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Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking
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Molise, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Italian Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating -- Poverty -- by Region -- Molise
     
      Casacalenda, Molise*
      o in Italian: Al contadino non far sapere quanto e buono il formaggio con le pere.
      o in English: (Literally) Don't let the peasant know good good cheese is with pears. (Meaning) Don't let the poor know how good it is to be rich.
     
      o in Italian (Dialect): U sazie ne crede u dijune.
      o in English: (Literally) The one who is full cannot believe he who is hungry. (Meaning) The well-fed can't understand what it's like to go hungry.
     
      o in Italian (dialect): Quande a trippe e vacante, ne z'sone e ne z'cante".
      o in English: When one's belly is empty, one can't sleep or sing.
     
      * Contributed by Antonio (Tony) Fantillo
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #3a47883r

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Molise, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Italian Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Drinking -- Wine (general) -- by Region -- Molise
     
      Casacalenda*
      o in Italian (Dialect): U lacce, che belle e vevete me ce facce.
      o in English: (Literally) With celery, it's so good I have to make myself a drink. (Meaning) With celery a good drink follows naturally. Or, food and drink go well together. (Equivalent) Any excuse is a good excuse to have a drink.
     
      o in Italian (dialect): Lu latte de li viecchi ea lu vino.
      o in English: Wine is the milk of old people.
     
      *Contributed by Antonio (Tony) Fantillo
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1583

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Molise, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Italian Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Drinking -- Over-Indulgence -- by Region -- Molise
     
      Larino, Molise*
      o in Italian (Dialect): E'meje embriache e non carcerate.
      o in English: It's better to be a drunkard than to be in jail.
     
      Casacalenda, Molise*
      o in Italian (Dialect): Pe guadegna u shtuppelle ze perde a fiasche.
      o in English: (Literally) To save the cork, he lost the bottle. (Equivalent) Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. Or, "Don't fix what ain't broke" ('cause you'll make it worse).
     
      *Contributed by Antonio (Tony) Fantillo
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1158947

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Molise, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Italian Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking -- Manners -- by Region -- Molise
     
      Casacalenda, Molise*
      o in Italian (Dialect): A pecuere che dice beh per u mecceche.
      o in English: (Literally) A lamb who says, bah, loses what she is eating. (Meaning) If you talk, you can't eat. (Equivalent) Don't talk and eat at the same time (or you might choke).
     
      o in Italian (Dialect): L'asn port'a pagl'e, l'asn's l'magn'.
      o in English: (Literally) The donkey brings the hay and the donkey eats it. (Equivalent) He who brings home the bacon gets to eat it.
     
      o in Italian: Chi mangia solo crepa solo.
      o in English: He who eats alone dies alone.
     
      * Contributed by Antonio (Tony) Fantillo
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3b49077r

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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.
     
     
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1117693

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Piedmont, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverb or Folk Saying on Food -- Salt -- by Region -- Piedmont
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Versare l'olio o il sale porta disgrazia.
      o in English: Pour in the oil or the salt and bring misfortune. (Meaning) A good dish can be ruined by many different means -- too much salt or too much oil; so too can one have a run of bad luck.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3f04117r

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Piedmont, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverb or Folk Saying on Eating & Drinking -- Work -- by Region -- Piedmont
     
      o in Italian: (Dialect) Il prete dove canta mangia.
      o in English: The priest where he sings, eats.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3a4563r

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Piedmont, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverb or Folk Saying on Food -- Work -- by Region -- Piedmont
     
      o in Italian: Chi si vergogna di lavorare si vergogni anche di mangiare.
      o in English: Who is ashamed to work, is also ashamed to eat.
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3b21576r

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Piedmont, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating & Drinking -- Love & 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.
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1117714

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Puglia, Italy
Date: Centuries-old
Notes: Italian Proverb or Folk Saying on Eating -- Healthy Living) -- by Region -- Puglia
     
      o in Italian: Se vuoi vivere a lungo, devil mangiare, bere e dormire.
      o in English: If you want to live long, you have to eat, drink and sleep.
     
Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #10088r

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