To stick your foot in the Jackfruit

A Jackfruit cut in half with exposed interior

“Enfiar o pé na jaca” (Portuguese)

To stick your foot in the jackfruit (English)

Brazilian Portuguese is rich in colloquialisms that involve food. Someone who’s made a major misstep, for example, has stepped in jackfruit—the literal meaning of the expression “enfiar o pé na jaca.”  

The phrase is used to describe doing something in excess and dates back to the 17th century. At that time, cowboys would get drunk, and, while trying to get on their mounts, kick their saddle packs or jacá. The word for saddle pack is similar to the word jackfruit—jaca—which is how the fruit became part of the saying. Today, Brazilians use this expression when someone goes overboard.