Proverbs, Adages, Idioms, and Witticisms from Around the World

[colcifer]

i.e., not originally in English.

The man who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; the man who doesn't ask is a fool forever.

~Chinese proverb

 

[nutso42]

"Meh"

~ Homer Simpson; MakiSupaStar; others

 

[kesslari]

"You can only shake your ass at one party at a time".
- My grandmother, in Yiddish

 

[MatticusMania]

"We are all children of the same God."

Mitt Romney

 

[geeza]

"Don't count your phone books before your feet stink"
- My brother

 

[funkingroovin]

"Never let your meatloaf or your pussy willow"
-My 89yr old Grandma on her deathbed

 

[Néal Zheimer]

It's raining like cow peeing.
- French expression

You fight like a cow.
- Some pirate on Melee Island

 

[Pilgrim]

Measure carefully; no matter how many times you cut it off, it's still too short.

- My Dad.

 

[Phalex]

You can prick your finger, but you can't finger your.........

Keep your nose clean and don't .... up.

My old man.

 

[Solarmist]

"We are all children of the same God."

Mitt Romney

+1 Absolutely

 

[slobake]

" He who walks on eggshells must have a chicken in his life."
Duane Gonzales

 

[Richland123]

Nostalgia keeps you from remembering things as they really were

 

[Downunderwonder]

Sigh. OP called for English translations of other one liners.

May you live in interesting times. Chinese backhanded curse.

 

[slobake]

Sigh. OP called for English translations of other one liners.May you live in interesting times. Chinese backhanded curse.

Yes, but it was Colcifer but it doesn't count

 

[MatticusMania]

Sigh. OP called for English translations of other one liners.

Thats what I posted.

 

[Bloodhammer]

"He say you brade runna."

~Sushi Master

 

[colcifer]

Thats what I posted.

Quote from while he was a missionary?

"He say you brade runna."

~Sushi Master

I LOL'ed.

 

[Bloodhammer]

Okay, here's a real one:

“The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”

~Lao Tzu

 

[colcifer]

Some Russian ones I found:

Alphabet is the step to wisdom.

The thief who stole an altyn (3 kopecks) is hung, and the one who stole a poltinnik (50 kopecks) is praised.

Your elbow is close, yet you can't bite it.

Safety first.

 

[stratovani]

For what you think is a good-looking girl, until you get close:

French - belle de loin, loin d'etre belle!
English - nice from far, far from nice!

It probably translates the same in many other languages as well!