Tuscan proverbs

Tuscan is a Milanese dialect spoken in the region of Tuscany which approximately lies in north-western Italy.

A

Al bugiardo non è creduto il vero.
- English equivalent: A liar is not believed when he tells the truth.
- "Do you remember the fable of the little boy who cried 'wolf'? In the story a young prankster called out for townspeople to save him from an imaginary wolf. One day, the lad encountered a real wolf and called for help. The people, remembering his earlier tricks, didn't come to his aid and the boy was eaten."
- Paoli E. Massaglia, The Little Boy Who Cried Mayday (1988)
- "By telling a single lie to oneself or to another, by denying a single fact of the world as it has been created, one adds to the World’s Pain."
- Michael Moorcock, The War Hound and the World’s Pain (1981), Chapter 16
- von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "65" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. II. p. 36.

A padre avaro (cupido) figliuol prodigo.
- English equivalent: A miserly father makes a prodigal son.
- von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "523, Vater" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 292.

C

Chi è diffamato, È mezzo impiccato.
- English equivalent: Give a dog a bad name and hang him.
- von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "578, Gerücht" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. I. p. 300.

Chi è imbarcato col diavolo, ha a passare in sua compagnia.
- English equivalent: Better never begun than never ended; He that takes the devil into the boat must carry him over the sound.
- von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "439, Teufel" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. pp. 244–245.

Chi molto pratica, molto impara.
- English equivalent: Practice makes perfect .
- von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "496, Übung" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 274.

Chi per l altrui man s imbocca rade volte si satolla.
- English equivalent: He that waits on another man's trencher, makes many a late dinner.
- von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "96" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. I. pp. 45-46.

Chi rubba una spilla rubba una libbra .
- English equivalent: He that will steal a pin will steal a better thing.
- von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "387, Stehlen" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 212.

Chi sa disprezzare di essere onorato, Merita di non esser disprezzato..
- English equivalent: Follow glory and it will flee, flee glory and it will follow thee.
- von Düringsfeld, Ida; Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto von (1872). "320". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. p. 164.

Chi troppo intraprende, poco finisce.
- English equivalent: He that has many irons in the fire, some of them will let burn (will cool).
- von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875) (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. II. p. 306.

D

Dimmi con chi (chi tu) pratichi e ti dirò chi (tu) sei.
- English equivalent: If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas.
- von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "498, umgehst" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. pp. 275–276.

E

'È mal sordo chi non vuol sentire .
- English equivalent: None so deaf as those who will not hear.
- von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "427, Tauben" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. Fries. p. 238.

I

'Il diavolo quand è vecchi, si fa cappuccino.
- Approximate translation: "When the devil is old, he makes himself a cappuccino."
- von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "Teufel, 436" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen sprachen vergleichend, zusammengestellt. II. p. 243.

Il medico pietoso fa la piaga puzzolente.
- English equivalent: Mild physician – putrid wounds.
- Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 710. ISBN 0415096243.

L

La natura può più dell'arte.
- English equivalent: Nature is beyond all teaching.
- "There is the love of knowing without the love of learning; the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind."
- Confucius, Analects (~ 300 BC), Book XVII, Chapter VIII.
- Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 764. ISBN 0415096243.

La sanità e libertà Vaglion più d'una città.
- English equivalent: Good health is above wealth.
- von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto. "588, Gesundheit". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. p. 305.

La scimmia è sempre scimmia, anco vestita di seta.
- English equivalent: A golden bit does not make the horse any better.
- von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1872). "14 Affen" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. Fries. p. 7.

M

Meglio un ovo oggi, che una gallina domani.
- English equivalent: Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.
- von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "725, heut". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. p. 381.

N

Ne' fiori cova la serpe.
- English equivalent: Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers do creep.
- von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "315, Schlange" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. ÏI. pp. 177-178.

Non istuzzicare il can che dorme.
- English equivalent: Let sleeping dogs lie.
- Ida; Otto (1875). "599, wecken" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen vergleichend zusammengestellt von Ida von Duringsfeld und Otto Freihern von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld. II. pp. 334–335.

Non nominare la fune in casa dell impiccato starden.
- English equivalent: In the house of the hanged man, mention not the rope.
- von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "405, Strick" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 225.

P

Parola detta e sasso tirato non fù più suo .
- English equivalent: A word spoken is past recalling.
- von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "391, Stein" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. pp. 215–216.

Q

Quando brucia nel vicinato, porta l' acqua casa tua.
- ̽English equivalentː When thy neighbour s house doth burn (is on fire) be careful (beware) of thine own.
- von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "Nachbarn, 127" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. p. 73.

Quattrino risparmiato du volte guadagnato.
- English equivalent: A penny saved is a penny earned.
- von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "370, spart" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 204.

S

Scherzo lungo non fu mai buono.
- English equivalent: Leave a jest when it pleases you best.
- von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "122, aufhören" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. p. 59-60.

T

Tien la ventura mentre l'hai, se la perdi, mai più l ' avrai.
- English equivalent: When fortune knocks, be sure to open the door.
- von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto. "573, Gelegenheid". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. pp. 297-298.

V

Vivere e lasciar vivere .
- English equivalent: Live and let live.
- von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "15". Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen sprachen vergleichend, zusammengestellt. H. Fries. pp. 8–.

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See also