Ta breck 'sy laue ny share na braddan 'sy lhingey.
“A trout in the hand is better than a salmon in the pool.”
A smaller, certain gain is worth more than a bigger, uncertain one — a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
— Traditional Isle of Man Wisdom, Isle of Man
Source: Traditional Isle of Man proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Isle of Man
Time enough.
The best-known Manx expression, capturing an unhurried, relaxed attitude toward time and work — sometimes used self-mockingly about the Manx tendency to postpone tasks.
A country without its own language is a country without its own identity.
Language is treated as inseparable from a people's sense of who they are; losing the Manx tongue was felt as losing part of the nation itself.
A silent tongue is better than speaking evil.
Restraint in speech is wiser than using words to harm others.
A wise man thinks all he says, but a fool says all he thinks.
Wisdom lies in weighing words before speaking, while foolishness blurts out every unfiltered thought.
A gossip's mouth is the devil's postbag.
Gossip carries and spreads harm the way a postbag carries letters — the tale-bearer is a vessel for mischief.
It will be wet — the gulls are heading for the mountain.
Traditional island weather-lore: seabirds moving inland toward high ground was read as a sign that rain was coming.