Greek proverbs

Proverbs from all Greek speaking parts of the world.

Δ
Δώσε τόπο στην οργή.

Translation: Shove anger aside.

English equivalent: Whom God wishes to destroy he first makes mad.
Nea hestia. I. D. Kollaros \& Sa.. 1996.
Don't hear one and judge two.
Alexander Negris (1831). A Dictionary of Modern Greek Proverbs: With an English Translation, Explanatory
Remarks, and Philological Illustrations (http://books.google.com/books?id=ZoUvAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA79). T.
Clark. pp. 79–.

Ε
Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια
Translation: There is truth in vine.
English equivalent: In wine there is truth.
Latin equivalentː In vino veritas.
"Alcohol consumed removes the inhibition against telling the truth that occasionally one would like to keep
secret."
Source for meaning and proverbs: European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. 1997. p. 272.
ISBN 1-875943-44-7.

H
Η καλύτερη άμυνα είναι η επίθεση.

English equivalent: The best defence is a good offense.

Source for meaning: Maira Papathanasopoulou (1 January 1998). Ho Ioudas philouse hyperocha:
mythistorēma (http://books.google.com/books?id=TsdVXdgO9XoC). Ekdoseis Patakē. p. 23. ISBN 978-960-
600-451-3. Retrieved on 21 June 2013.

Η φτήνια τρώει τον παρά.

English equivalent: If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly.

Spoudōn (1998). Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής. Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης. p. 1027.

Η γλώσσα κόκαλα δεν έχει, αλλά κόκαλα τσακίζει.

English equivalent: The pen is mightier than the sword.

" The play's the thing,
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet (1600–1), Act II, scene ii
Venizelos (1867). Paroimiai dēmōdeis. Ek tou typographeiou tēs Patridos. p. 95.

Κ
Και οι τοίχοι έχουν αυτιά.
 English equivalent: The walls have ears.
"What you say may be overheard; used as a warning."
Source for meaning of English equivalent: Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs
(http://books.google.com/books?id=fgaUQc8NbTYC&pg=PA354). Infobase Publishing. p. 287. ISBN 978-0-
8160-6673-5. Retrieved on 27 September 2013.

Κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε, παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε.

English equivalent: An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Βασιλειάδης. ΈγκλημαστοΚΕΛΥΦΩΣ Αστυνομικόμυθιστόρημα. Dimitri Vasileiadis. p. 105.

Kάλλιο πέντε και στο χέρι, παρά δέκα και καρτέρι.

English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

"Laugh and be fat."
John Taylor, title of a tract (1615)
Berettas (1863). Syllogēparoimiōn tōn neōterōn Hellēnōn meta parallēlismou pros tas tōn archaiōn. Ek tou
typ. ho Hellēnopelasgos. p. 37. ISBN 1.

Κόρακας κοράκου μάτι δε βγάζει.

English equivalent: Hawks will not pick out Hawk's eyes.

"One belonging to a group having common interests is not likely to act against or find fault with another
member of the same group. Solidarity may prevail over law, justice or truth."
Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "X" (http://books.google.com/books?id=JiXzAAAAMAAJ). European proverbs: in 55
languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 96.
ISBN 1-875943-44-7.
Shqiptaro-Greke (1999). Albanohellenica. Albanian-Greek Philological Association. p. 22.

Καλή ζωή, κακή διαθήκη.

English equivalent: Fools live poor to die rich.

Chakkas (1978). Hapanta. Kedros.

Ο
Ο χρόνος είναι ακριβός

English equivalent: Time is precious.

Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 428. ISBN 1-875943-44-7.

Όποιος γίνεται πρόβατο τον τρώει ο λύκος.

"He who becomes a sheep is eaten by the wolf."

Dostoyevsky, Koteliansky (2010). Dostoevsky: Letters and Reminiscences. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 304.
ISBN 1163449024.

Όφις ην μη φάγη όφιν, δράκων ου γενήσεται.

