Thursday Thirteen - 13 Italian Proverbs

Thirteen Italian Proverbs If nothing else, one must concede that the Italians are a colorful group when it comes to expressing themselves. Today, I give you thirteen of their most vivid proverbs. 1) A chi dai il dito si prende anche il braccio. English translation: Give them a finger and they'll take the arm. Idiomatic meaning: Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. 2) A rubar poco si va in galera, a rubar tanto si fa cariera. English translation: Steal a little, go to jail; steal a lot, make a career of it. 3) Bacco, tabacco e Venere riducono l'uomo in cenere. English translation: Wine, women, and tobacco reduces one to ashes. 4) Chi ben comincia è a metà dell'opera. English translation: A good start is half the battle. 5) Chi fa da sé, fa per tre. English translation: He who works by himself does the work of three (people). Idiomatic meaning: Do it yourself if you want it done right. 6) Chi fa falla, e chi non fa sfarfalla. English translation: Those who act make mistakes; and those who do nothing really blunder. 7) Del male non fare e paura non avere. English translation: Do no evil and have no fear. 8) Eppur, si muove! English translation: Nevertheless, it moves. (Threatened by the Inquisition in his old age, Galileo publicly renounced his belief that the Earth moves around the Sun, but according to legend, whispered, "Nevertheless, it moves.") 9) Fidarsi è bene, non fidarsi è meglio. English translation: To trust is good, not to trust is better. 10) Gli estremi si toccano. English translation: Extremes meet. 11) Le bugie hanno le gambe corte. English translation: Lies have short legs. (My husband was told this by his mother when he was caught telling a lie involving the guilt of his baby sister in breaking something. He felt so guilty for having tried to place the blame on her, he hasn't told a lie, since.) 12) Il riso abbonda in bocca degli sciocchi. English translation: Laughter is abundant in the mouth of fools. 13) In bocca al lupo. English translation: Into the mouth of a wolf. Idiomatic meaning: Break a leg! And, in keeping with the fine Italian traditions of beauty in all things... Well, just scroll down. ;) He's back again! :) Constantino Vitagliano, Italian TV "Personality"




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