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Molise, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Molise
o in Italian (Dialect): A femmene fa reje l'aqua dentu un pellicce.
- in English: (Literally) A woman can hold water in a sieve. (Meaning) If said without sarcasm it might mean, "A woman can do anything she sets her mind to"; however if said with sarcasm, it might mean, "A woman thinks she can do what she likes and get away with it."
o in Italian (dialect): Chi chummatta chi femmene e ore chi cuicci non te uai nieute da veuvre.
- in English: Those who have to deal with women and plow with a donkey, don't have any wheat to sell.
o in Italian (Dialect): Avetezze, mezza bellezze.
- in English: Height, half the beauty.
o in Italian: (Dialect) Robba vjecchje 'n case de pazze more.
- in English: (Literally) An old dress dies in a crazy man's house. (Meaning) Someone would have to be crazy to want to have sex with an older woman.
o in Italian: La maglie e mezzo pane, lei mangiera la sua parte e la parte di suo marito.
- in English: (Literally) A wife is half a bread, she eats her half, and that of her husband's. (Equivalent) Having a wife costs a fortune -- she'll spend all the money she makes, and yours as well.
o in Italian (Dialect): Chi te a facce ze marite e chi ze ne bregne reste zite.
o in English: Who has guts gets married, who is easily embarrassed remains a spinster.
o in Italian (Dialect) Se rhu priesc-te fosse vuone, se presc-tesse piure la moglie.
o in English: If the loan is made well, one can even lend one's wife. (English Equivalent) Everyone has a price.
o in Italian (Dialect): Ai figl mup i capisc la mamma sorda.
o in English (Literally) The mute son is understood by the deaf mother. (Meaning) Those who are close understand each other. | Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #818620
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Molise, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking -- Love & Marriage -- by Region -- Molise*
o in Italian: Vino, tabacco e donne riducono l'uomo in cenere.
o in English: Wine, women and tobacco reduces one to ashes.
o in Italian: La maglie e mezzo pane, lei mangiera la sua parte e la parte di suo marito.
o in English: (Literally) A wife is half a bread, she eats her half, and that of her husband's. (Meaning) Having a wife costs a fortune -- she'll spend all the money she makes, and yours as well.
*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 #1117693
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Piemont, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Piedmont
o in Italian: (Dialect) Na ca sonza fumna l'e cume na lum sonza stupin.
o in English: A house without a woman is like an [oil] lamp without a wick.
o in Italian: (Dialect) Le bele fomme a l'an sempre rason.
o in English: Beautiful women are always in the right.
o in Italian: (Dialect) Dije a na fumna ch' a l'e bela, e 'l diau aj lu ripet set volte.
o in English: Tell a woman that she is beautiful, and the devil will repeat it seven times.
o in Italian: (Dialect) Dije a na fumna ch' a l'e bela, e 'l diau aj lu ripet set volte.
o in English: Tell a woman that she is beautiful, and the devil will repeat it seven times.
o in Italian: (Dialect) L'om sensa fumna a l'e 'n caval sensa brila, e la fumna sensa l'om a l'e na barca sensa timun.
o in English: A man without a woman is like a horse without a bridle; a woman without a man is like a boat without a rudder. | Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #818669
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Piedmont, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Folk Sayings or Proverbs on Eating and Drinking -- Love and Marriage -- by Region -- Piedmont*
o in Italian: (Dialect) A l'e pu facil spusese mal, che mange ben.
o in English: It is easier to marry badly than it is to eat well.
in Italian: (Dialect) La fidanzata e latte, la sposa, e burro, la moglie e formaggio duro.
in English: The fiance is milk, the bride is butter, the wife is hard cheese.
*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 #111774
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Puglia, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Puglia
o in Italian: (Dialect) Addu u a caddina crida e lu caddu tace nun c'e pace.
o in English: (Literally) Where the hen sings and the rooster remains quiet, there is no peace. (Meaning) In a marriage where the woman "wears the pants" and the man "wears the skirt" there can be no bliss, as the role reversals inevitably lead to marital strife and social discord.
o in Italian: (Dialect) De na mamma cammara nu te pijare mai la fija, ca ci nu tutta cammara alla mamma se ssamija.
o in English: (Literally) A mother with crooked legs will never marry her daughter even if her daughter's legs are straight, because a daughter resembles her mother. (Meaning) Like mother, like daughter (So, if a mother has a bad reputation, so will her daughter).
| Contributed by: Image courtesyof The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1610079
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Puglia, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating & Drinking -- Love & Marriage -- by Region -- Puglia*
o in Italian: (Dialect) Addu u a caddina crida e lu caddu tace nun c'e pace.
o in English: (Literally) Where the hen sings and the rooster remains quiet, there is no peace. (Meaning) In a marriage where the woman "wears the pants" and the man "wears the skirt" there can be no bliss, as the role reversals inevitably lead to marital strife and social discord.
