|
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.
| Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #818649
| View full size image |
|
|
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
| View full size image |
|
|
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
| View full size image |
|
|
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.
| Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3b2163r
| View full size image |
|
|
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.
| Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3b47120r
| View full size image |
|
|
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." | Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery
| View full size image |
|
|
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).
| Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #818694
| View full size image |
|
|
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
| View full size image |
|
|
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
| View full size image |
|
|
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
| View full size image |
|
Page: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / Next >>
|