A Dictionary of
English and French Equivalent Proverbs
Teodor Flonta
DeProverbio.com
Copyright 2011 Teodor Flonta
Smashwords Edition
Introduction
From
time immemorial proverbs have fascinated people of all ages and from
all walks of life. As it happened throughout centuries, common people
today still avail themselves of the proverb’s rich oral tradition
to convey their culture and values, while scholars collect and study
them from a wide range of angles: linguistic, social, psychological,
political... Although the problem of proverb definition is still
open, it is broadly accepted that proverbs were born from experience
and that they generally express, in a very succinct way, common-sense
truths, give sound advice and reflect the human condition. But, as we
know and as this dictionary proves, human nature is both good and bad
and the latter is often mirrored by discriminatory proverbs, be they
against women, different nationalities or particular social groups.
For a thorough discussion of proverb definition, see Popular
Views of the Proverb (www.deproverbio.com)
by Prof. Wolfgang Mieder.
As to the origin of proverbs we tend to assume that they were born in times when human society began to self-impose rules and embrace principles necessary for communal living. Research can trace them back only to the time when language was recorded by means of some type of writing. The Sumerian civilisation of more than five thousand years ago is the oldest known civilisation to have made use of proverbs, some of which have been passed on through its cuneiform inscriptions. One such proverb, in its Latin version, is “Canis festinans caecos parit catulos” which spread to other languages such as English, in the form “The hasty bitch brings forth blind whelps,” French, “La chienne dans sa hâte a mis bas des chiots aveugles,” Italian, “La gatta frettolosa fece i gattini ciechi” (here the ‘bitch’ has been replaced by ‘cat’), Portuguese, “Cadelas apressadas parem cães tortos,” and Romanian, “Cateaua de pripa îsi naste cateii fara ochi.”
Given their widespread use over the millennia, it is no wonder that scholars of the past started assembling proverbs in collections. Aristotle is believed to be among the first paremiographers (collectors of proverbs), but, unfortunately, his collection was lost. In more recent times a great impetus to the collection of proverbs was given by Erasmus, whose fame spread from Venice throughout Europe after the publication in 1508 of his Adagiorum Chiliades which contained 3,260 proverbs drawn from classical authors. The success of the book led to several augmented editions culminating with that of 1536, revised by Erasmus himself, which contains 4,151 proverbs. Erasmus’ work was translated into several European languages and became the model for future proverb collections in those languages. The latter were, in turn, widely copied and translated. One good example of such a practice is the 1591 Italian collection Giardino di Ricreatione, nel quale crescono fronde, fiori e frutti, vaghe, leggiadri e soavi, sotto nome di sei miglia proverbii, e piacevoli riboboli Italiani, colti e scelti da Giovanni Florio, which appeared in French two decades later as Le Jardin de Récréation, au quel croissent rameaux, fleurs et fruits très-beaux, gentils et souefs, soubz le nom de Six mille proverbes et plaisantes rencontres françoises, recueillis et triéez par GOMÈS DE TRIER, non seulement utiles mais délectables pour tous espritz désireux de la très-noble et copieuse langue françoise, nouvellement mis en lumière, à Amsterdam, par PAUL DE RAVESTEYN.
Apart from use on a wide scale in day-to-day speech, there is ample evidence that proverbs were essential tools in teaching and learning. The pedagogical use of proverbs was encountered first in Sumerian society and subsequently this use became widespread throughout Medieval Europe. In the preface to the first edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs, J. Heseltine states that proverbs and proverbial expressions are found in religious manuscripts of the first half of the eighth century. The aim of introducing proverbs into religious texts was to help novices to learn Latin, and this practice became widespread by the tenth century. The use of proverbs in teaching and learning was not circumscribed to England. Relatively new research attests to the use of proverbs in teaching in the eleventh century in Liège, France. In Italy the famous medical School of Salerno of the eleventh century formulated medical precepts which later became proverbs adopted by different cultures, such as “Post prandium stabis, post coenam ambulabis” translated “After dinner sit awhile, after supper walk a mile” in English, “Après dîner repose un peu, après souper promène une mille” in French, “Dopo pranzo riposar un poco, dopo cena passeggiar un miglio” in Italian, “Después de yantar reposad un poco, después de cenar pasead una milla” in Spanish and “Depois de jantar, dormir; depois de cear, passos mil” in Portuguese.
Joanna Wilson, in her Introduction to the third edition of The Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs, said, regarding the foreign proverbs’ contribution to the English proverbial stock, that “these enriched our language, for many proverbs of foreign origin were quickly absorbed into English life and these have a rightful place in an English dictionary.” And, indeed, a close scrutiny of that dictionary reveals that more than two hundred and fifty proverbs are listed as first existing in Italian. This is also true for other modern languages, particularly French and Spanish. The translation is not always literal; at times it is adapted to the new language and the resulting proverb is often enriched in its expression, for instance the Latin “Homo sine pecunia est imago mortis” (A man without money is the image of death) is rather closely translated in Italian as “Uomo senza quattrini è un morto che cammina” (A man without money is a dead man walking), but in English the metaphor changes and the proverb becomes “A man without money is a bow without an arrow,” in French “Un homme sans argent / Est un loup sans dents” (A man without money is a wolf without teeth) where an element of rhyme is introduced, while the Rumanian adaptation is a real poetic gem “Omul fara bani e ca pasarea fara aripi; Când da sa zboare / Cade jos si moare” (A man without money is like a bird without wings; When he tries to fly / He falls down and dies). The concept is essentially the same: the man without money lacks something important...
