the meaning of espoldrinhamentos

Dear Dragão,

Uff!... This has been an extenuating morning.

As I got up early this morning, I saw your letter posted in Dragoscópio. No, I didn't read it yet. I'm still in the first paragraph. After spending some time going through the dictionary to find out the meaning of persignar-me, I got stuck in espoldrinhamentos. It is not in my Porto Editora dictionary. It was at this moment I realized I would not be able to do it alone.

As I realized Joaquim was often mentioned, I jumped into my car and drove to his house. I knocked nervously at his door. It was Joaquim himself who opened the door. As he looked at me, he asked in shock, his eyes wide opened:

- What's wrong with you today, PA...!?

- Listen Joaquim, it's a very serious matter. Look, Dragão wrote a letter to me and you are involved. It's very serious, I said, as I handed him a copy of Dragão's post.

Joaquim looked at the letter and in a calm, soft voice said:

-Well ... it looks like a very serious matter, indeed...

-Yes Joaquim. It's serious and urgent. Now, tell me Joaquim, tell me what espoldrinhamentos means, please, Joaquim ... tell me ..., I almost implored.

Joaquim put a grave, thoughtful face and in his usually calm voice, said:

-Well... PA... espoldrinhamentos... let me see ... espoldrinhamentos ... that usually means... espoldrinhamentos ... that comes from the verb espoldrar ... thus, espoldrinhamentos means ... let me see again ... espoldrinhamentos ...

.

Meanwhile, Joaquim's daughters were joining us in the living room attracted by the gravity of the situation they sensed in her father's face. With them was Linda, a 28 year-old American girl who has just arrived from the States with Sarah, Joaquim's eldest daughter, who is visiting her parents in Portugal. (Linda is the first from the right here).

-What's wrong daddy, why are you so serious today...?, one of his daughters asked him.

Joaquim remained immersed in his thoughts:

-Espoldrinhamentos ... that means ... espoldrinhamentos ... well ... espoldrar ... espoldrinhamentos...

Then, as the four girls starred at him, trying to make sense of the situation, he put a serious face and in a stern voice ordered his daughters:

-Girls, go now - right now! - and bring all the dictionaries and all the Portuguese Encyclopedias we've got at home...

As the girls run for the shelves, Joaquim told me, his voice still a little exhasperated by his failure to find out by himself the meaning of espoldrinhamentos:

-Well... PA... calm down, make yourself comfortable ... sit down here in the sofa. Do you want a drink?

-No, Joaquim, I need a computer to inform Dragão I'm trying to read his letter..., I said.

-Ok, here it is. By the way, send Dragão my best regards..., Joaquim said.

This is, Dear Dragão, the point at which we are now. Once the girls get back with the dictionaries and encyclopedias, and we find out the meaning of espoldrinhamentos, I will get back to you. Meanwhile, may I tell you that Joaquim invited me for lunch. I sense that I will stay here for the rest of the afternoon, if not for the whole of the day.

Best regards. See you soon.

PA