What does “show de bola” mean in Brazilian Portuguese?

Show de bola means awesome or great, and you can use it for a film, a party or a person. O filme foi show de bola is “the film was awesome.” The short version, show! (“great!”), is just as common. The phrase is strongly Brazilian. In Portugal you’d more likely hear fixe or espetacular.

The name sounds like it comes from football, “a great show with the ball,” and that makes it easy to remember. The joke in this clip depends on how upbeat it is. The student says tive uma infância show de bola passando fome, “I had an awesome childhood, going hungry.” You’ll also hear the pet name docinho de coco (“little coconut sweet”).