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. 

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 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. 

N

• Ne' fiori cova la serpe.
  • English equivalent: Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers do creep.
  • Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 1070. ISBN 0415096243. 

• 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. 

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–. 

See also

• Bolognese proverbs
• Corsican proverbs
• Emilian proverbs
• Italian proverbs
• Lombard proverbs
• Milanese proverbs
• Neapolitan proverbs
• Northern Italian proverbs
• Piedmontese proverbs
• Romagnol proverbs
• Romanesco proverbs
• Sardinian proverbs
• Sicilian proverbs
• Tristine proverbs ‎
• Venetian Proverbs