But from use comes abuse, as a Spanish proverb says, and there is no doubt that the capacity of the proverb to convey universal truths concisely led to their abuse and manipulation. Hitler and his Nazi regime employed proverbs as emotional slogans for propaganda purposes and encouraged the publication of anti-semitic collections of proverbs. For a thorough analysis of this phenomenon, please read the fascinating article “... as if I were the master of situation.” Proverbial Manipulation in Adolf Hitler (www.deproverbio.com) by Prof. Wolfgang Mieder. At the opposite end of the political spectrum, communist regimes of the past have not only manipulated proverbs, but also ‘purged’ popular collections of features which did not reflect their political ends. The former Soviet regime is at the forefront of such actions. One type of manipulation described by Jean Breuillard in Proverbes et pouvoir politique: Le cas de l’U.R.S.S. (published in “Richesse du proverbe”, Eds. François Suard and Claude Buridant. Lille: Université de Lille, 1984. II, 155-166) consisted in modifying ancient proverbs like “La vérité parcourt le monde” (Truth spreads all over the world) into “La vérité de Lénine parcourt le monde” (Lenin’s truth spreads all over the world) where the new ‘creation’ is unequivocably charged with a specific ideological message. Manipulation did not stop at individual proverbs, it extended to entire collections. The first Soviet edition (1957) of Vladimir Dal’s mid-nineteen century collection of Russian proverbs reduces the proverbs containing the word God from 283 to 7 only, while proverbs which express compassion for human weaknesses, such as alcoholism, disappear altogether. In more recent years, in Ceausescu’s Romania, the 1985 edition of Proverbele românilor (published in 1877 by I. C. Hintescu) suffered the same treatment: more than 150 proverbs were eliminated or changed in order to respond rigidly to the communist ideology.
In spite of their ups and downs, proverbs and their study are alive and well today as illustrated by the hundreds of studies and collections published every year all over the world. For a bibliography of the most recent publications see the invaluable international bibliographies (www.deproverbio.com) published each year by Prof. Wolfgang Mieder.
While proverbs are still used today in a traditional way, that is in speech, literature and teaching, they have found a new ever expanding use in the advertising industry and in the mass media. Proverbs like “Here today, gone tomorrow” become “Hair today, gone tomorrow” in the hair-removal industry, while the mass media has a variety of paraphrases such as “Hear today, gone tomorrow,” “Heir today, gone tomorrow.” Before the Barcelona Olympic Games the old proverb “All roads lead to Rome” became “All roads lead to... Barcelona” in many English language newspapers and magazines. This is a phenomenon encountered in many languages nowadays and is undoubtedly a sign of the proverb’s resilience and vitality.
* * *
This dictionary assembles 2,234 English proverbs and their French equivalents. Equivalent proverbs are those which express the same concept literally, such as “Love is blind” = “L’amour est aveugle” or with completely different words, such as “Every cloud has a silver lining” = “Dans toute chose il y a un bon côté.”
The Dictionary is a very useful reference tool for scholars of the two languages, for researchers working in various associated fields such as linguistics, literature, folklore, anthropology, psychology, sociology, history, and for workers in newer areas such as advertising and contemporary media. The Dictionary is also of interest to diplomats and politicians who try to improve their communication by sharing ideas formulated in some common meaningful expressions; it will assist interpreters and translators, and teachers and students for whom it is important to understand not only what the target culture expresses in the same way as their own, but also what is formulated in a different way. The Dictionary is also of benefit to non-professionals who, for the sheer enjoyment of it, wish to savour the wisdom, wit, poetry and the colourful language of proverbs.
DICTIONARY
A
1
ABSENCE makes the heart grow fonder.
Loin
des yeux, près du coeur.
Un peu d'absence fait grand
bien.
Absence d'une heure et d'un jour compte pour dix ans en
amour.
Sim. Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.
2
He is neither ABSENT without fault, nor present without
excuse.
Absent
n'est point sans coulpe, ni présent sans excuse.
Cf. The ABSENT are always in the wrong.
3
The ABSENT are always in the wrong.
Les
absents ont toujours tort.
Cf. He is neither ABSENT without fault, nor present without excuse.
4
ABUNDANCE of things engenders disdainfulness.
Abondance
engendre fâcherie.
L'abondance engendre nausée.
Cf. TOO MUCH breaks the bag / You can have TOO MUCH of a good thing.
5
Out of the ABUNDANCE of the heart the mouth speaketh.
De
l'abondance du coeur la bouche parle.
Var. Out
of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
Cf. What
the HEART thinks, the tongue speaks.
o Matthew 12, 34 / Matthieu 12, 34; Luke 6, 45 / Luc 6, 45
6
There is no ACCOUNTING for tastes.
Il
ne faut pas disputer des goûts.
Des goûts et des couleurs, on ne
discute pas.
Sim. Everyone
as they like best.
Cf. Every
man to his TASTE / TASTES differ.
7
ACQUAINTANCE of the great will I naught, for first or last dear it
will be bought.
Amour
de grands, ombre de buisson qui passe bientôt.
Sim. Great
men's favours are uncertain.
Cf. A
king's FAVOUR is no inheritance.
8
Old ACQUAINTANCE will soon be remembered.
Vieux
amis et vieux écus sont les meilleurs.
9
ACTIONS speak louder than words.
Ce
ne sont pas les mots qui comptent mais les actions.
Bien dire fait
rire, bien faire fait taire.
Sim. Deeds,
not words.
Cf. It
is better to DO well than to say well.
10
When ADAM delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?
Lorsque
Adam maniait le hoyau, et Eve le fuseau, où étaient les hobereaux?
11
We are all ADAM's children.
Nous
sommes tous d'Eve et d'Adam.
Nous sommes tous parents en
Adam.
Tous furent d'Eve et d'Adam.
Var. We are all Adam's children but silk makes the difference.
12
Much ADO about nothing.
Beaucoup
de bruit pour rien.
Cf. Much CRY and little wool.
13
ADVERSITY is the touchstone of friendship.
Adversité
est la pierre de touche de l'amitié.
14
ADVERSITY makes a man wise, not rich.
Dommage
rend sage.
L'adversité rend sage.
Cf. EXPERIENCE is the mother of knowledge.
15
Good ADVICE is beyond all price.
