Other Counties Proverbs or Sayings

[dance2trance]

We say 'Sitting on the fence'. Russians say 'Sitting under the table'. We say 'Big as a barn door'. Poles say "Big as a 3 door wardrobe'. Grateful to know if anyone has other examples. Thanks.

[grasscarp]

We say touch wood. Italian say Tocca Ferro, which means Touch iron.

[dance2trance]

Thanks - great just what I was after!

[grasscarp]

Here's another
the French "Qui vole un oeuf vole un boeuf" translates to "He who steals eggs steals cattle"; We say "Give him an inch and he'll take a mile."

[crisgal]

i was going to say tocca ferro too!
They also say
keep "aqua in bocca" when you mustn't say anything to anyone. It literally means keep water in your mouth!

[Claud.Butler]

Whatever you say, say nothing. A phrase much used here in Ireland.

[fredpuli47]

The French say " A scalded cat fears cold water" What on Earth does that mean? " Once bitten, twice shy" ! A cat that has been scalded by hot water is suspicious of all water after that, not risking exposure to any !

[fredpuli47]

Disappointingly ' a big cheese' for 'a very important man' is not 'un grand fromage' in French but 'un gros bonnet' , 'a big hat' !

[dance2trance]

Thanks for French 'sayings'. Is there something along the lines of '... un boeuf touours un boeuf' which means 'once a thief always a thief? I heard it used in the French crime thriller 'Spiral'.

[grasscarp]

The one about bouef, and others are on this website
http://french.lovetoknow.com/French_Sayings

[TorahBoy]

In Israel we say, "This land was promised to us by God" In Gaza they say, "We will build a new Palistine on the graves of the Jews"

[dance2trance]

Yo' Torahboy - it's not really an actual proverb is it? i was looking for 'Don't count your chickens before they are hatched' type of thing really.

[MaxKranfel]

In Germany they say 'Der apfel fallt nicht weit vom stamm' ( the a in fallt should have an umlaut " pronounced as a in hay) which translates as 'the apple doesn't fall far from the trunk' in English 'He's a chip off the old block'.

[Naomicorlett]

Altho' we also say " The apple doesn't fall far from the tree "in English. In Manx " Ta crapplagh elley er my hone" " that's another wrinkle on my bottom." I can't think of an English equivelent (sp?)

[MaxKranfel]

Germans also say' Sie schpinnen doch' while waving their finger in circles in the air, meaning you're spinning a web, you're telling fibs.

[tara20]

'Sie spinnen doch!' comes from the spinning wheel going round in circles meaning 'They're crazy!'

[tara20]

grasscarp, the Germans say "Give him the little finger and he'll want the whole hand"

[KARL]

Interesting thread, but how disappointing to read that the Israelis and Palestinians are seen as permanently on a collision course and permanently wrong (both) in their motives and exclusion of each other. Also � (in German) is pronounced just like E in Bed, Red, etc. - not (as so commonly mispronounced by native English speakers) as ay in day.

My contribution: There is a very old compendium document (manuscript) in existence (some 800 years old, I think), the content of which goes back many centuries before it was written which includes something often quoted by those who can read it. This goes "A man is a man's pleasure" (my translation, it may be put differently by others) but I can think of no equivalent in English or other languages. Contrary to what modern imagination might conjure, this is not some form of homo-sexual expression but a statement of our need for friendship and the warmth of shared company, time and mutual esteem. The document in question contains many simple statements of profound universal truths which have existed for a very long time.

[swedeheart]

KARL, "Man is man's delight", I think that's from the Poetic Edda So beautiful. I remember an old teacher of mine who juxtaposed it with Man is a wolf to man and left us to think about the two. I'm still thinking...

[Infomaniac]

We say "pins & needles", the French say "fourmllement". literally swarming of ants.

[Infomaniac]

Sorry, typo = fourmillement