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graxa-botas
[GRAH-sha BOH-tas]
noun
feminine
pl: graxas-botas
bootblack, shoe shiner
1.
A person whose occupation is to clean and polish boots and shoes
The bootblack worked on the street corner shining shoes for commuters.
A graxa-botas trabalhava na esquina da rua, engraxando sapatos de passantes.
2.
A person of low social status or one who performs menial work
He was treated like a bootblack by his arrogant employer.
Ele era tratado como uma graxa-botas por seu patrão arrogante.
Synonyms
engraxador
lustrador de sapatos
limpador de botas
Regional Variations
General Brazilian
graxa-botas
Standard term used across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
graxa-botas
Common in urban areas, traditional profession
São Paulo
engraxador
Alternative term more commonly used in São Paulo
Portugal
engraxador de sapatos
Less common in modern Portuguese, more formal term preferred
Related Idioms & Phrases
ser tratado como graxa-botas (to be treated like a bootblack - to be treated poorly)
vida de graxa-botas (bootblack's life - a life of hardship and low status)
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