Un
bon avis vaut un oeil dans la main.
Sim. Good counsel has no price.
16
If you wish good ADVICE, consult an old man.
En
conseil écoute le vieil.
En conseil écoute l'homme âgé.
Cf. If the old DOG barks, he gives counsel.
17
Nothing is given so freely as ADVICE.
On
ne donne rien si libéralement que des conseils.
18
Take the first ADVICE of a woman and not the second.
Prends
le premier conseil d'une femme et non le second.
Demandez aux
femmes des inspirations, ne leur demandez pas de conseil.
19
When a thing is done, ADVICE comes too late.
À
chose faite, conseil pris.
Sim. When
the house is burned down, you bring water.
Cf. It
is too late to shut the STABLE-DOOR after the horse has bolted / It
is easy to be WISE after the event.
20
AFFECTION blinds reason.
L'affection
aveugle la raison.
Cf. LOVE is blind.
21
He that is AFRAID of wounds must not come nigh a battle.
Il
ne faut pas aller à la guerre, qui craint les horions.
Sim. He
that is afraid of the wagging of feathers must keep from among wild
fowl / He that fears every grass must not walk in a meadow.
Cf. He
that fears LEAVES, let him not go into the wood / He that forecasts
all PERILS will never sail the sea.
22
AGE is a heavy burden.
La
vieillesse est un pesant fardeau.
23
For AGE and want save while you may: no morning sun lasts a whole
day.
Il faut
travailler en jeunesse pour reposer en vieillesse.
Sim. Keep
something for him that rides on the white horse / Spare when you're
young and spend when you're old.
Cf. Make
ample PROVISION for old age / Keep SOMETHING for a rainy day.
24
Old AGE is sickness of itself.
La
vieillesse est elle-même une maladie.
Vieillesse, maladie de
nature.
25
A lean AGREEMENT is better than a fat judgement.
Un
mauvais accommodement vaut mieux qu'un bon procès.
Un maigre
accord est préférable à un gros procès.
Gagne assez qui sort
de procès.
Var. A bad peace is better than a good quarrel / A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit.
26
Autumnal AGUES are long or mortal.
Les
fièvres de l'automne sont longues ou mortelles.
27
A man cannot live by AIR.
L'on
ne vit pas de vent.
28
The AIR of a window is as the stroke of a cross-bow.
Air
de fenêtre, coup d'arbalète.
29
ALMS never make poor.
L'aumône
n'appauvrit pas.
La charité n'a jamais appauvri.
Donner
l'aumône n'appauvrit personne.
Sim. No one becomes poor through giving alms / You shall not lose by giving alms.
o Proverbs 28, 28 / Proverbes 28, 27
30
When thou doest ALMS, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand
doeth.
Il ne faut
pas que la main gauche sache ce que fait la main droite.
La main
gauche doit ignorer ce que donne la main droite.
Que ta main
gauche ne sache pas ce que fait ta droite.
o Matthew 6, 3 / Matthieu 6, 3
31
It is not good that the man should be ALONE.
Il
n'est pas bon que l'homme soit seul.
Cf. A MAN without a wife is but half a man.
o Genesis 2, 18 / Genèse 2, 18
32
He that serves at the ALTAR ought to live by the altar.
Qui
sert à l'autel doit vivre de l'autel.
Le prêtre doit vivre de
l'autel.
33
He that doth AMISS may do well.
Qui
fait le péché, attend la pénitence.
34
Good riding at two ANCHORS, men have told, for if one break the other
may hold.
Deux
ancres font bon navire.
35
ANGER and haste hinder good counsel.
Colère
n'a conseil.
La colère est mauvaise conseillère.
36
ANGER cannot stand without a strong hand.
Courroux
est vain sans forte main.
37
ANGER is a short madness.
La
colère est une courte folie.
38
He that is ANGRY without a cause shall be pleased without amends.
Qui
n'est pas content aura deux peines: celle de se fâcher et celle de
se défâcher.
39
A soft ANSWER turneth away wrath.
Plus
fait douceur que violence.
Beau parler apaise grande ire.
Douce
parole rompt grand'ire.
Cf. Good WORDS cool more than cold water.
o Proverbs 15, 1 / Proverbes 15, 1
40
The ANT had wings to her hurt.
Quand
les ailes poussent à la fourmi, c'est pour sa perte.
41
An iron ANVIL should have a hammer of feathers.
À
dure enclume, marteau de plume.
42
The ANVIL fears no blows.
Bonne
enclume ne craint pas le marteau.
43
When you are an ANVIL, hold you still; when you are a hammer, strike
your fill.
Souffre
quand tu seras enclumeau et frappe quand tu seras marteau.
Souffre
quand tu seras enclume et frappe quand tu seras marteau.
Il faut
être enclume ou marteau.
44
The higher the APE goes, the more he shows his tail.
Plus
le singe s'élève, plus il montre son cul pelé.
Plus haut monte
le singe, plus il montre son cul.
Var. The higher the monkey climbs, the more he shows his tail.
45
An APE's an ape, a varlet's a varlet, though they be clad in silk or
scarlet.
Le singe,
fût-il vêtu de pourpre, est toujours singe.
Le singe est
toujours singe, et fût-il deguisé en prince.
Sim. An ape is never so like an ape as when he wears a doctor's cape / An ass is but an ass, though laden with gold.
46
APPEARANCES are deceptive.
Les
apparences sont trompeuses.
Var. Appearances
are deceiving.
Sim. Things
are not always what they seem.
47
Never judge from APPEARANCES.
Il
ne faut pas se fier aux apparences.
Garde-toi tant que tu vivras
de juger des gens sur la mine.
Il ne faut pas juger les gens sur
la mine.
Il ne faut pas juger de l'arbre par l'écorce.
Cf. Under a ragged COAT lies wisdom.
o John 7, 24 / Jean 7, 24
48
APPETITE comes with eating.
L'appétit
vient en mangeant.
