Guernsey Proverbs (50)

P'tit patchet long ch'min coute.

“A small packet becomes a heavy burden on a long journey.”

Even a minor load feels heavier the further and longer you must carry it.

Gras coum' aen lopin d'si.

“As fat as a lump of suet.”

A vivid rural simile describing someone who is very well-fed or stout.

Daeux gros os n'peuve bouidre dans lé mesme pot.

“Two big bones cannot boil in the same pot.”

Two strong-willed rivals cannot easily share the same small space.

Il en reste assaïz pour tous les Tostevins.

“There is enough left for all the Tostevins.”

Said when plenty of food remains at the table; Tostevin, a common Guernsey surname, stands in for "everyone".

Ch' n'est pas les sians qui labourent pus pres des fossaïs qui saönt les pus riches.

“It is not those who plough nearest the hedge who are the richest — economy can be carried too far.”

Squeezing every last inch out of your land through excessive thrift or caution does not make you the wealthiest; economy carried too far defeats itself.

Quand i' plleut daove vent d'ava, I'nourrit haomme et son cheval; Quand i' plleut daove vent d'amaont, Ch'est merveille si tout nö faont.

“When it rains with a west wind, it feeds a man and his horse; when it rains with an east wind, it is a wonder if anything comes to good.”

A westerly rain nourishes both man and livestock, while rain from the east threatens ruin to crops and fortune alike.

Necessitaïe fait la vieille trottaïr.

“Necessity will make an old woman trot.”

Hardship or urgent need can drive even the frail and reluctant to move quickly and act.

Paque martine djère, peste, ou pestilence.

“Easter in March brings war, plague, or pestilence.”

An old calendar-based weather and fortune saying warning that an unusually early Easter foretells hardship for the year ahead.

L'arc d'alliance du saër, baël a veies, L'arc d'alliance du matin, fait la mare au ch'min.

“A rainbow in the evening is a sign of fair weather; a rainbow in the morning means puddles on the road.”

Traditional weather-reading lore: an evening rainbow promises good weather ahead, while a morning rainbow warns of rain to come.

Aen mouissaon à la môin vaút mux qué daeux qui volent.

“A bird in the hand is worth more than two on the wing.”

A smaller certain gain is worth more than a larger, uncertain one still out of reach.

Vent d'amaont ove pllie, n'vaut pas énne fllie.

“An east wind with rain is not worth a limpet.”

An east wind bringing rain is a thoroughly bad and unproductive combination, worth nothing at all.

Lé sian qui mange sa crôime, né fait pas du burre.

“He who eats his own cream never makes butter.”

Consuming your resources as soon as you have them leaves nothing to build something greater; save in order to prosper.

I' ne faut pas faire le cottin d'vànt que le viau seit naï.

“One must not make the crib before the calf is born.”

Don't count your chickens before they hatch — avoid preparing for or celebrating an outcome that has not yet happened.

Apprins au ber, dure jusqu'au ver.

“What is learnt in the cradle lasts until the grave.”

Habits and values instilled in early childhood stay with a person for life.

Nou ne va pas au jàn sans ses gànts.

“No one goes to cut furze without gloves.”

Prepare properly before undertaking a difficult or thorny task.

P'tit à p'tit lé mouissaon fait sa mid.

“Little by little, the bird builds her nest.”

Great achievements are built gradually through small, steady effort.

Ch'n'est pas Ôve du vinaigre que nous attrâpe des mouques.

“You do not catch flies with vinegar.”

Harshness and roughness win nothing; kindness and gentleness accomplish far more.

Qui pent volaïr ùn oeuf, pent volaïr ùn boeuf.

“He who would steal an egg would steal an ox.”

A person willing to be dishonest in small matters cannot be trusted in larger ones; integrity must hold in every case.

A p'tit pourche grosse pânais.

“The little pig gets the big parsnip.”

The youngest or smallest of a family is often given the most favour and pampering.

Qui paie s'acquitte; qui s'acquitte s'enrichit.

“He who pays clears his debt; he who clears his debt grows rich.”

Settling what you owe promptly is the surest path to lasting prosperity.

Si nou lli dounne un peis i' prend une faïve.

“Give him a pea and he will take a bean.”

Give someone a small concession and they will push to take far more; give an inch and lose a mile.

Mettre daeux guerbes en un llian.

“To bind two sheaves with one wisp.”

To accomplish two goals at once with a single, efficient effort.

Ch'est la coue qui est la pière à écorchier.

“It is the tail that is the hardest part to flay.”

Finishing a difficult task well is often harder than beginning it.

Qui sent mànjue se gratte.

