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| Thread: Your local proverbs translated into English. |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · NEXT» |
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Adrius
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Stand and fight!
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posted February 10, 2012 11:01 PM |
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Edited by Adrius at 23:12, 10 Feb 2012.
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Your local proverbs translated into English.
Random thread idea, let's hear 'em.
"Shoot, dig, forget."
"If you've chopped your axe into the boat you row like hell"
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meroe
Supreme Hero
Basically Smurfette
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posted February 10, 2012 11:03 PM |
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I loved the last one Ad. lol
The only one that I can think of right now is:-
There's no fool, like an old fool.
And its not even funny.
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Meroe is definetely out, sweet
as she sounds sometimes, she'd
definetely castrate you with a
rusted razror and forcefeed
your genitals to you in a
blink of an eye - Kipshasz
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Keksimaton
Promising
Supreme Hero
Talk to the hand
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posted February 10, 2012 11:05 PM |
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"Nothing in one hand while the other is empty."
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Noone shall pass, but no one besides him shall pass.
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Drakon-Deus
Undefeatable Hero
Qapla'
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posted February 10, 2012 11:08 PM |
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A good day is seen from dawn.
The bucket won't run many times on the well
A priest doesn't preach twice for a deaf old lady
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Adrius
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Stand and fight!
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posted February 10, 2012 11:12 PM |
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"Close doesn't shoot a hare."
"Don't sell the pelt until the bear is shot."
"A bad fishing day is better than a good day at work."
"The wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead."
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OhforfSake
Promising
Legendary Hero
Initiate
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posted February 10, 2012 11:14 PM |
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Some of them are really funny! I'm afraid many of those in my language makes good sense in english too.:\
Quote:
"A bad fishing day is better than a good day at work."
I never got this one, but it makes me think about donald duck.
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Adrius
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Stand and fight!
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posted February 10, 2012 11:27 PM |
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"Taste is like the ass - divided."
"Courage is what the coward uses when he doesn't dare."
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Nocturnal
Promising
Supreme Hero
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posted February 10, 2012 11:49 PM |
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Quote:
"A bad fishing day is better than a good day at work."
Loved this one.
Unfortunately indecent Turkish proverbs are better than the decent ones, but I can't write them here
So from usual ones:
I don't call the beautiful "beautiful" if he isn't mine
You can't cover the Sun with clay
If the bald one had the medicine, he would apply it to his head first.
A free vinegar is sweeter than honey
The satiated can't understand the hungry.
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Keksimaton
Promising
Supreme Hero
Talk to the hand
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posted February 11, 2012 12:23 AM |
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"Blessed are the wood-headed (stupid) for they shall not sink."
"Divided bread does not multiply."
"A glassfull won't topple a man, unless the man topples the glassfull."
"You neither plow nor sow the dumb, for they grow by themselves."
"The only things that have stayed the same up untill now are sleep and hunger."
"Sour, said the fox of the sorbus berries."
"The weak falter on the path of life."
"Work won't end by doing it."
"If work was a treat, even lords would do it."
"The business is in the gloves (things are under control). The gloves are missing."
"Smiles like a vagina out of broken panties."
"It's not bad to be crazy if you keep your wits about you."
"Nothing good out of the East, except for the sun."
"Jollyness without booze is pretended."
"Conceitedness smells."
"If talk doesn't help, use a knife."
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Noone shall pass, but no one besides him shall pass.
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Lexxan
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Unimpressed by your logic
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posted February 11, 2012 12:53 AM |
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Edited by Lexxan at 00:54, 11 Feb 2012.
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Some Dutch ones and their literal translations
Beter een vogen in de hand dan tien in de lucht
Better a bird in the hand, than ten in the air
Als apen hoger klimmen willen, ziet men alleen hun blote billen
If Monkeys want to climb higher, one will only see their bare bottoms
Jonge boompjes kan men buigen
One can bend young trees
Alle dagen een draadje is een hemdsmouw in een jaar
A thread every day is a sleeve in a year.
Men moet de kat uit de boom kijken
One must stare the cat out of the tree
Als man en vrouw tesamen kijven, dient men op een afstand te blijven
When a husband and wife are fighting each other, you have to keep your distance
De handen uit de mouwen te steken
To put your hands out of your sleeves
Morgenstond heeft goud in de mond
Getting up in the early morning is gold in your mouth
De appel valt niet ver van de boom
The apple hasn't fallen far from the tree
Naakt voor de spiegel staan
To stand in front of a mirror naked
Ziet men in december veel mollen, dan laat de winter met zich sollen
If you see lots of moles in december, the next winter will allow itself to be mocked.
Februari muggendans, dan heeft maart weinig kans
Februati mosquito dance, March doesn't stand a chance.
Als het kalf verdronken is, dempt men de put
Once the calve has drowned, the pit is quenched
Baat het niet, dan schaadt het niet
If it doesn't help it won't hurt you.
Belofte maakt schuld
(A) Promise creates debt
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Coincidence? I think not!!!!
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted February 11, 2012 01:34 AM |
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many dutch ones are quite close to german ones.
Quote:
"The wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead."
Liked that quite much!
Can't memorize good ones from german right now...
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted February 11, 2012 05:18 AM |
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Quote:
"Don't sell the pelt until the bear is shot."
Dutch has the exact same proverb. Though, we say "skin of the bear" for some reason.
"Fighting against (workers of the) beer docks."
= to fight insurmountable odds.
Swiftly gained is swiftly lost.
Nowhere ticks the clock like it does at home.
Is there are another language in which "I like seeing you." has identical meaning to "I love you."?
Quote:
Morgenstond heeft goud in de mond
I'd translate this as "Dawn/ sunrise bears gold in its mouth."