Sim. Eating and scratching wants but a beginning.
49
For a good APPETITE there is no hard bread.
À
la faim, il n'y a mauvais pain.
À bon goût et faim n'y a mauvais
pain.
50
An APPLE never falls far from the tree.
La
pomme ne tombe jamais loin de l'arbre.
Cf. A CHIP off the old block / Like FATHER, like son / Like MOTHER, like daughter.
51
Better an APPLE given than eaten.
Mieux
vaut pomme donnée que mangée.
52
The rotten APPLE injures its neighbours.
Une
pomme gâtée en gâte cent.
Il suffit d'une pomme pourrie pour
gâter le tas.
Cf. One scabbed SHEEP will mar a whole flock.
53
A cold APRIL the barn will fill.
La
pluie d'avril remplit les greniers.
Avril froid pain et vin
donne.
Quand avril est froid et pluvieux, les moissons n'en vont
que mieux.
54
APRIL and May are the keys of the year.
Avril
et mai sont la clé de l'année.
Avril et mai, de l'année font
tous seuls la destinée.
55
APRIL rains for men; May, for beasts.
Avril
pleut aux hommes, mai pleut aux bêtes.
Var. April
rains for corn; May, for grass.
Cf. A
dry MARCH, wet April and cool May, fill barn and cellar and bring
much hay.
56
APRIL showers bring forth May flowers.
D'avril,
les ondées, font les fleurs de mai.
Avril fait la fleur, mai en a
l'honneur.
Var. March winds and April showers always bring May flowers.
57
Till APRIL's dead, change not a thread.
En
avril ne te découvre pas d'un fil; en mai, fais ce qu'il te
plaît.
Au mois d'avril ne quitte pas un fil; au mois de mai va
comme il te plaît.
Cf. Cast ne'er a clout till MAY be out.
58
Every man is the ARCHITECT of his own fortune.
Chacun
est artisan de sa fortune.
59
An ARMY marches on its stomach.
C'est
la soupe qui fait le soldat.
60
An ARMY of stags led by a lion would be more formidable than one of
lions led by a stag.
Plus
terrible est la compagnie des cerfs desquels le lion est chef, que
des lions desquels le cerf est chef.
61
ART consists in concealing art.
L'art
est de cacher l'art.
Var. The best art conceals art.
62
ART is long and life is short.
L'art
est long, la vie est courte.
La vie est courte, l'art est long.
63
He who has an ART has everywhere a part.
Qui
art a, partout part a.
Cf. Who has a TRADE, has a share everywhere.
64
Divine ASHES are better than earthly meal.
Mieux
vaut la cendre divine que du monde la farine.
65
ASK, and it shall be given you.
Demandez
et l'on vous donnera.
Demandez et vous recevrez.
o Matthew 7, 7 / Matthieu 7, 7
66
An ASS endures his burden, but not more than his burden.
La
surcharge abat l'âne.
Sim. It is not the burden, but the overburden that kills the beast.
67
An ASS in a lion's skin.
C'est
l'âne couvert de la peau du lion.
68
An ASS must be tied where the master will have him.
Il
faut attacher l'âne comme le veut son maître.
69
An ASS pricked must needs trot.
Âne
piqué convient qu'il trotte.
Âne piqué à trotter est incité.
70
Did you ever hear an ASS play on a harp?
Qu'a
de commun l'âne avec la lyre?
Un âne n'entend rien en musique.
Sim. A sow to a fiddle.
71
He that cannot beat the ASS, beats the saddle.
Qui
ne peut frapper l'âne, frappe le bât.
On frappe le sac pour que
l'âne le sente.
Cf. He that cannot beat the HORSE, beats the saddle.
72
If an ASS goes a-travelling, he'll not come home a horse.
Qui
bête va à Rome, tel en retourne.
Menez un âne a Mecque, vous
n'en ramenerez jamais qu'un âne.
Jamais cheval ni méchant homme
n'amenda pour aller à Rome.
Var. Never
went out ass and came home horse.
Sim. Send
a fool to the market (far, to France) and a fool he will return again
/ How much the fool who goes to Rome excels the fool who stays at
home.
Cf. He
that sends a FOOL expects one.
73
Jest with an ASS, and he will slap you in the face with his
tail.
Chantez à
l'âne, il vous fera des pets.
74
One ASS scrubs another.
Un
âne gratte l'autre.
L'âne frotte l'âne.
75
The ASS loaded with gold still eats thistles.
Âne
d'Arcadie, chargé d'or, mange chardons et ortie.
L'âne de la
montagne porte le vin et boit de l'eau.
L'âne qui porte le blé
et la farine ne mange que des orties.
76
The ASS that brays most eats least.
L'âne
qui brait le plus est celui qui mange le moins.
Cf. A bleating SHEEP loses her bit.
77
When all men say you are an ASS, it is time to bray.
Si
tous disent que tu es un âne: brais!
Sim. If
one, or three tell you, you are an ass, put on a bridle
(tail).
Cf. What
everybody says must be TRUE.
78
Wherever an ASS falls, there will he never fall again.
Un
âne ne trébuche pas deux fois contre la même pierre.
Var. Even an ass will not fall twice in the same quicksand.
79
Who drives an ASS and leads a whore, has toil and sorrow
evermore.
Qui âne
touche et femme mène, Dieu ne l'a pas gardé de peine.
Qui femme
croit et âne mène, son corps ne sera jamais sans peine.
Qui
folle femme croit, ânes et oisons mène, ne peut être sans fatigue
et peine.
80
You go to an ASS for wool.
Demander
de la laine à un âne.
Sim. Look not for musk in a dog's kennel.
81
He that washes an ASS's head loses both his lye and his labour.
À
laver la tête d'un âne, on perd son savon.
À laver la tête
d'un âne, on ne perd que le temps et la lessive.
Var. He that washes an ass's head loses both his soap and his labour.
82
Like AUTHOR, like book.
