dar pau

dar (“to result in”) + pau (“wooden rod”) in the context of machines and computers.

dar (“to give”) + pau (“wooden rod”) in the context of football.

dar pau (first-person singular present dou pau, first-person singular preterite dei pau, past participle dado pau)

1. (Brazil, colloquial, computing, intransitive, said of a machine or computer) to crash, to freeze (to come to a halt, to stop working)

   O computador deu pau.

   The computer crashed.

2. (Portugal, colloquial, soccer) to tackle violently another player, usually in a foul way

   O jogador está sempre a dar pau.

   The player is always tackling violently.