106 proverbs from the yard, each with its meaning.
#1Dawg nuh hol ef him ha bone.The dog does not howl if he has a bone. #2Coward man kip soun’ boneA cowardly man keeps sound bones. #3If yuh nuh mash ants, yuh nuh fine him guts.It is only when you are closely involved with some persons that you are able to really know them. If one is not provoked, it is impossible to tell their true nature. #4Wah gwaan bad a mawnin, cyaan cum gud a evelin.What went wrong in the morning cannot be remedied in the evening. #5A nuh want a fat mek Nightingale foot tan suhIt is not for want of fat that the nightingale's leg stand so. #6Yuh fraid de yeye, yuh neber nyam head.If you are afraid of the eye, you will never eat the head. #7Nuh wait till drum beat before yuh grine yuh axeDo not wait until the drum beats before you grind your axe. #8Peacock hide him foot wen him hear bout him tailThe Peacock hides his foot when he hears about his tail. #9If you get your han in debil mout, tek it outIf yuh put your hand in the devil’s mouth, take it out carefully. #10Finger never seh look here, him seh look yonder.Finger never says "look here", he says "look yonder" #11When ashes cold, dog sleep dehWhen the ashes are cold, even a dog can sleep there. #12Rain neva fall a one man doorRain never falls at one man’s door (only). #13Hungry mi hungry and full full no travel same passThe hungry belly and the full belly do not walk the same road. #14Too much sidung bruk breechesSitting down too much wears out one’s trousers #15Shoes alone know if the stocking have holes.Shoes alone know if the stocking have holes. #16Stranger nuh know where di deep water in di passA stranger does not know where the deep is #17John Crow tink him own pickney whiteYoung John Crow are white when hatched, but do not remain white. #18If you cyaah get turkey you must satisfy wid John CrowIf you can’t get Turkey, you must satisfy with John Crow #19Sleep hab no massaSleep has no master. #20Rock stone a ribba bottom nuh feel sun hotA stone at the bottom of the river never feels the heat of the sun. #21Alligator lay egg, but him no fowlThe alligator lays eggs, but he is not a fowl #22When plantain waan dead, dem shootWhen a plantain tree is about to die, it will put out a shoot #23When puss belly full, him seh rat belly tinkWhen the cat's belly is full, it will say that the rat's belly smells stink #24Nuh buy puss inna bagDo not buy a cat in a bag #25Wah drap offa head, drap pan shouldaWhat drops off of the head, drops on the shoulder #26Nuh draw mi tongueDon't draw my tongue #27Fishaman neva seh him fish tinkFisherman never says his fish stinks #28Dawg wid too much owna sleep widout boneA dog with too many owners sleeps without a bone. #29Quatty buy trouble, hundred poun cyaa pay fi itQuatty buys trouble, hundred pounds can't pay for it #30Quashie come a townSomeone in a new and uncomfortable situation #31Empty bag cyaah tan upAn empty bag can't stand up #32Bruk calabash, bring new oneBroke the calabash, bring a new one #33Tek milk out a cawfeTake milk out of a calf #34Bad luck wus dan obeahBad luck is worse than witchcraft #35Chief inna town, ginnal mus liveWhen the chief is away in town, the trickster will thrive. #36Yuh cyaa plant corn an expec peas fi growYou can't plant corn and expect peas to be grown #37Yuh ketch cow by im awn but man by im wudYou catch a cow by his horn but man by his word #38Rain a fall but dutty tuffRain is falling but the Earth is tough #39Yuh cyaa sidung pan cow back an cuss cowYou can't be sitting on a cow's back and be cursing the cow #40Likkle canoe kip near shoreLittle canoe is kept near shore #41Wen horse dead, cow get fatWhen a horse dies, the cow gets fat #42If yuh get ole a di blade, careful how yuh draw ehIf you get hold of the blade, careful how you draw it #43Wen dawg a sleep nuh wake imWhen a dog's sleeping, don't wake him #44Scornful dawg nyam dutty puddingScornful dog eats a dirty pudding #45A nuh same day leaf drop a wata battam it rottenA leaf doesn't rot the same day it drops to the water's bottom. #46Doah throw weh yuh stick before yuh cross di wataDon't throw away your stick before you cross the water #47If fish cum fram deep sea and tell yuh seh it deep, yuh cyaah seh a lieIf a fish comes from deep sea and tells you that it's deep, you can't say that's a lie #48A nuh everyting gud fi eat gud fi talkNot everything that's worth eating is worth talking about #49Same ting weh tick sheep, tick goatThe same thing that pricks a sheep will prick a goat #50Dutty wata can out fyahDirty water can put out a fire #51Everyday bucket guh a well, bottom boun fi drop outEveryday the bucket is brought to a well, the bottom will drop out eventually #52If yuh want gud, yuh nose haffi runIf you want good, your nose will have to run #53Wen dawg