*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 #1117730
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Sardinia, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Italian Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Sardinia
o in Italian (Dialect): Femina langia, corriaccia.
o in English: Thin women, strong and resilient.
o in Italian (Dialect): Femina risulana, o est macca o est van.
o in English: A woman who laughs all the time, either is crazy or is vain.
o in Italian (Dialect): Sa femina esti cummenti sa mela, affora bella, e aintru punta.
o in English: A woman is like an apple, on the outside, beautiful, on the inside, worm-eaten.
o in Italian (Dialect): Jnnui non penetrada sa femina, non penetrada mancu su buginu.
o in English: Where the woman doesn't go, the devil doesn't go either.
o in Italian (Dialect): Nen bella senza peccu, nen leggia senza tractu.
o in English: There isn't a beauty without some blemish, an ugly woman without some saving grace.
o in Italian (Dialect) Ne sabudu senze sobi ne femina senza amori.
o in English: It's not Saturday without sunshine, nor is a woman a woman without love.
o in Italian (Dialect): Sa bagadia chi no teniri pibiri in culu no balit nudda.
o in English: The girl who does not have pepper in her ass is not worth anything. (Possible meaning) If a girl doesn't do the chores round the house, she's of no use.
o in Italian (Dialect): Bardadi de femina chi hat boghe de homine, e de homine chi hat boghe de femina.
o in English: Beware of a woman who has the voice of a man, and the man who has the voice of a woman.
o in Italian (Dialect): Tres cosas sunt reversas in su mundu: s'arveghe, s'ainu e is sa femina.
o in English: Three things are stubborn in the world: the lamb, the donkey and the woman.
o in Italian (Dialect) Maridu contadore, muzere furunciula.
o in English: (Literally) Stingy husband, a wife who steals. (Meaning) A stingy husband will end up with a wife who will spend his money behind his back. | Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3b21602r
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Sicily, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Sicily
o in Italian: (Dialect) E' bona fimmina, fimmina ca' nun parra [parla].
- in English: A good woman is a woman who doesn't talk.
o in Italian: (Dialect) I fimmini anu capiddi [capelli] luogni e sintimenta [intelligenza] curti.
- in English: Women have long hair and small brains.
o in Italian: (Dialect) Amuri di matri e sirbimientu [asservimento] di muglieri.
- in English: A woman's love for her mother turns her into a slave when she's a wife.
o in Italian: (Dialect) La fimmina e pampina di canna.
- in English: (Literally) A woman is like a bay leaf cane. (Equivalent) Women are fickle.
o in Italian: Cui porta la mugghieri ad ogni festa, nun ci manchira dogghia di testa.
o in English: Who brings his wife to every party, will not miss having a huge headache. | Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #818645
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Sicily, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking -- Love & Marriage -- by Region -- Sicily*
o in Italian: (Dialect) La fimmina e pampina di canna.
o in English: (Literally) A woman is like a bay leaf cane. (Equivalent) Women are fickle.
*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 #1117699
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Tuscany, Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Women -- by Region -- Tuscany
o in Italian: La belle senza dote, trovano piu amanti che mariti.
- in English: (Literally) The beauty without a dowry, finds more lovers than husbands. (Meaning) A beautiful woman without a dowry will find more men who are willing to love her than to marry her.
o in Italian: (Dialect) A chi piace le belle, e a chi le brutte, cosi le donne si maritan tutte.
- in English: Some [men] like them beautiful, and some like them ugly, so all women end up getting married.
o in Italian: Le donne dicono sempre il vero, ma non lo dicono tutto intero.
- in English: Women always speak the truth, but not the whole truth.
o in Italian: La donna e come la castagna, bella di fori, e dentro la magagna.
- in English: (Literally) A woman is like a chestnut, beautiful on the outside, and inside, edible.
o in Italian: Donne e oche, tienne poche.
- in English: Women are silly (geese), have little (to give).
o in Italian: Chi nasce bella, la non e in tutto povera.
- in English: (Literally) Who is born beautiful, is never ever totally poor. (Meaning)Those who are beautiful have an asset (their beauty) so even if they are poor they still have something going for them. | Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #818647
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