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If you have any more questions, go to Dagoth Cares.
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Drakon-Deus
Undefeatable Hero
Qapla'
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posted February 11, 2012 07:06 AM |
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Laughing stock of the turkeys
True love comes only after marriage (universal)
To make mistakes is human, to forgive is holy
Give and you have no more
Same Mary with diffrent bonnet
The river flows, the rocks remain
Listen to all, and believe nothing
Speaking from the book is a good trait
Living does not mean only breathing, it meaks acting
Take heed at what you do, how you tal and how you smile
Money brings happiness to those who do not deserve real happiness
Money is the axe that cuts a friendship
Old age comes not alone, but with a lotta hardships
Do good and you shall find good
The bull dies of the long road and the fool of caring for others
The horses don't die when the dogs want them to
If you have a head, you only need wisdom
Win and loss often go together
For an easy sleep, a short supper
DO unto others...we knew that
Who runs after two rabbits will often catch none
He who loves suffers, he who suffers laments
He who don't give bread to the dog gives the sheep to the wolf
Who is wise has 4 eyes
You can buy a clock but you can't buy time
The sparrow dreams of hominy
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For the record, I didn't make any of these up.
flood protect is the devil's way/
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Horses don't die on a dog's wish.
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Adrius
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Stand and fight!
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posted February 11, 2012 10:03 AM |
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Edited by Adrius at 10:03, 11 Feb 2012.
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Quote:
Morgenstond heeft goud in de mond
Morgonstund har guld i mund. We have that too.
Our languages are similar in writing but when ya talk I can't understand **** ^^
Quote:
He who don't give bread to the dog gives the sheep to the wolf
I like this one 
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Drakon-Deus
Undefeatable Hero
Qapla'
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posted February 11, 2012 10:16 AM |
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Yeah, too bad there aren't so many sheepherders around anymore. Looks like a fun job to me.
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Horses don't die on a dog's wish.
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted February 11, 2012 10:31 AM |
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"Wie du in den Wald hineinrufst, so schallt es hinaus"
As you shout into the forest, thus it will echoe back.
"Wenn der Hahn kräht auf dem Mist, ändert sich das Wetter oder es bleibt wie es ist."
As the rooster crows on the dung (=meant is the dunghill), weather changes or it stays as it is.
"Einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul"
You don't look into the mouth of a gifted nag.
"Sprechenden Leuten/Menschen kann geholfen werden."
Talking people/humans can be helped.
"Wer solche Freunde hat, braucht keine Feinde mehr."
Who got such friends, needs no enemys anymore.
hope these were no doublings.
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The_Polyglot
Promising
Supreme Hero
Nuttier than squirrel poo
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posted February 11, 2012 12:14 PM |
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Off the top of my head:
"Ki korán kel, aranyat lel"
"He(/She) who rises early, is the one who finds the (hidden) gold"
"Jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok"
"A swallow today is better than a bustard(species of bird, duh) tomorrow"
"Ne igyál előre a medve bőrére"
"Don't "drink for"(give a toast to) the bear's pelt before (the hunt)"
"A hazug embert hamarabb utolérik, mint a sánta kutyát"
"A liar is caught faster than a lame dog"
"Ki mint veti ágyát, úgy alussza álmát"
"One sleeps as well as one "prepares"(makes) one's bed (beforehand)"
"Addig nyújtózkodj, ameddig a takaród ér!"
"Stretch just as "long"(much) as your blanket is long"
"Péter nem felejti, amit Peti megtanult"(this one has multiple original variants, this is the one I hear the most often)
"Peter doesn't forget what little Pete learnt"
"Aki tudja, csinálja, aki nem tudja, tanítja"
"He(/She) who knows (how to do) it, does it, he(/she) who doesn't know (how to do) it, teaches it (instead)"
"Vak vezet világtalant"
"The blind one leads the one lacking eyes"
"Vakok között félszemű a király"
"Among blind people, the one-eyed is king"
Have fun divining the "true" meanings!
PS: The words between "" signs are literal translations, I tried to explain them in the brackets- translating proverbs is hard!-, while the words in brackets not preceded by literal translations are implied in the originals.
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Smithey
Promising
Supreme Hero
Yes im red, choke on it !!!
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posted February 11, 2012 12:50 PM |
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When in doubt whip it out
Meaning -
When encountering a highly conflicted, complexed situation, situation which at times it seems, has no plausible solutions, one must take his pants off and whip his male genitalia out.
Proven method 
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She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
I got better
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted February 11, 2012 01:09 PM |
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Quote:
"Among blind people, the one-eyed is king"
same in Dutch. 
We also have "silent waters run deep" but it used to bear a negative connotation which is now lost on everyone, which I find kind of sad.
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If you have any more questions, go to Dagoth Cares.
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memonster
Adventuring Hero
once seen cannot be unseed
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posted February 11, 2012 01:10 PM |
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some polish ones
Gdzie szatan nie może ,tam babę wy¶le.
Where satan can not, he'll send a woman there.
Co się stało to się nie odstawnie.
What has happened, won't unhappen.
Dobrego więzienie nie zepsuje – złego Ko¶ciół nie naprawi.
Prison will not spoil the Good[man] - Bad[man] the Church won't fix.
Dobrymi chęciami piekło jest wybrukowane.
Hell is paved with good intentions.
Gdzie kucharek sze¶ć, tam nie ma co je¶ć.
Where are six cooks, there is nothing to eat.
Go¶ć w dom – Bóg w dom.
Guest in the house - God in the house.
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Me, myself... rather than I and then... myself and then me... Me... ME ...MEEEAAAAAAAH
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