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Proverbios 2
Proverbios 2
Literal translation: At a given horse one doesn't look at the teeth / bridle (the bit in the horse's mouth).
Literal translation: On Saint Lucia's Day, the days grow by the jump of a flea.
Meaning: The days begin to get longer on Saint Lucia's Day, December 16 (which formerly coincided with
Idiomatic translation: It's six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Literal translation: It's when in need that one recognises one's true friends.
C'est dans les vieilles marmites qu'on fait les meilleures soupes.
Literal Translation: It's in old kettles that one makes the best soup.
Idiomatic Translation: The best broths are made in the oldest pots.
Literal meaning: It's the drop of water that makes the jug overflow.
Idiomatic translation: It's the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Idiomatic translation: It's the mote and the beam (or the pot calling the kettle black).
Literal meaning: It is the hen which sings which has laid the egg.
Idiomatic translation: It's not what you say but the way you say it.
Idiomatic translation: They love too much who die for love.
Literal translation: It´s loving too much when one dies of it.
Idiomatic translation: Don´t leave till tomorrow what can be finished today.
Ce n'est pas aux vieux singes qu'on apprend à faire des grimaces.
Literal meaning: You can't teach old monkeys how to make faces.
Ce n'est pas la vache qui crie le plus fort qui donne le plus de lait.
Literal meaning: It is not the cow who shouts the loudest who gives the most milk.
Translation 2: Every man for himself, and the Devil take the hindmost.
Literal meaning: Each to his craft, and the cows will be well looked after.
Idiomatic translation: Hold food in your hand, and the dog will bite it.
Idiomatic translation: A leopard cannot change its spots. or If you cast out nature with a fork, it will still
return.
Signification : If you ever have been hurt by something, you'll be over-cautious of anything that even looks
the same.
Cherchez la femme.
Translation: The heart that sighs does not have what it desires.
Idiomatic translation: As you make your bed, so you are going to lie in it.
Idiomatic translation 1: Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Literal meaning: Going to bed with the hen and waking with the crow keeps the man from the grave.
[edit]D
Literal meaning: Tell me whom you spend time with and I will tell you who you are.
Literal meaning: In April, do not shed a single thread; in May, do as you please.
Literal meaning: Don't poke your finger 'twixt the bark and the tree.
[edit]F
Fais ce que dois, advienne que pourra.
Idiomatic translation: A woman laughs when she can and weeps when she wants.
Filer à l'anglaise.
Literal translation: Big Corvette, small willie. (penis - quéquette being informal French).
Meaning: someone who buys a big car is compensating for sexual shortcomings.
[edit]H
Hâtez-vous lentement.
Idiomatic translation: One must run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.
Literal meaning: One must spare both the goat and the cabbage.
Literal meaning: One must turn the tongue seven times in the mouth before speaking.
Il ne faut jamais dire « Fontaine, je ne boirai pas de ton eau ». Most often said Il ne faut jamais dire Fontaine
Literal meaning: Never say, "Fountain, I shall not drink of your water."
Literal translation: Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today.
Literal meaning: Don't sell the bearskin before you've killed the bear.
Idiomatic translation: There are none so blind as they who will not see.
Il n'est pire eau que celle qui dort. also "Méfie-toi de l'eau qui dort"
Literal meaning: There is no worse water than the water which sleeps / Beware of the water which sleeps.
Literal meaning: There is no jenny who does not find her donkey.
Idiomatic translation: There are none so distant that fate cannot bring together.
Il vaut mieux un petit chez soi, qu'un grand chez les autres.
Idiomatic translation: There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.
Literal translation: There is a long way between the cup and the lips.
Il y a plus d'un âne à la foire qui s'appellent Martin. also "Tous les ânes ne s'appellent pas Martin."
Literal meaning: There is more than one donkey at the fair called Martin.
Literal translation: Never coward shall have fair lady for friend.
Idiomatic translation: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
Literal meaning: The spit of the toad doesn't reach the white dove.
Idiomatic translation: What's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh.
Idiomatic translation: people who always shows their sciences are those who know the less. "étale" means
spread or to show
Literal meaning: Culture is like jam, the less we have the more we spread it.
Translation: The prettiest girl in the world can only give what she has.
Idiomatic translation: The more you have, the more you want.
When you want someone to tell you the truth make him/her drink.
Idiomatic translation: Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings comes forth truth.
