sacanagem

03:51 Jan 20 

"Sacanagem carries a variety of meanings that seem rather distant from its sexual connotations. but which tie into a common underlying theme. It can refer, for instance, to the experience of small injustices -- much as we speak in English. (...)

Much like the folk model of sexual actors, which tends to cut across region and class in Brazil, sacanagem is an extremely complex cultural category, with no suitable English translation."

In: Sexuality, Politics and AIDS in Brazil: In Another World? By Herbet Daniel, Richard Parker · 2003 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Sexuality_Politics_and_...

PS: Unfortunately, the book is missing several pages, so I wasn't able to find out if the author provided any translation.

Thank y'all.

00:39 Jan 20 

Indeed, both playfulness and mischievousness are formal, and "sacanagem" is colloquial. Of the translations presented, this was the best fit for my context. Unfortunately, the level of formality is not something that can always be preserved. I had to do a balancing act between picking an informal term that lacks in meaning and a formal one that is more precise (although not 100%) and more widely used. "Play", "playful" etc. is not so naive/innocent. as one might think Check it out:

play: amorous flirtation, DALLIANCE.
dalliance: amorous play ( Merriam-Webster)

amorous: showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire. (Oxford)

00:33 Jan 20 

O termo "sacanagem" é coloquial, em todas as suas nuances.
https://www.dicio.com.br/sacanagem/

Playfulness/Mischievousness não o são. São quase ingé(ê)nuos... penso eu...

00:25 Jan 20 

I am aware of the language variations across the Atlantic; however, my context has nothing to do with European Portuguese. The psychologist that I quoted from is Brazilian, hence "sacanagem" does have a sexual connotation. If you look at my question again as well as all the references I posted, you'll see that they all lead to this conclusion. I pointed out upfront that there is "no similar definition" in Priberam, which is a way of saying that "sacanagem" has no sexual meaning in Portugal.

21:42 Jan 19 

https://sumidoiro.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/a-genese-do-sacan...
And
Por isso, houve essa segunda monstruosidade que foi atacar um país que não tinha nada a ver com o 11 de Setembro. Porque o sacana do Bin Laden estava nos túneis do Afeganistão e era impossível chegar lá.
A expressão “índio sacana” destacada no texto faz alusão
à forma de incorporação, ao longo de séculos, de grupos
étnicos tradicionais a princípio em sociedades coloniais
e, em seguida, nas sociedades dos Estados Nacionais
emancipados.

21:28 Jan 19 

I think it is very important to consider the divergence of Pt/Pt and Pt/Br before jumping to any conclusions. In Pt/Pt sacanagem/sacanice is harly used in the sexual connotation but long the lines of "malandrice" Ele é uma Sacana = he is a bastard/ aright cunt! Etc. It is important to define the source of these terms to avoid eventual confusions. :-)

21:22 Jan 19 

playfulness (27,200 results):
https://www.google.com/search?q="romanticism and playfulness...

kinkiness (7):
https://www.google.com/search?q="romanticism and kinkiness"

hotness (2):
https://www.google.com/search?q="romanticism and hotness"

mischievousness (2):
https://www.google.com/search?q="romanticism and mischievous...

salaciousness (0):
https://www.google.com/search?q="romanticism and salaciounes...

sleaze (0):
https://www.google.com/search?q="romanticism and sleaze"

lusciousness (0):
https://www.google.com/search?q="romanticism and lusciousnes...

lasciviousness (0):
https://www.google.com/search?q="romanticism and lasciviousn...

bastardiness (not considered as a valid answer; provided no explanation)

I tend to side with Robert Farren, who wrote: "As for 'sacanagem', it's true that 'playfulness' is plausible in this context. So is 'hotness'. They don't mean the same thing, but they both fit IMO."

Between the two, I'll go with "playfulness" for obvious reasons. It outnumbered all others.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. A special thank you to Ana, who provided an interesting search insight that led me to this conclusion.

20:46 Jan 19 

It would be great if you could post the source where you got this information. Keep in mind that there is a lot of misinformation online. For example, this website says categorically that "sacana" derives from Japanese: https://www.gramatica.net.br/etimologia-de-sacana/ Dicio, on the other hand, tells me that the origin is obscure, as you indicated: https://www.dicio.com.br/sacana/ I can live with that. There is no evidence that it came from Japanese. The history behind the word, as being linked to the sex trade, makes more sense to me.

15:07 Jan 19 

Sacan - origin obscure: It may be from Japanese 魚‎ (sakana, "fish served with alcoholic beverages"). According to this theory, the origin of the word goes back to the 16th century, during the Portuguese discovery of Japan. Because of the laborious task of removing scales and fish bones for the preparation of this dish, the term became a vulgar metaphor for masturbation. Thence the meaning would have been extended to a person of shameful behaviour.

13:32 Jan 19 

Upon mature reflection, I feel that the most plausible suggestions so far are "playfulness" and "hotness". I no longer believe that anything so extreme as "sleaze", "kink" or "dirtiness" corresponds to what the author is saying.
I made the mistake of not reading the article in full last night.

13:03 Jan 19 

"Sacana", com certeza, não foi trazida pelos japoneses. Mesmo porque não há nenhuma conexão entre "peixe" e o significado do termo. O artigo do site Ensinar História que eu mencionei anteriormente explica a sua origem.

10:50 Jan 19 

Em japonês a palavra “sacana” significa “peixe”. Desconhece-se porque ganhou uma conotação negativa na idioma portuguesa. De qualquer modo foi uma das várias dezenas de palavras que os portugueses trouxeram do Japão e que ainda hoje é usada, como biombo, catana, chungaria, etc.

04:59 Jan 19 

The words "sacanagem" and "encrenca" are rooted in the sex trafficking of women from Eastern Europe to Brazil:

"A prostituição embora não fosse crime pelo Código Penal, sofria constantes intervenções policiais por atentado ao pudor, vagabundagem e ameaça à saúde pública (MAZZIEIRO, 1998). Quando a política aparecia nos bordéis, as polacas gritavam sacana que, em iídiche, significa 'perigo'. A palavra tem a mesma raiz hebraica que sakin (punhal), sakina (bandido) e sakun (risco). Os policiais passaram a chamar as zonas de prostituição de 'sacanagem'. Assim, sacana e sacanagem entraram para a língua portuguesa com o sentido pejorativo de indivíduo safado, canalha, de comportamento sem ética, libertino e devasso."

https://ensinarhistoria.com.br/encrenca-e-sacana-palavras-or... - Blog: Ensinar História - Joelza Ester Domingues."

04:44 Jan 19 

In a sexual context, the term "sleaze" is often used to describe behavior that is perceived as morally or socially offensive, vulgar, or inappropriate. It may refer to actions, comments, or attitudes that are characterized by a lack of decency or good taste, particularly in the realm of sexuality. "Sleazy" behavior is often considered distasteful or offensive in a sexual context, and the term is used to convey a sense of impropriety or low standards. (ChatGPT).

02:59 Jan 19 

Carolina
malandro?