Tel
auteur, tel oeuvre.
83
The AVARICIOUS man is always in want.
L'avarice
est comme le feu, plus on y met du bois, plus il brûle.
L'avare
crierait famine sur un tas de blé.
L'homme avare n'est jamais
riche.
Var. The
miser is always in want.
Sim. Avarice
is never satisfied.
B
84
Don't throw the BABY out with the bathwater.
Il
ne faut pas jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain.
Celui-là est fou
qui jette le manche après la cognée.
Jeter le manche après la
cognée.
Sim. To throw the helve after the hatchet.
85
BACCHUS hath drowned more men than Neptune.
Eau-de-vie,
eau de mort.
86
He would fall on his BACK and break his nose.
Il
tombe sur le dos et se casse le nez.
Cf. An UNFORTUNATE man would be drowned in a tea-cup.
87
Scratch my BACK and I'll scratch yours.
Gratte-moi
l'épaule et je t'en ferai autant.
Var. Scratch
me and I'll scratch you.
Sim. Claw
me, and I'll claw thee.
Cf. ROLL
my log, and I'll roll yours.
88
Nothing so BAD in which there is not something of good.
Il
n'est pas mal dont bien ne vienne.
Var. Nothing
but is good for something.
Sim. No
great loss but some small profit .
Cf. ILL
LUCK is good for something.
89
Be not a BAKER, if your head be of butter.
Si
tu as la tête de beurre, ne te fais pas boulanger.
Cf. He that has a HEAD of wax must not walk in the sun / Who has skirts of STRAW needs fear the fire.
90
There is no great BANQUET, but some fare ill.
Il
n'est si riche festin, où il n'y ait quelqu'un qui mal dîne.
91
A BARBER learns to shave by shaving fools.
À
barbe de fou on apprend à raser.
92
A young BARBER and an old physician.
Vieux
médecin et jeune barbier sont à louer et apprécier.
Jeune
barbier, vieil médecin, s'ils sont autres ne valent pas un brin.
(XVIe siècle)
Var. The barber must be young, and the physician old.
93
One BARBER shaves another gratis.
Un
barbier rase l'autre.
94
A good BARGAIN is a pick-purse.
Bon
marché vide la bourse.
Bon marché ruine.
Cf. GOOD cheap is dear.
95
BASHFULNESS is a great hindrance to a man.
Il
n'y a que les honteux qui perdent.
Sim. A modest dog seldom grows fat.
96
He that makes a BASKET can make one hundred.
Qui
porte un fardeau en portera bientôt cent.
97
BEAR and forbear.
Supporte
et abstiens-toi.
98
Call the BEAR 'uncle' till you are safe across the bridge.
Tant
l'on doit caresser le chien que l'on soit passé.
Tant doit-on le
chien blandir qu'on ait la voie passée.
Allie-toi avec qui que ce
soit jusqu'à ce que tu aies réussi.
Sim. Once
on shore, we pray no more.
Cf. The
DANGER past and God forgotten / The RIVER past and God forgotten.
99
Don't sell the BEAR's skin before you have caught him.
Il
ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant qu'il soit pris.
Il ne
faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué.
Sim. Don't
cross the bridge till you come to it / Never fry fish till it's
caught / It is not good praising a ford till a man be over / Count
not four, except you have them in the wallet / Do not halloo till you
are out of the wood.
Cf. Do
not count your CHICKENS before they are hatched.
100
A BEARD well lathered is half shaved.
Barbe
bien étuvée est à demi rasée.
Barbe mouillée à demi rasée.
Var. A good lather is half a shave.
101
A red BEARD and a black head, catch him with a good trick and take
him dead.
Barbe
rousse, noir de chevelure est réputé faux par nature.
Homme roux
et chien lainu plutôt mort que connu.
Homme roux et chien
laineaux plutôt mort que connu.
Sim. Red hair; devil's hair.
102
He that hath a BEARD is more than youth; and he that hath no beard is
less than a man.
Peu
de barbe sous blême couleur, montre homme de peu valeur.
103
If the BEARD were all, the goat might preach.
Se
barbe le sens encusent, bouc et chevres moult sage fusent.
(XIIIe siècle)
(Tr.
Si la barbe donnait la preuve de sens, bouc et chèvres seraient bien
sage.)
Cf. The BRAINS don't lie in the beard.
104
It is not the BEARD that makes the philosopher.
La
barbe ne fait pas le philosophe.
Ce n'est pas à la barbe qu'on
connaît le philosophe.
Var. The beard does not make the doctor or philosopher.
105
BEAUTY and folly are often companions.
Beauté
et folie sont souvent en compagnie.
106
BEAUTY carries its dower in its face.
Beauté
porte sa bourse.
Jolie fille porte sa dot au front.
Sim. A fair face is half a portion.
107
BEAUTY fades like a flower.
La
beauté est une fleur éphémère.
La beauté est éphémère.
De
belle femme et fleur de mai, en un jour s'en va la beauté.
Sim. Beauty is but a blossom.
108
BEAUTY is but skin-deep.
La
beauté n'est qu'image fardée.
109
As you make your BED, so you must lie on it.
Comme
on fait son lit, on se couche.
Tel on fait son lit, tel on se
couche.
Qui mal fait son lit, mal couche et gît.
Sim. As
you bake, so shall you eat / As they brew, so let them bake.
Cf. As
they BREW, so let them drink.
110
Better go to BED supperless than to rise in debt.
Il
vaut mieux se coucher sans souper que de se lever avec
dettes.
Couche-toi sans souper et tu te trouveras le matin sans
dettes.
111
Early to BED and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and
wise.
Si tu veux
bien te porter, couche-toi tôt et lève-toi tôt.
Si tu veux bien
te porter, couche-toi tôt et lève-toi de bon matin.
Coucher de
poule et lever de corbeau préservent l'homme du tombeau.
112
Who goes to BED supperless, all night tumbles and tosses.
