I will address each of the statements that you submitted in the order that you wrote: 1) Does it sound odd to say "An article about the Brazil meat producers scandal"? Yes, the #1 statement is very odd to a native English speaker. It is more likely that the statement would be written as " An article concerning a scandal involving meat producers in Brazil" 2) "That car's gas tank cap is off" is correct; ... "My phone's color is black" is not incorrect but "My phone is black" is more commonly said. 3) Could I use "going too far" or "pushing it" in these sentences?"I can agree to keep you company at the theater, but opera is already pushing it"? Yes, but you should be aware that these phrases imply that the speaker is irritated and/or upset with the person who is being addressed. These phrases can be used with close friends jokingly, family members and other intimates. In business such phrases would be confrontational. 4) An English speaker is more likely to say "No two dogs' barks sound the same"; "One dog's bark is never the same as another's" and "This isn't either of your cars".