flea bite yuh, yuh haffi cratchWhen a dog's flea bites you, you will have to scratch #54Wen wata throw weh it cyah pick up backWhen water is thrown away it can't be picked up back #55Doah heng yuh basket higha dan yuh can reach itDon't hang your basket higher than you can reach it #56Yuh play wid puppy, puppy lick yuh faceIf you play with a puppy, it will lick your face #57Ole fyah stick easy fi ketchAn old fire stick catches easily. #58so cow a grow so him nose hole a hoppenThe more a cow grows, the more its nostrils open. #59If yuh cyaah ketch Quaco, yuh ketch him shutIf you can't catch Quaco, you will catch his shirt. #60See an blind hear an deafSee and be blind, hear and be deaf. (Mind your own business.) #61anancy rope tie anancyA spider's rope ties the spider. (Anancy's own web traps him.) #62maaga cow a bull mumaA slim cow is mother to a bull. #63mi neva baan wen mi mada gaan a maakitI was not born when my mother went to market. (I am no fool.) #64dog ave too much yawd guh a bed widout suppaPeople with too much resources often end up with nothing in the end #65tek baaskit carry wataUse a basket to carry water #66Blackbud seh fi im pickney fusBlackbird says her child comes first. #67Wen chubble kech yuh, pickney shut fit yuhWhen troubles catches up with you, a child's shirt fits you. #68Wan yeye man ah king inna blind man countryBe where you will be appreciated and respected. #69Aiz haad pickney bun ah sun hotOne who does not heed to good advice always faces the repercussion of their own action(s) #70Who baan fi heng cyaa drownYou cannot run away from your own destiny. #71Hog seh di foss wata im ketch im wallaMake use of your earliest opportunities and don't be delusional or so expectant of getting others that are not yet within your reach. #72Man weh nuh dun cross riva nuffi cuss alligetta seh him mout langDo not offend people knowing full well they are in a better position to cause you harm. #73Nuh tek ugly mek laffDon't take an ugly situation for laughter. #74Nuh every kin teet ah laffNot every smile is laugh #75Craven choke PuppyA person who desires everything but is unable to manage it once obtained. #76Goat deh sweat but long hair cover itThe goat is sweating, but its long hair covers it. #77Good fowl sey im a guh a market, senseh seh im a guh toThe good fowl says he is going to the market, the senseh fowl says he is going too. #78Tideh fi mi, tomorrow fi yuhToday is for me, tomorrow is for you #79From mi yeye deh a mi kneeSince my eyes were at my knees. (Since I was knee-high, a little child.) #80Nuh everyting ting dat hav sugga sweetEverything that has sugar in it is not necessarily sweet. #81Wata more dan flourThere is more water than flour #82Howdy and tenky bruk nuh squareIt does no harm to show good manners to people #83Mi yeye a mi maaket yuh a mi coco basketMy eyes are my market, you are my cocoa basket #84If yuh sleep wid dawg, yuh ketch im fleaIf you sleep with a dog, you will catch his fleas #85Nuh trouble trouble, til trouble trouble yuhDon’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you #86Stay pon cow back and cuss cowOn a cow’s back yet cursing the cow #87Puss nuh business inna dawg fightA cat doesn't have any business in a dog's fight. #88Wen coco ripe it mus bussWhen a cocoa is ripe it will burst #89Si mi an cum live with mi a two different tingTo see me and come live with me are two different things. #90Duppy know who fi frightenA ghost knows whom to frighten #91Mi old but mi no coldI am old but I am not cold #92Mi nuh cum yah fi hear ass dead an cow fatI didn’t come here to hear about a dead donkey and a fat cow. #93Every mikkle mek a mukkleEvery little bit makes a lot. #94Learn fi creep before yuh walkLearn to crawl before you walk #95Time langa dan ropeTime is longer than a rope #96Trouble nuh set like rainTrouble doesn’t give signs like the rain #97Wanti wanti cyah get eh, getti getti nuh want ehThose who desire something cannot get it, and those who have it do not want it. #98Cock mouth kill cockA cock's mouth causes its death #99Sorry fi mawga dawg, mawga dawg tun roun bite youIf you feel sorry for a scrawny dog, that scrawny dog will turn around and bite you. #100Mi throw mi corn but mi neva call nuh fowlI threw my corn but I did not call any fowl. #101Fire deh a muss muss tail, him tink a cool breezeFire is at a mouse's tail, he thinks it is a cool breeze #102Chicken merry, hawk deh nearChicken is merry, a hawk is nearby #103Wah sweet nanny goat ago run him bellyWhat tastes good to a goat will later upset its stomach. #104Every hoe ha dem stick a bushEvery hoe has their thicket of bushes #105Mi cum yah fi drink milk, mi nuh cum yah fi count cowI came here to drink milk; I didn't come here to count cows. #106One, one coco full basketOne by one, coco fills a basket.