Idiomatic translation: The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.
Idiomatic translation: One man's meat is another man's poison. OR One man's trash is another man's
treasure.
Les amis de mes ennemis sont mes ennemis. Et les ennemis de mes ennemis sont mes amis
Idiomatic translation: A friend of yours is a friend of mine / The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Literal meaning: Friends of my enemies are my enemies / Enemies of my enemies are my friends.
Les chiens ne font pas des chats. = "tel père, tel fils / Telle mère, telle fille"
Idiomatic translation: Like breeds like / The apple does not fall far from the tree.
Literal meaning: The days follow one another and do not look alike.
L'exactitude est la politesse des rois. or "La ponctualité est la politesse des rois"
Literal translation: Far from the eyes, far from the heart
[edit]M
Mange ton poisson à présent qu'il est frais, marie ta fille à présent qu'elle est jeune.
Idiomatic translation: Eat your fish while it is fresh, marry your daughter while she is young.
Literal translation: Windy March and rainy April make May jolly and gracious
Idiomatic translation: March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.
Idiomatic translation: Actions speak louder than words / Well done is better than well said.
Literal meaning: Christmas on the balcony, Easter with a firebrand (in hand).
Literal meaning: Anoint a villain, he will stab you (oindre and poindre being outdated verbs)
Idiomatic translation: Claw a churl by the breech, and he will shite in your fist.
Also: Oignez vilain, il vous poindra; poignez vilain, il vous oindra (anoint a villain, he will stab you; stab a
villain, he will anoint you) -- a villain will repay kindness with betrayal, but will flatter those who beat him.
Literal meaning: One does not make a donkey drink if it isn't thirsty.
Idiomatic translation: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
On ne peut avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre. Sometimes On ne peut pas avoir le beurre, l'argent du beurre et
la crémière.
Idiomatic translation: You can't have your cake and eat it.
Literal meaning: You can't have both the butter and the butter money / and the dairywoman.
Idiomatic translation: You can't have your cake and eat it.
Literal meaning: You can't have the bacon and the pig.
Idiomatic translation: The cow / goat must browse where she is tethered.
[edit]P
Literal meaning: What does the bottle matter, so long as there is drunkenness.
Translation: The more it changes, the more it's the same thing.
English equivalent: There is nothing new under the sun (from Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Origin: An epigram by Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in the January 1849 issue of his journal Les
Guêpes ("The Wasps").
Idiomatic translation: While the cat's away the mice will play.
Literal meaning: When you talk about the wolf, you see its tail.
Quand on n'a pas ce que l'on aime, il faut aimer ce que l'on a.
Translation: If you don't have what you love, you have to love what you have.
Literal meaning: Those who have good neighbors, have good mornings.
Idiomatic translation: Good neighbours give good days.
Historical origin: travelers staying overnight at hostels were required to also purchase meals.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), French abbot (and who is not the St Bernard for whom
Say?, 1987.
Qui ne dit mot, consent.
Literal meaning: Who hears naught but one bell, hears naught but one sound.
Idiomatic translation: The rich man is the one who pays his debts.
Literal translation: Who makes himself a ewe, the wolf eats him.
Idiomatic translation: He that makes himself a sheep shall be eaten by the wolf.
Idiomatic translation: Make yourself a sheep and the wolf will eat you.
Idiomatic translation: Who feels snotty, let him blow his nose.
Literal meaning: He who wants to drown his dog says it has rabies.
Idiomatic translation: Evening red and morning grey will set the traveller on his way.
Literal Meaning: Red evening and white morning, such is the pilgrim's day.
[edit]S
Idiomatic translation: When three people know, the whole world knows.
Literal meaning: A secret shared by two is shared with God; a secret shared by three is shared with
everybody.
If you don't like your mother-in-law, you'll hate your girlfriend/wife after a few years. (work for appereances
and mind)
Literal meaning: A mouse that has only one hole is soon caught.
Literal meaning: Often does a woman change her heart, mad be the man who will trust her.
Idiomatic translation: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
Literal meaning: Everything is poison. Nothing is poison. The poison is the dose.
Attributed to Paracelsus.
Translation 2: Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
Literal meaning: One "here, take it" is worth more than two "you will have it"s.
Idiomatic translation: Blue are the hills that are far away.
Vive la différence.
Literal meaning: Long live the difference (between the sexes, or any difference).