Literal translation
to shit in one's trousers
Meaning
to be scared, a coward
Explanation
The image is as crude as it is direct: caga, to defecate, paired with braio, breeches or trousers, describes the most uncontrollable and humiliating physical reaction that intense fear can provoke, one where the body betrays the emotion beyond any control of the will. Caga ei braio thus means being so terrified that it becomes almost incapacitating, to the point of losing all composure, and by extension describes a cowardly person, lacking any courage in the face of danger or hardship. The expression belongs to a distinctly vulgar and coarse register, reserved for very familiar exchanges, often among men or in unrestrained joking, never for polite conversation. It aims to ridicule someone's cowardice without any tact, stressing the most degrading and bodily aspect of fear far more than its mere psychological intensity. A comparable image appears in many languages, which shows just how universally it speaks.