“He who itches, scratches himself.”

A guilty conscience reveals itself; someone who reacts defensively to a remark likely recognizes it applies to them.

Quand le bouissé est pllein, i' jette.

“When the bushel-measure is full, it runs over.”

There is a breaking point beyond which any small addition causes everything to spill over; the last straw breaks the camel's back.

Pûs de broue que de travâs.

“There is more bustle than actual work.”

A great show of activity often produces far less real effort or result than it appears to.

Biautaï sans bountaï, ne vaut pas vin évantaï.

“Beauty without goodness is not worth stale wine.”

Outward beauty has little true worth if it is not matched by kindness and good character.

L'amour hâle pûs que chent bœufs.

“Love draws more than a hundred oxen.”

Affection and willing devotion accomplish far more than force ever could.

F'rine du guiablle s'en va en bran.

“The devil's flour turns to bran.”

Wealth gained dishonestly never truly prospers; it wastes away just as it came.

Chàngement d'herbage est bouan pour les jânes viaux.

“A change of pasture is good for young calves.”

Variety and new experience are especially valuable for the young as they grow and learn.

S'il ne l'a en breuf, il l'aira en soupe.

“If he does not get it in broth, he will get it in soup.”

A determined person will find some way to achieve his end, even if his first approach fails.

Les p'tits tchiens out de longues coues.

“Little dogs have long tails.”

Fine and precious things often come in small packages; size is no measure of worth.

Ch'est une querrue à tchiens.

“It is a plough drawn by dogs.”

Said of an enterprise poorly managed, where those meant to work together instead pull in different directions.

Il n'y a fagot qui n'trouve sen lliàn.

“There is no faggot but finds a band to bind it.”

Everyone eventually finds their proper match or place, however unlikely it may seem; every Jack finds his Jill.

I' n'y a rien itaï que sé sa qu'minse lavaïr.

“There is nothing like washing your own shirt.”

If you want something done properly, it is best to do it yourself rather than rely on others.

Nou ne trâche pas de la graïsse dans le nic d'ùn tchien.

“No one looks for fat in a dog's kennel.”

Do not expect to find a quality, such as generosity or honesty, where it has never existed.

Si ùn cat s'amord au lard, nou ne sairait l'en d's'amordre.

“If a cat takes a liking to bacon, you will never break her of it.”

Bad habits, once formed, are extremely difficult to root out.

Tout neû g'nêt néquie net.

“A new broom sweeps clean.”

Someone newly appointed to a task often works with unusual energy and thoroughness at first.

Ch'est cauches grises, et grises cauches.

“It is grey stockings, and stockings grey.”

Used of two things that amount to exactly the same, whichever way you look at them; six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Tout chu qui vient de flot se retournera d'èbe.

“All that comes with the flood tide will return with the ebb.”

Wealth that arrives too quickly, or is ill-gotten, tends to disappear just as fast as it came.

Les grands diseurs sont de p'tits faiseurs.

“Great talkers are little doers.”

Those who boast most about what they will accomplish often achieve the least.

Où'est qu'il y a du crottin, il y a du lapìn.

“Where you see their droppings, you may expect to find rabbits.”

Every effect has a visible sign leading back to its cause; there is no smoke without fire.

Il y a terjoûs un épi qui mànque à la guerbe.

“There is always one spike of corn lacking in the sheaf.”

Nothing in this world is ever entirely perfect or complete.

I' n'y a bouais dont non n'fait buche.

“There is no wood but what will serve for firing.”

Everything, however humble, can be put to some good use.

I' n'y a pas de rue sàns but.

“There is no street but has an ending.”

Every difficulty or long ordeal eventually comes to an end; it is a long lane that has no turning.

Vieille pie a plus d'un pertus à son nic.

“An old magpie has more than one hole in her nest.”

An experienced person always keeps a way of escape or a backup plan in reserve.

Nou' n'engraisse pouit les p'tits cochons d'iau fine.

“Little pigs are not fattened on pure water alone.”

Nothing of value grows or thrives on effort or resources alone without proper substance behind it.

Janvier a daeux bouniaux, Février en a treis.

“January wears two caps; February wears three.”

A weather saying noting that February is typically the coldest month of the year, colder even than January.

Mars qui entre coume ùn agné sortira coume ùn touaré.

“March, which enters like a lamb, will leave like a bull.”

A mild start to March often gives way to rough, blustery weather by its end.

Pouit de vraic, pouit de haugard.

“No seaweed, no corn ricks.”

Without the seaweed used to fertilize the fields, there can be no harvest to store; effort invested determines the result gained.