
1. COLHER [kuʎɛɾ], [kuʎeɾ]
This word has two different pronunciations. When it's pronounced with [ɛ] it means "spoon" (from Latin cochlear):
colher de chá = tea spoon
colher de café = coffee spoon
colher de sopa = table spoon [lit. soup spoon]
colher de sobremesa = dessert spoon
Idioms
ser pau para toda a colher = to be game for anything
entre marido e mulher não se mete a colher = in a quarrel between a husband and his wife, keep away
When it's pronounced with [e] it means "to gather", "to catch", "to pluck", "to pick", "to harvest" (from Latin colligere):
E.g. colher maçãs no pomar = to pick apples in the orchard
Idioms
quem semeia ventos colhe tempestades = he who plants winds harvests storms
Related words: colherada (a spoonful), colheita (harvest), recolher (to gather, to collect, to retire, take shelter, to call in)