Qui
s'en va coucher sans souper ne cesse la nuit de se démener.
113
Where the BEE sucks honey, the spider sucks poison.
Tout
est miel à l'abeille, et poison au serpent.
Sim. From the same flower the bee extracts honey and the wasp gall.
114
Such BEEF, such broth.
Tel
pain, telle soupe.
115
Better BEG than steal.
Il
vaut mieux tendre la main que le cou.
Il vaut mieux allonger le
bras que le cou.
116
Set a BEGGAR on horseback, and he'll ride to the Devil.
Un
homme bien monté est toujours orgueilleux.
Gueux en selle galope
à crever sa monture.
Sim. Beggars
mounted run their horse to death.
Cf. When
a KNAVE is in a plum-tree, he has neither friend nor kin / No PRIDE
like that of an enriched beggar.
117
The BEGGAR is never out of his way.
Les
gueux ne sont jamais hors de leur chemin.
118
The BEGGAR may sing before the thief.
Un
homme vide et pauvre chante par les bois sans crainte des
larrons.
Assurément chante qui n'a que perdre.
Qui a faute
d'argent et d'or, bien repose et sûrement dort.
Sim. A
beggar can never be bankrupt.
Cf. No
NAKED man is sought after to be rifled.
119
BEGGARS can't be choosers.
Ne
choisit pas qui emprunte.
Qui emprunte ne peut choisir.
Celui à
qui on donne ne choisit pas.
120
What is got by BEGGING is dear bought.
Rien
n'est plus cher vendu que le prié.
121
Better never to BEGIN than never to make an end.
C'est
folie de commencer ce qu'on ne peut achever.
Qui commence et ne
parfait, il a perdu ce qu'il a fait.
Sim. Let him that beginneth the song make an end.
122
A bad BEGINNING, a bad ending.
Mauvaise
fin vient de mal commencement.
123
A good BEGINNING makes a good ending.
De
bon commencement, bonne fin.
Qui commence bien finit bien.
Qui
bien commence bien finit.
124
Every BEGINNING is hard.
Le
commencement est le plus fort.
Il n'y a si difficile que le
commencement.
Var. All
beginnings are hard (difficult).
Cf. It
is the first STEP that is difficult.
125
Everything must have a BEGINNING.
Il
y a un commencement à tout.
126
Such BEGINNING, such end.
De
tel commencement, telle fin.
127
Well BEGUN is half done.
Un
bon début est la moitié de l'oeuvre.
Chose bien commencée est à
demi faite.
Chose bien commencée est à demi achevée.
Sim. The first blow is half the battle.
128
BELIEVE nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.
Ce
n'est pas tout évangile ce que l'on dit par la ville.
129
We soon BELIEVE what we desire.
Chacun
croit aisément ce qu'il désire.
130
He that BELIEVES all, misses; he that believes nothing, misses.
On
risque autant à croire trop qu'à croire trop peu.
131
BELLS call others, but themselves enter not into the church.
Les
cloches appellent à l'église, mais n'y entrent pas.
La cloche
appelle à l'église, mais elle n'y entre pas.
132
A BELLY full of gluttony will never study willingly.
Jamais
ventre plein n'apprendra.
Le ventre plein rend le cerveau
paresseux.
Sim. Fat paunches have lean pates.
133
A fat BELLY, a lean brain.
Estomac
plein, cerveau vide.
134
A full BELLY neither fights nor flies well.
Tripe
plein ne combat bien, ni ne fuit bien.
Panse pleine fait dormir.
135
He whose BELLY is full believes not him who is fasting.
Qui
a la panse pleine croit que les autres sont rassasiés.
Sim. Little knows the fat man (sow) what the lean does mean.
136
The BELLY carries the legs.
Le
ventre emporte la tête.
137
The BELLY hates a long sermon.
Court
sermon et long dîner.
Courte messe et long dîner, c'est la joie
du chevalier.
138
The BELLY is the truest clock.
Il
n'est horloge plus juste que le ventre.
139
The BELLY robs the back.
Mieux
vaut bon repas que bel habit.
Sim. Back may trust, but belly won't.
140
The BELLY wants ears.
Ventre
affamé n'a pas d'oreilles.
Var. Hungry bellies have no ears.
141
To a full BELLY all meat is bad.
À
ventre soûl, cerises amères.
À pigeon soûl cerises sont
amères.
À merle soûl cerises sont amères.
Sim. When the mouse has had enough, the meal is bitter.
142
When the BELLY is full the mind is among the maids.
Ventre
plein, coeur content.
143
A BELLYFUL is a bellyful, whether it be meat or drink.
Tout
fait ventre, pourvu qu'il entre.
144
Better BEND than break.
Il
vaut mieux plier que rompre.
Mieux vaut plier que rompre.
Le
roseau plie mais ne rompt pas.
Cf. All that SHAKES falls not.
145
BEST is best cheap.
Le
meilleur est toujours le moins cher.
146
The BEST go first.
Les
meilleurs partent les premiers.
Sim. Whom the gods love die young.
147
The BEST is the enemy of the good.
Le
mieux est l'ennemi du bien.
148
The BETTER-natured, the sooner undone.
Deux
fois bon, c'est une fois bête.
149
A BIRD in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Moineau
en main vaut mieux que pigeon qui vole.
Moineau en main vaut mieux
que grue qui vole.
Sim. A feather in hand is better than a bird in the air / Better a fowl in hand nor two flying.
150
Each BIRD loves to hear himself sing.
Chaque
oiseau chante sa propre chanson.
151
It is an ill BIRD that fouls its own nest.
C'est
un vilain oiseau que celui qui salit son nid.
152
Little by little the BIRD builds his nest.
Petit
à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid.
153
Such BIRD, such nest.
Tel
oiseau, tel nid.
Selon l'oiseau le nid, selon la femme le logis.
154
The BIRD is known by his note.
Au
chant on connaît l'oiseau.