Alternatively: Όφις ει μη φάγοι όφιν, δράκων ου γενήσεται. (see Robert Nares)

A serpent, unless it devours a serpent, will not become a dragon. (Erasmus, translated by Barker)
Quoted by Erasmus, Michael Apostolius, and in Suda (according to Robert Nares)
Translated into Latin by Apostolius, Erasmus, and Francis Bacon.
Paraphrased in English by John Dryden (Oedipus III.1): "A serpent ne'er becomes a flying dragon, / Till he
has eat a serpent." (see Robert Nares)
Sources:

Robert Nares, A Glossary, p. 781 (http://books.google.com/books?id=Ii84AAAAYAAJ&dq=serpens%20nis

i%20serpentem%20comederit%20non%20fit%20draco&pg=PA781#v=onepage&q&f=false). (Nares's
"φύγοι" emended to "φάγοι" based on Apostolius's text (http://books.google.com/books?id=7qxAAAAAcA
AJ&pg=PA187#v=onepage&q=serpens&f=false).)
 Erasmus III iii 61, translated in William Watson Barker, ed. The Adages of Erasmus, p. 271 (http://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=VmJn6IFMyicC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA272#v=onepage&q&f=false).
Michael Apostolius, Paroemiae [Proverbs]. Ed. Daniel Heinsius. Leiden, 1619. p. 187 (http://books.googl
e.com/books?id=7qxAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA187#v=onepage&q=serpens&f=false).
A search (http://www.stoa.org/sol/cgi-bin/findentry.pl?search_method=QUERY&page_num=1&num_per_p
age=100&user_list=LIST&keywords=drakon) of the Suda does not return this proverb.

Ο πνιγμένος, από τα μαλλιά του πιάνεται.

English equivalent: A drowning man will clutch at a straw.

Κριαρας (2007). Αλλελωγραφιαδυο:. ΕκδοσειςΠολυτυπο. p. 33.

Σ
Συν Αθηνά και χείρα κίνει.

Translation: Move your hand along with Athena (Minerva)

English equivalent: Heaven help those who help themselves.
"When in trouble first of all every one himself should do his best to improve his condition."
Source for meaning: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 150.
ISBN 1-875943-44-7.
Karagiōrgos, Panos (1999). Greek and English proverbs. P. Karagiorgos. p. 99.

Τ
Τα εν οίκω μη εν δήμω.

English equivalent: Don't wash your dirty linen in public; It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest.
"Why wantonly proclaim one's own disgrace, or expose the faults or weaknesses of one's kindred or people?"
"It is considered contemptible to defy the rule of solidarity by revealing facts harmful to the group one belongs
to."
Source for first meaning: Proverbs of All Nations (http://books.google.com/books?id=PdxtAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA
109). W. Kent & Company (late D. Bogue). 1859. p. 109.
Source for second meaning and proverbs: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "106" (http://books.google.com/books?id=
JiXzAAAAMAAJ). European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese
and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 466. ISBN 1-875943-44-7.
Karagiōrgos, Panos (1999). Greek and English proverbs. P. Karagiorgos. p. 99.

Τα μεγάλα πνεύματα συναντώνται

English equivalent: Great minds think alike.

Karagiōrgos, Panos (1999). Greek and English proverbs. P. Karagiorgos. p. 138.

Άγιος που δε θαυματουργεί, μηδέ δοξολογιέται.

The saint who works no miracles isn't glorified.

"I think that sex is necessary and bankers are not."
Lancelot Hogben, in Twentieth Century Authors, A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature, Edited by
Stanley J. Kunitz, and Howard Haycraft. New York, The H.W. Wilson Company, 1950, (pp. 658-59)
Kyriakos Simopoulos. Pōs eidan hoi xenoi tēn Hellada tou 21: apomnēmoneumata, chronika, hēmerologia,
hypomnēmata, allēlographia ethelontōn, diplōmatōn, eidikōn apestalmenōn, periēgētōn, praktorōn k.a (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=JfMTAQAAMAAJ). p. 167.

See also
Laconic phrases
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This page was last edited on 16 August 2019, at 17:53.

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