want something easy? then chew water.


Explanation:
mastica is wrong the right is chews

suggestion

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Note added at 10 mins (2021-02-18 12:51:34 GMT)
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this is a literal translation of course

Bruno Dutra
Brazil
Local time: 09:55
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
Notes to answerer
Asker: That gets the meaning across, but I was looking for something a little less literal, something we might say in English.

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38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen/You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs


Explanation:
(“... without breaking A FEW eggs” é a expressão original, encurtei para caber no espaço limitado de caracteres).

Julia Caldana
Brazil
Local time: 09:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Other suggestions were good, but this one fitted my very limited context the best. Thanks everyone.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
No pain no gain


Explanation:
Unfortunately context is important since most of the time idioms won't have a perfect replacement in another language. There are many idioms that have a close meaning to ''piece of cake'' but they have slightly different meanings depending on the situation. As ''you can't have your cake and eat it too'', ''There ain't no such thing as a free lunch'' and ''...not willing to pay the price''

Caroline Varella Gonsioroski
Ireland
Local time: 13:55
Native speaker of: Portuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Clauwolf
6 mins
  -> Thank you, Clauwolf
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Take the easy way out and see where it gets you


Explanation:
suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2021-02-18 15:06:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or: taking the easy way out gets you nowhere

Katarina Peters
Canada
Local time: 08:55
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nick Taylor
5 hrs
  -> Thank you Nick! :)
agree  Mario Freitas:
9 hrs
  -> Thank you Mario! :)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Quer moleza, mastiga água
Want things easy? Trail the path of least resistance.


Explanation:
I don't know of any idiom or expression that translates this Brazilian phrase. According to a post on Word Reference, the expression comes from Northeast Brazil and means to "trail the path of least resistance". Please note: there is a typo in the term phrase, it should be "mastigar" instead of "masticar".

"Quer molega, mastigue água. Recado humorístico àquele(a) desejoso(a) de conseguir as coisas pela lei do menor esforço.

Parte da expressão (de cabeça para baixo), usam-na com muita frequência os nordestinos; de ponta-cabeça ocorre no Brasil da cintura para baixo. De qualquer modo, a expressão inteira parece-me ter originado no Nordeste." - https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/quer-moleza-mastigue...

"The path of least resistance' means doing things are easy for us to do, and that bring us true joy. For some, being highly active is the path of least resistance, and for some, it is binge watching Netflix for hours." - http://www.thekarmayogi.blog/path-least-resistance/#:~:text=...

"What I’m saying is that following this path of least resistance will never lead to physical or psychological growth. Given the choice, if you continuously make things easy, then when the level of difficulty is out of your control (like a judge at a competition, using a slick pull up bar, forgetting your weightlifting shoes) you are bound to become overwhelmed and allow your emotions to overcome your physical or mental capabilities." - https://profectusperform.com/the-easy-way-vs-the-right-way/



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Note added at 1 hr (2021-02-18 14:07:53 GMT)
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This might be of interest to translators:
Nordquist, Richard. "The Principle of Least Effort: Definition and Examples of Zipf's Law." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, https://www.thoughtco.com/principle-of-least-effort-zipfs-la...

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Note added at 6 hrs (2021-02-18 19:05:32 GMT)
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Correção: moleza

Oliver Simões
United States
Local time: 05:55
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 4
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