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Folk Sayings Animals
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Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Dogs -- Italy (National)
     
     
      o in Italian: Cane di gambe corte, abbaia sempre forte.
      o in English: (Literally) Dogs with short legs bark always. (Meaning) To get noticed, people with little to say, talk the most.
     
     
      o in Italian: Anche un cane guarda un vescovo.
      o in English: (Literally) Even a dog can look like a bishop. (Equivalent) Appearances can be deceiving.
     
     
      o in Italian: Chi il suo cane vuole ammazzare, quacke scusa sa pigliare.
      o in English: When one wants to get rid of their dog, any excuse is a good excuse.
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #0560r

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Calabria, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Dogs -- by Region -- Calabria
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) U cani prima u si mangia l'ossu si misura u culu.
      o in English: A dog before eating his bone measures his ass.
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #486204

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Emilia Romagna, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Italian Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Animals -- Dogs -- by Region -- Emilia Romagna
     
     
      o in Italian (Dialect): Pri campe sen, bsogna pse spes come i chen.
      o in English: To be healthy, one needs to pee often like the dogs.
     
      o in Italian (Dialect): Corp san al pisa cme 'n can.
      o in English: (Literally) A healthy body pisses like a dog. (Meaning) Someone in good health pisses a lot.
     
      o in Italian (Dialect): Tut i can i gh'han la cova, tut i cojon i dison la sova.
      o in English translation: All dogs have a tail, all idiots have an opinion.
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1854r

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Liguria, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Italian Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Cats -- by Region -- Liguria
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect)Chi ammazza gatti e chen o no fa mai ciu de ben.
      o in English: Those who kill cats and dogs never do anything that's good.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1523151

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Lombardy, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Folk Sayings or Proverbs on Dogs -- by Region -- Lombardy
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Andar indua a mosga mia i can.
      o in English: (Literally) Let's go where the dogs never bite. (Meaning) Let's go to a safe place.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Testicoli di cane e soldi di povero sono sempre in bella evidenza.
      o in English: (Literally) The testicles of dogs and the money of the poor are always in good evidence. (Meaning) The fact that the poor Don't have any money is as obvious as are a dog's private parts.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) I omen i gan i dinc de can: se pien minga incoo i pien duman.
      o in English: Men have teeth like dogs: if they don't bite you today, they will bite you tomorrow.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Chi no mantee i can, mantee i lader.
      o in English: (Literally) Who does not keep dogs, keeps thieves. (Meaning) If you don't have a watchdog, watch out, your house might get broken into.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3g12542r

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Marche, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Dogs -- by Region -- Marche
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Si 'nn e lup e can ner.
      o in English: If it's not a wolf, its a black dog. (Meaning) Even if it's not the whole truth, but there is some truth in it anyway.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) La minestra senza sale no la magna mancu lu cane!
      o in English: A dish prepared without salt a dog does not even want! N.B. Prior to World War II salt, like other food ingredients which subsistence farmers did not themselves grow on their properties, was deemed as being rather expensive, so to save money the poorest of the poor would often omit it. Obviously, when salt was omitted those eating the dishes would complain about their fate.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) El ca' che babaja nun mocciga.
      o in English: The dog who barks doesn't bite. (Equivalent) His bark is worse than his bite.
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3g12528r

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Molise, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Dogs -- by Region -- Molise
     
      MOLISE (Casacalenda)*
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Pu can ze respettu patrone.
      in English: (Literally): For the dog, you respect the owner. (Meaning): The rich are respected because of the power they yield and the things they own (and not for themselves).
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) U acciun' p'll 'cciatar' port sempr' a pel' cav'tat'.
      in English: (Literally) A mad dog always comes with a coat with many holes. (Meaning) An angry man doesn't think straight.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Case nterra chiane entrene puorce e cane.
      o in English: (Literally) A house at ground level is open to dogs and fleas. (Meaning) If you live on the bottom floor, anyone can come in (especially thieves).
     
      o in Italian: Chi vai a letto con i cani, si leva con le pulci.
      o in English: (Literally) He who sleeps with dogs, wakes up with fleas. (Meaning) If you hang around with bad sorts, don't be surprised if you end up doing bad things.
     
      *Contributed by Antonio (Tony) Fantillo
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Sci come un cane de l'urteiane, n'ze magne a'cepolle ma manche a'fa magna.
      o in English: (Literally) Like a dog that doesn't eat onions but won't let others eat them either. (Meaning) Said of someone who is not only lazy, but manages to impede others from working hard as well.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Leccature de sicchje ne 'ngrassene cane.
      o in English: Licking the bucket will not make the dog get fat.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3g03209r

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Piedmont, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Dogs -- by Region -- Piedmont
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Chi ha nulla da fare pettini i cani.
      o in English: Who has nothing to do combs dogs.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #429002

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Puglia, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Dogs -- by Region -- Puglia
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Non 'accemenda lu cuane ca rorme! Ca quire ss'mena!
      o in English: Don't disturb the dog that sleeps. It will attack. (Equivalent) Let sleeping dogs lie.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3g03218r

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Sardinia, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Italian Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Animals -- Dogs -- by Region -- Sardinia
     
      o in Italian (Dialect): Ne cane di piga, ne homine balente, nde mori' mai bezzu.
      o in English: Neither the hunting dog, nor the man of valor, can avoid getting old.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1123152

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