Having it in you


In this post I am not looking at mistranslations, but a possible misappropriation of an English expression in Portuguese. 

You may have heard in movies or TV shows someone making a comment about another person's success or abilities. This comment often indicates the speaker being caught by surprise as they were not expecting that from the person.

Here's an excerpt from the movie Tombstone in which one of the characters uses the expression:

Johnny Ringo: [waiting by an oak tree for Wyatt Earp for a showdown, he believes the person approaching is Wyatt] Well,I didn't think ya had it in you.
Doc Holliday: I'm your huckleberry.

"Have it in you" means to have the talent or skills necessary for a task; have the courage or the gaul; have what it takes to achieve a task.

What struck me the other was a news lead I read on the subway the other day in Portuguese:



When asked if he could emulate Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, Chelsea footballer Eden Hazard was to the point: I don't have it in me. This expression was apparently "translated" to Portuguese in the article above.

My issue is whether something like that is said in contemporary Portuguese and by whom.  

Let's see if you have it in you to give me a plausible answer. 

Comments

  1. Well, I can't really think of any regular context in which this expression could be used naturally in Portuguese. I thought about responsibility, but it would require a complement. Example: "Ele te contrataria, mas não está nele a competência de escolher quem trabalha na empresa. Ele só pode dar indicações." However, I don't know if this expression is used regularly.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts