Portuguese speaker here...
Yes, we do have quite a few common expressions that require a god.
And yes, I do try to work around them, but, every once in a while, they still come out.
Example of working around them: when someone sneezes, it is customary to reply with "santinho", which means "little saint", a reference to calling a saint to help with whatever is ailing the person sneezing. It is seen as somewhat rude if you don't say "santinho"... so I just go for the french "santé" and don't even translate it! (it means "health") Sounds similar enough to keep people guessing.
Most other expressions manage to work out well with a FFS or a p'ó-caraças.
Often, people will tell me things like "god willing, you'll have a nice trip.", to which I like to reply something like "and if he's not willing, then I have to make it nice". No one expects it...
Yes, we do have quite a few common expressions that require a god.
And yes, I do try to work around them, but, every once in a while, they still come out.
Example of working around them: when someone sneezes, it is customary to reply with "santinho", which means "little saint", a reference to calling a saint to help with whatever is ailing the person sneezing. It is seen as somewhat rude if you don't say "santinho"... so I just go for the french "santé" and don't even translate it! (it means "health") Sounds similar enough to keep people guessing.
Most other expressions manage to work out well with a FFS or a p'ó-caraças.
Often, people will tell me things like "god willing, you'll have a nice trip.", to which I like to reply something like "and if he's not willing, then I have to make it nice". No one expects it...
