History of Sicily

History of Sicily
Sayings of Italian (mostly Sicilian) Wisdom
Dr. Douglas Kenning
THE FINE ART OF SURVIVA L (PART 1)
“Chi non ha i soldi in tasca, deve avere il miele in bocca”
“Who does not have money in his hand, had better have honey in his mouth.”
THE FINE ART OF SURVIVA L (PART 2)
“Mussu di purceddu, oricchi di mircanti e spaddi d'asineddu.” (Sicilian)
“The snout of a piglet, the ears of a trader, and the shoulders of a donkey.” [that is,
“investigate everything, believe nothing, tolerate everything.”]
FAMILY
“Multi parenti, multi tormenti”
“Many relatives, much trouble”
LOVE
“Ama a cui t'ama, si vôi aviri spassu cà amari a cui nun t'ama, è tempu persu.”
“If you want to be happy, love the one who loves you, because it's a waste of time to
love someone who doesn't love you.”
“Li canali su misi a facci a buccuni, pi li mariti e mugghieri stari suli” (Sicilian)
“Roof tiles are positioned to face downwards so that husbands and wives can be left
alone.”
WOMEN & MEN
"L'omo, che podda fare bichin'a vonella" (Neapolitan)
“What can a man do alongside a skirt?"
PUBLIC IMAGE “la bella figura”
"Il pecato nascosto è mezzo perdonato."
“The sin that is hidden is half forgiven.”
EATING
“La fame è il meglior cuoco che ci sia”
“Hunger is the best cook.”
"Quando si manga non si parla, perchè si combata con la morte."
"When you eat, don't speak because you're fighting with death."
EH? understanding Italy & the Italians
Food is more essential than clothes,
HEALTH
“Gli errori dei medici, la terra è copre.”
“The mistakes of the doctors are hidden by dirt.”
LANGUAGE
“Traduttori, traditori”
“Translators, traitors”
HOME ECONOMICS “economia sommersa”
"Tanto vasci' a quattur' o puzzu fin' che si spezza." (Sicilian)
“The pot goes down into the well only so many times and then it finally breaks.”
POLITICS
“A rubar poco si va in galera, a rubar tanto si fa cariera.”
“Steal a little, go to jail; steal a lot, make a fine career.”
GET IT IN WRITING
“Verba volant; scripta manent”.
“Words fly; script remains.”
SAVVY BUSINESS
“Al contadino non far sapere quanto è buono il formaggio con le pere.”
“Don't let the farmer know how good cheese is with pears.”
TRAVEL
“A ogni uccello il suo nido è bello.”
“To every bird, his own nest is beautiful.”
i.e. “There's no place like home.”
WHY CHANGE ANYTHING?
"Quandu si las 'a vecchia p'a nova, sabe che lasa ma non sabe che trova."
(Sicilian)
“When you leave the old for the new, you know what you are leaving but not what
you will find.’
INSULT
"Mangiati quattru figatedd'i muschi arrustitti." (Sicilian)
“Go eat four roasted flies' livers.”
Douglas Kenning
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