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Definition 2025

pagar_mico

pagar mico

Portuguese

Verb

pagar mico ‎(first-person singular present indicative pago mico, past participle pagado mico)

(Brazil) to make an exhibition of oneself (to embarrass oneself in public)
- 2005, João Ximenes Braga, Juízo, 7Letras, page 25:
  PS: Dei uma olhada no post da manhã e pensei em tirar do ar o que falei sobre Bianca. Paguei mico, né? Bem, eu estava doido.
  PS: I looked at the morning post and considered removing what I said about Bianca. I made an exhibition of myself, didn’t I? Well, I was crazy.

Synonyms

dar vexame

Etymology

Pagar ‎(“to fulfil”) + mico ‎(“an embarrassing situation”), from mico ‎(“informal term for any small, long-tailed monkey”). The term originated in the children’s card game mico-preto, in which there is a pair of cards for several animals, except the mico. The player who finished the game while holding the mico card loses.

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /pa.ˈɡa(ʁ) ˈmi.ku/
(Carioca) IPA^(key): /pa.ˈɡa(χ) ˈmi.ku/
(Paulista) IPA^(key): /pa.ˈɡa(ɹ) ˈmi.ku/
(South Brazil) IPA^(key): /pa.ˈɡa(ɻ) ˈmi.ko/, /pa.ˈɡa(ɾ) ˈmi.ko/