blot on one's escutcheon
[/blɑt ɑn wʌnz ɪˈskʌtʃən/]
noun phrase
mancha na reputação; borrão no brasão de armas
1. A disgrace or source of shame that damages one's reputation or family honor; a stain on one's good name or character
His involvement in the scandal was a blot on his escutcheon that haunted him for decades.
Seu envolvimento no escândalo foi uma mancha na sua reputação que o assombrou por décadas.
2. A shameful or disgraceful act that diminishes one's social standing or family honor
The criminal conviction was a blot on the family's escutcheon.
A condenação criminal foi uma mancha no brasão de armas da família.
This is a traditional idiom rooted in heraldic and aristocratic culture, referencing the literal practice of marking a coat of arms with a 'blot' or 'baton' to indicate illegitimacy or dishonor. While less common in modern casual speech, it remains a formal and literary expression used in both American English and Portuguese to describe serious reputational damage. In Brazil, the simpler phrase 'mancha na reputação' is more frequently used in contemporary language, while the original escutcheon reference is preserved mainly in formal, historical, or literary contexts.
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