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Folk Sayings Women
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Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women (general) -- Italy (National)
     
      o in Italian: Una donna perfetta, e la cosa piu nobile della terra.
      - in English: A perfect woman is the most noble thing in the world.
     
     
      o in Italian: Le donne fanno le chiacchiere, gli uomini fanno i fatti.
      - in English: Women make chitchat, men make things happen. Or, Women talk, men act.
     
      o in Italian: Vento, tempo, donne e fortuna -- prima voltano e poi tornano, come la luna.
      - in English: Wind, time, women and luck -- first they turn away and then they come back, like the moon.
     
     
     
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Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women and Virtue -- Italy (National)
     
     
      o in Italian: Donna modesta -- famiglia onesta.
      - in English: Modest woman, honest family.
     
     
      o in Italian: Donna prudente, donna eccellente.
      - in English: A prudent woman is a good woman.
     
      o in Italian: La bellezza va e viene -- la bonta si mantiene.
      - in English: (Literally) Beauty comes and goes, kindness is maintained. (Meaning) Beauty doesn't last long, kindness lasts forever.
     
      o in Italian: Onesta con gentilezza, supera ogni bellezza.
      - in English: Honesty and kindness, is superior to every kind of beauty.
     
      o in Italian: Donna buona -- vale una corona.
      - in English: A good woman is worth a crown.
     
     
     
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #3b21639r

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Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverb or Folk Saying on Women and Power -- Italy (National)
     
      o in Italian: La casa dove comanda la moglie e come una galera.
      - in English: A house where a woman commands is like a prison.
     
     
      o in Italian: Chi non ha moglie non ha padrone.
      - in English: A man without a wife is a man without a master.
     
      o in Italian: Si una donna e tranquila, ha bisogno di un uomo.
      - in English: If a woman is at peace, she needs a man [who will put an end to it].
     
     
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3b21752r

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Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women and Beauty -- Italy (National)
     
     
      o in Italian: La bellezza, e gia ricchezza.
      - in English: Beauty is instant wealth.
     
      o in Italian: La bellezza va e viene -- la bonta si mantiene.
      - in English: (Literally) Beauty comes and goes, kindness is maintained. (Meaning) Beauty doesn't last long, kindness lasts forever.
     
     
      o in Italian: Onesta con gentilezza, supera ogni bellezza.
      - in English: Honesty and kindness, is superior to every kind of beauty.
     
     
      o in Italian: Donna adorna, tardi esce e tardi torna.
      - in English: A dolled-up woman, leaves late and comes home late.
     
      o in Italian: Di notte tutti i gatti sono neri.
      - in English: By night all the cats are black. (Meaning) In bed all women are the same.
     
     
     
     
     
     
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Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- Love and Marriage -- Italy (National)
     
      o in Italian: La moglie e la chiave di casa.
      - in English: A good wife is the key to a good home.
     
      o in Italian: Le ragazze spiritose -- sono sempre ottime spose.
      - in English: (Literally) A funny woman is always the ultimate spouse. (Meaning) A woman who has a good sense of humor makes for the perfect partner.
     
      o in Italian: Casa senza fimmina impuvirisci.
      - in English: How poor is a home without a woman.
     
      o in Italian: Senza moglie a lato, l'uomo non e beato.
      o in English: Without a wife by his side, a man can't be blessed.
     
      o in Italian: Donne e motori, gioie e dolori.
      - in English: Women and motors, joy and pain.
     
      o in Italian: La donna non e capace di amicizia, conosce solo'amore.
      - in English: A woman is not capable of friendship, she knows only how to love.
     
      o in Italian: Alle donne piacciono gli uomini silenziosi. Credono che ascoltino.
      - in English: Women like silent men. They believe they are listening.
     
      o in Italian: Si una donna e tranquila, ha bisogno di un uomo.
      - in English: If a woman is at peace, she needs a man [who will put an end to it].
     
      o in Italian: Donna adorna, tardi esce e tardi torna.
      - in English: A dolled-up woman, leaves late and comes home late.
     
      o in Italian: Di notte tutti i gatti sono neri.
      - in English: By night all the cats are black. (Meaning) In bed all women are the same.
     
      o in Italian: La casa dove comanda la moglie e come una galera.
      - in English: A house where a woman commands is like a prison.
     
      o in Italian: Chi non ha moglie non ha padrone.
      - in English: A man without a wife is a man without a master.
     
