The expression “para Inglês ver” is commonly used in Portuguese in the sense of something that is apparent but not valid or real.
There are some theories about the emergence of this saying, however, the most widely accepted says that it would have originated around the beginning of the 19th century.
History tells that England, at that time, pressured Brazil and the Portuguese Empire to create laws to prevent the slave trade into the country.
The Brazilian government, knowing that such rules would never be enforced in the country, created false laws that theoretically prevented the slave trade in Brazil. However, these were laws only for the British to see and stop putting pressure on the country's leaders.
From this episode on, it was agreed to use the expression “para Inglês ver” as a way of naming the demagogic laws, which did not have any kind of practical functionality.
Currently, “para Inglês ver” is an expression that is related to both hypocrisy and lying, as it has the purpose of deceiving people into thinking that something is or works in a way, when in fact it doesn't.
See also the meaning of demagogy.
