tapar o sol com a peneira

Portuguese edit

Etymology edit

Literally, to cover the sun with the sieve. Perhaps after Arabic غَطَّى الشَّمْسَ بِالْغِرْبالِ (ḡaṭṭā š-šamsa bi-l-ḡirbāli), whence Maltese għatta x-xemx bl-għarbiel (to try to conceal something that is bound to come out).

Verb edit

tapar o sol com a peneira (first-person singular present tapo o sol com a peneira, first-person singular preterite tapei o sol com a peneira, past participle tapado o sol com a peneira)

  1. (idiomatic) to ignore or reject an unpleasant fact
  2. (idiomatic) to try to solve a problem in an ineffective way

Conjugation edit