Cf. The BIRD is known by his note, the man by his words.
155
The BIRD is known by his note, the man by his words.
À
la plume et au chant l'oiseau, et au parler le bon cerveau.
Juge
l'oiseau à la plume et au chant, et au parler l'homme bon ou
méchant.
Cf. The BIRD is known by his note.
156
The BIRD loves her nest.
À
tout oiseau son nid est beau.
Chaque oiseau trouve son nid beau.
Var. Every bird likes his own nest best.
157
The early BIRD catches the worm.
Heure
du matin, heure du gain.
Paris appartient à ceux qui se lèvent
tôt.
L'avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt.
158
Thou art a bitter BIRD, said the raven to the starling.
Un
âne appelle l'autre rogneux.
Sim. The
pot calls the kettle black.
Cf. The
FRYING-PAN said to the kettle, "Avaunt, black brows!" / The
KETTLE calls the pot burnt-arse.
159
To fright a BIRD is not the way to catch her.
On
ne prend pas l'oiseau à la crécelle.
Cf. To hunt for (catch) a HARE with a tabor.
160
BIRDS of a feather flock together.
Les
oiseaux d'une même couleur se cherchent volontiers.
Les oiseaux
de même plumage s'assemblent sur même rivage.
Les oiseaux de
même plumage volent en troupe.
Sim. Likeness
causes liking.
Cf. LIKE
will to like.
o Ecclesiasticus 27, 9 / Ecclésiastique 27, 9
161
You cannot catch old BIRDS with chaff.
On
ne prend pas les vieux moineaux avec de la paille.
On ne prend pas
les vieux merles à la pipée.
Cf. An old FOX is not easily snared.
162
The BIT that one eats no friends makes.
Bouchée
engloutie n'acquiert ami.
163
The hasty BITCH brings forth blind whelps.
La
chienne dans sa hâte a mis bas des chiots aveugles.
Cf. HASTE makes waste / Too HASTY burned his lips.
164
That which was BITTER to endure may be sweet to remember.
Ce
qui est grief à supporter est après doux à raconter.
Sim. The
remembrance of past sorrow is joyful.
Cf. SORROWS
remembered sweeten present joy.
165
Who has BITTER in his mouth spits not all sweet.
Qui
a du fiel dans sa bouche tout lui semble amer.
166
Above BLACK there is no colour, and above salt no savour.
Sur
Dieu n'y a aucun seigneur, ny sur noir aucune couleur.
(XVe siècle)
(Tr.
Au-dessus de Dieu il n'y a aucun seigneur, ni au-dessus du noir
aucune couleur.)
167
The BLADE wears out the scabbard.
La
lame use le fourreau.
Var. The blade wears out the sheath.
168
He that BLAMES would buy.
Qui
en dénigre veut acheter.
Qui en dit du mal, veut
l'acheter.
Souvent on méprise ce que l'on souhaite.
Cf. He that speaks ill of the MARE would buy her.
169
A BLIND man may sometimes hit the mark.
Une
poule aveugle peut quelquefois trouver son grain.
Sim. A blind man may perchance catch the hare (crow).
170
A BLIND man will not thank you for a looking-glass.
Un
aveugle ne vous remerciera pas pour un miroir.
À l'aveugle ne
duit peinture, couleur, miroir, ni figure.
Var. A blind man has no need of a looking-glass.
171
A man were better to be half BLIND than have both his eyes out.
Mieux
vaut être borgne qu'aveugle.
Mieux vaut monocle ou borgne
qu'aveugle.
Cf. Better to have one eye than be BLIND altogether.
172
Better to have one eye than be BLIND altogether.
Mieux
vaut un oeil que nul.
Cf. A man were better to be half BLIND than have both his eyes out.
173
BLIND men should judge no colours.
L'aveugle
ne doit pas juger des couleurs.
Juger d'une chose comme un aveugle
des couleurs.
174
If the BLIND lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Un
aveugle mène l'autre dans la fosse.
Si un aveugle conduit un
autre aveugle, ils tombent tous deux dans le fossé.
Si un aveugle
guide un autre aveugle, ils tombent tous deux dans le fossé.
o Matthew 15, 14 / Matthieu 15, 14
175
The BLIND eats many a fly.
Mange
bien des mouches qui n'y voit pas.
176
There's none so BLIND as those who will not see.
Il
n'est pire aveugle que celui qui ne veut pas voir.
Var. None so blind as those who won't see.
177
BLOOD is thicker than water.
C'est
la voix du sang.
Var. Blood is not water.
178
BLOOD will tell.
Bon
sang ne peut mentir.
179
Like BLOOD, like good, and like age, make the happiest
marriage.
Prends
ta servante de loin, et ta femme d'auprès.
Ne mets pas à ton
doigt anneau trop étroit.
Marie-toi devant ta porte avec
quelqu'un de ta sorte.
Cf. MARRY your like (equal, match).
180
You cannot get BLOOD from a stone.
On
ne saurait tirer de l'huile d'un mur.
Var. You cannot get milk (water) from a stone.
181
The first BLOW is as much as two.
Le
premier coup en vaut deux.
182
A little BODY often harbours a great soul.
D'un
petit homme souvent grand ombre.
En petite tête gît grand sens.
183
What is bred in the BONE will not out of the flesh.
Ce
que nature a donné nul ne le peut ôter.
Chassez le naturel, il
revient au galop.
Sim. Though you cast out nature with a fork, it will still return.
184
A closed BOOK does not produce a learned man.
Les
bons livres font les bons clercs.
Dis-moi ce que tu lis, et je te
dirai ce que tu es.
Sim. A book that remains shut is but a block.
185
A good BOOK is a good friend.
Un
livre est un ami qui ne trompe pas.
Les livres sont les monuments
les plus durables.
Var. Good books are friends that are always ready to talk to us.
186
A great BOOK is a great evil.
Un
gros livre est un grand mal.