     
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Italy
Date: Centuries old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking -- Love and Marriage -- Italy (National)*
     
      o in Italian: Senza moglie a lato, l'uomo non e beato.
      o in English: Without a wife and milk, a man can't be happy.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Pe' fa cuntend lu' marit la femmen a da ess gne lu vin, chiu' pas lu temb e chiu' devent bon.
      o in English; To make her husband happy, a woman must be like wine -- the more time passes, the better she gets.
     
      o in Italian:; E' piu facile sposarsi male che mangiare bene.
      o in English: It's easier to end up in a bad marriage than to eat well.
     
      * For folk sayings or proverbs on women and food from Italy that are not gender-specific see "Italy Revisited/Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking."
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Abruzzo, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Abruzzo
     
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) La femmen che mov l'angh [sculetta qunado cammina] o e puttan o poche cja manghe.
      - in English: The woman who wiggles her hips when she walks is a whore or close to it.
     
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) La fommn senza pett le agne nu scutullar senza pitt.
      - in English: A woman without a bosom is like a sieve without holes (and/or a dish rack without plates).
     
     
     
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Abruzzo, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking -- Love and Marriage -- by Region -- Abruzzo*
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) La mojje che vo' bbene ajju marite, la sera je da fa la cepullata; la mojje ch'ajju marite je vo' male, je mette ju sale alla saraca.
      o in English: (Meaning) The wife who loves her husband will serve him a good meal in the evening, the wife who wills her husband harm will add too much salt on it.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) L'ommene sole m'ezz a tant dame, fa la fijure de lu' salame.
      o in English: A man alone among a large group of women has the look of a salami.
     
      * For Italian proverbs or folk sayings on eating and drinking that are not gender-specific see "Italy Revisited/Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking."
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1117697

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Basilicata, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Basilicata
     
     
      o in Italian: Non ce gardino sezza fiore, no ve donna senza amare.
      - in English: One can't garden without flowers, one can't become a woman without love.
     
     
      o in Italian (Dialect): Quant' e beli, la reggin' n vl' na fel. Or, Quant'e beli, com o cul della capasella.
      - in English: (Literally, with sarcasm) You're so beautiful the queen wants a slice of you. Or more directly, You're as beautiful as the butt of an urinal. (Meaning) You think you're so pretty, but really you're not. Or, you're full of it.
     
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1562093

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Calabria, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Calabria
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Cu havi pocu dinari sempra cunta, cu havi 'a mugghjiera beddha sempra canta.
      o in English: Who has little money is always counting, who has a beautiful wife is always singing.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Tira cchju nu pilu i fissa nta la nchjanata ca na paricchja i voi nta la scinduta.
      o in English: One female pubic hair can pull more than a pair of oxen going downhill.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Donni e motori sunnu duluri i cori [mal di cuore].
      - in English: Women and motors are hard on the heart.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) A mamma di cazzuni e sempre prena.
      o in English: The mother of fools is always pregnant.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Na fimmina e 'na sumera arrebbellanu 'na hera.
      o in English: A woman and a donkey cause turmoil at a [country] fair.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Haiu a me figghia 'nta fascia, e la dota intra a la cascia.
      o in English: (Literally) Have my daughter in my face, and her dowry inside the house. (Meaning) Every time I see my daughter, I am reminded that I have to put up the money to pay for her dowry which will cost me a fortune.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Cumandari e megghjiu 'i futtiri.
      o in English: (Literally) Commanding is better than having sex. (Meaning) Being the head of a household and having the last word feels better than making love.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Mejgghiu nu maritu nipiteja ca nu garzu 'imperaturi.
      o in English: (Literally) Better a poor husband than a boy emperor. (Meaning) It's better to have a husband who is poor than one who is domineering.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) A mujgghier du latru non sempri sciala e rridi ca veni u nd' havi e ciangiri.
      o in English: The wife of a thief does not always laugh and smile, because [she knows] there will come a time when she will cry.
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Si 'vo viriri nu masculu valenti, mentinci 'na fimmina ravanti!
      o in English: If you want to find out the worth of a man, put a woman in front of him.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #818674

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