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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Folk Saying or Proverb on Food -- Beans -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: La fame muta le fave in mandorle.
o in English: (Literally) Hunger softens fava beans [and makes them sweet]. Meaning: When you're hungry, you don't care about the quality of the food you're eating -- everything tastes good. Or, If you're poor anything will taste good. (Equivalent) Hunger is the best spice.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating -- Beef, Pork & Lamb -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: Tutto fumo e niente arrosto.
o in English: (Literally) All smoke and no roast. (Meaning): It's no big deal.
o in Italian: Tanto va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampino.
o in English: (Literally) The cat goes so often to the lard that she will eventually leave her paw print on it. (Meaning) Eventually if one keeps doing the same bad thing over and over again, one will get caught.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking -- Poverty (general) -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: Belle parole non pascono i gatti.
o in English: (Literally) Fine words don't feed cats. (Meaning) The poor don't need speeches, they need food.
o in Italian: O di paglia o di fieno purche il corpo sia pieno.
o in English: (Literally) With straw or with hay, as long as the body is full. (Meaning: As long as you don't starve and have something to fill the belly, then life goes on.) English equivalent: Something is better than nothing.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Folk Sayings or Proverbs on Food -- Weather -- The Months of the Year -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: Aprile freddolino, molto pane e meno vino.
o in English: April a little cold, lots of bread and not much wine.
o in Italian: Se maggio e scuro, pane sicuro.
o in English: If May is dark, bread for sure. (Meaning) If there is poor weather in May, all there will be to eat is bread and not much else.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Drinking -- Water -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: Bere acqua la mattina e una buona medicina.
o in English: (Literally) Drinking water in the morning is good medicine. (Meaning) Drinking water in the morning is good for you. (However, if it is said sarcastically) As you can't afford anything else, drink water, and at least you'll not die of thirst.
o in Italian: L'acqua corrente non si corrompe mai.
o in English: (Literally) Flowing water never has to be purchased. (Equivalent) The best things in life are free.
o in Italian: Perdersi in un bicchier d'acqua.
o in English: (Literally) To lose oneself in a glass of water. (Equivalent) To make a mountain out of a molehill.
o in Italian: Tanta va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampino.
o in English (Literally) The pitcher goes so far from the [water] well that it leaves its handle. (Equivalent) A pitcher that is often used is likely to get broken.
o in Italian: Acqua passata non macina piu.
o in English: (Literally) Used water doesn't mill anymore. Or Water that's flowed past the mill grinds no more. (Equivalent) What's done is done. Or It's no use crying over spilled milk.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Drinking -- Wine -- Healthy Living -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: Una cena senza vino e come un giorno senza sole.
o in English: A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.
o in Italian: Amici e vini sono meglio vecchie.
o in English: Friends and wine are best aged.
o in Italian: L'acqua fa male e il vino fa cantare.
o in English: Water hurts and wine makes you sing.
o in Italian: Riempi il bicchere quando e vuoto, vuota il bicchiere quando e pieno, non lo lasciar mai vuoto, non la lasciar mai pieno.
o in English: (Literally) Fill your glass when it is empty, empty it when it is full, never leave it empty, never leave it full.
o in Italian: Il bicchiere della staffa.
o in English: (Literally) The (wine) glass of the stirrup. (Equivalent) One for the road.
o in Italian: Nel vino la verita.
o in English: In wine, the truth.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Folk Sayings or Proverbs on Drinking -- Wine-Making & Quality -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: Luva cattiva non fa buon vino!
o in English: Bad grapes can't give you good wine.
o in Italian: Botte buona fa buon vino.
o in English: A good cask makes good wine.
o in Italian (Dialect): Dumandig' a l'ost' se el gha del bun' vin. El te dis' si!.
o in English: (Literally) Ask the innkeeper if the wine is good. Of course, he'll answer yes. Equivalent: Ask a stupid question and you'll get a stupid answer.
o in Italian: Non domandare all'oste se ha buon vino.
o in English: Don't ask the host if he has good wine.
o in Italian: Il vino e buono se l'ostessa e bella.
o in English: Wine is good if the landlady is beautiful.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Folk Sayings or Proverbs on Drinking -- Wine -- the Weather -- Months of the Year -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: A marzo taglia e pota, se non vuoi la botte vuota.
o in English: (Literally) In March cut and prune, if you don't want to get hit with nothing. (Equivalent) In March cut and prune, or you'll not have a good harvest.
o in Italian: Aprile freddolino, molto pane e meno vino.
o in English: April a little cold, lots of bread and not much wine.
o in Italian: Vino bianco e capponi, di liuglio non son buoni.
o in English: White wine and capon, in July are not good.
o in Italian: Quando arriva agosto, prepara i tini per il nuovo musto
o in English: When August arrives, prepare the vats for the new [wine] must.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Folk Sayings or Proverbs on Drinking -- Over-Indulgence -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: Ogni volta che si ride, si toglie un chiodo alla bara.
o in English: Every time one laughs one incurs a debt at a bar.
o in Italian: Non si puo avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca.
o in English: (Literally) You can't have a full barrel [of wine] and a drunk wife. (Equivalent)You can't have your cake and eat it too.
o in Italian: Non si puo bere e soffiaare.
o in English: One cannot drink and whistle at once.
o in Italian: L'uomo cinquantina lascia il sesso e prende il vino.
o in English: A man in his fifties loses his sex drive and takes to wine.
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Italy | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Proverbs or Folk Sayings on Eating and Drinking -- Manners -- Italy (National)
o in Italian: Quando si manga non si parla, perche si combata con la morte.
o in English: (Literally) When one is eating one is not supposed to talk, because one is fighting with death. (Equivalent) Don't eat and talk or you might choke.
o in Italian: Non puoi tenerti la torta e mangiartela.
o in English: You can't have your cake and eat it too.
o in Italian: La pecora che bela perde il boccone.
o in English: (Literally) The sheep that bleats loses a mouthful. (Meaning) If you talk, you can't eat. (Equivalent) Don't talk and eat at the same time (or you might choke). Or (depending on context) Actions speak louder than words.
o in Italian: Chi nun tene appetito trova tutto o salato a sciapito.
o in English: Those who are not hungry find everything salty and not to one's taste.
o in Italian: Chi mangia sulo s'affoga.
o in English: He who eats alone suffocates.
o in Italian: Ne ammazza piu la gola che la spada.
o in English: (Literally) Gluttony kills more than the sword. (Meaning) More people die from over-eating than from wars.
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