187
Beware of the man of one BOOK.
Prends
garde à l'homme d'un seul livre.
Gardez-vous de l'homme qui ne
connaît qu'un livre.
Cf. GOD keep me from the man that has but one thing to mind.
188
There is no BOOK so bad, but something good may be found in it.
Il
n'est si mauvais livre dont on ne puisse tirer quelque chose de bon.
189
You can't tell a BOOK by its cover.
On
ne peut juger le sac à l'étiquette.
Il ne faut juger un paquet
d'après ses ficelles.
190
As soon as a man is BORN he begins to die.
Nous
mourons tous les jours.
Sim. He that is once born, once must die / It is as natural to die as to be born / Our lives are but our marches to the grave.
191
A good BORROWER is a lazy payer.
Bon
emprunteur, mauvais payeur.
192
The BORROWER is servant to the lender.
Celui
qui emprunte est l'esclave de celui qui prête.
o Proverbs 22, 7 / Proverbes 22, 7
193
He that goes a-BORROWING, goes a-sorrowing.
Argent
emprunté porte tristesse.
194
Cut not the BOUGH that thou standest upon.
Il
ne faut pas scier la branche sur laquelle on est assis.
Var. Don't cut the bough you are standing on.
195
Short BOUGHS, long vintage.
De
bois noué court grandes vendanges.
196
A BOW too much bent will break.
L'arc
toujours tendu se gâte.
L'arc trop tendu, tôt lâché ou
rompu.
Trop tirer rompt la corde.
Quand la corde est trop
tendue, elle se casse.
Var. A bow long bent at last waxes weak / When the bow is too much bent, it breaks.
197
BOYS will be boys.
Jeunesse
n'a pas de sagesse.
198
BOYS will be men.
Enfants
deviennent gens.
Avec le temps les petits deviennent grands.
199
Great BRAGGERS, little doers.
De
grand vanteur, petit faiseur.
De grand langage, petit fait.
Var. They
brag most that can do least.
Sim. Great
boast and little roast / Much bruit and little fruit.
Cf. Much
CRY and little wool / The greatest TALKERS are the least doers / A
long TONGUE is a sign of a short hand.
200
The BRAINS don't lie in the beard.
En
la grande barbe ne gît pas le savoir.
Cf. If the BEARD were all, the goat might preach.
201
Much BRAN and little meal.
Beaucoup
de paille, peu de grains.
202
Another's BREAD costs dear.
Le
pain d'autrui est amer.
203
BREAD with eyes, cheese without eyes, and wine that leaps up to the
eyes.
Pain léger,
pesant fromage, prends toujours si tu es sage.
204
Dry BREAD at home is better than roast meat abroad.
Le
pain dans patrie vaut encore mieux que des biscuits en pays
étranger.
Mieux vaut ta propre morue que le dindon des autres.
205
Dry BREAD is better with love than a fat capon with fear.
Mieux
vaut pain sec et la paix que bonne chère et querelle.
Cf. Better an EGG in peace than an ox in war.
206
Eaten BREAD is soon forgotten.
Memoire
du bien tantôt passe.
Morceau avalé n'a plus de goût.
Cf. Fair-weather FRIENDS are not worth having.
207
He would have better BREAD than is made of wheat.
Fou
est qui cherche meilleur pain que de froment.
Querir meilleur pain
que de froment.
208
It is a good thing to eat your brown BREAD first.
Si
tu manges ton pain blanc le premier, tu manges ton pain noir plus
tard.
209
Man cannot live by BREAD alone.
L'homme
ne vit pas seulement de pain.
o Matthew 4, 4 / Matthieu 4, 4; Luke 4, 4 / Luc 4, 4; Deuteronomy 8, 3 / Deutéronome 8, 3
210
BREAK it, you pay for it.
Qui
casse les verres, les paie.
Var. He pays for the glasses who breaks them.
211
One man's BREATH another's death.
L'un
meurt dont l'autre vit.
Cf. One man's LOSS is another man's gain.
212
Not where one is BRED, but where he is fed.
Non
d'où tu es, mais d'où tu pais.
213
As they BREW, so let them drink.
Qui
fait la faute, la boit.
Sim. As
you bake, so shall you eat / As they brew, so let them bake.
Cf. As
you make your BED, so you must lie on it.
214
It is meet that a man be at his own BRIDAL.
Il
n'aura pas bonne part de ses noces qui n'y est.
215
It is the BRIDLE and spur that makes a good horse.
Bride
et éperon font le cheval bon.
216
A new BROOM sweeps clean.
Un
balai neuf nettoie toujours bien.
Var. New brooms sweep clean.
217
Good BROTH may be made in an old pot.
Dans
les vieux pots, les bonnes soupes.
C'est dans les vieux pots qu'on
fait les bonnes soupes.
C'est dans les vieilles marmites qu'on
fait les meilleurs soupes.
Sim. There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle.
218
Between two BROTHERS two witnesses and a notary.
Courroux
de frères, courroux de diables d'enfer.
Ire de frères, ire de
diables.
219
Three BROTHERS, three castles.
Trois
frères, trois châteaux.
Sim. Three helping one another bear the burden of six.
220
BUILDING and marrying of children are great wasters.
Qui
fait noces et maison, met le sien en abandon.
Qui se marie ou
édifie, sa propre bourse il purifie.
Sim. Building is a sweet impoverishing.
221
No good BUILDING without a good foundation.
De
méchant fondement, jamais bon bâtiment.
222
A BURDEN of one's own choice is not felt.
Le
fardeau qu'on aime n'est point pesant.
223
Every man shall bear his own BURDEN.
Chacun
portera son propre fardeau.
o Galatians 6, 5 / Galates 6, 5
224
Light BURDENS far heavy.
Au
long aller petit fardeau pèse.
Petite chose de loin pèse.
Petit
paquet et long chemin fatiguent le pèlerin.
Cf. In a long JOURNEY straw weighs.
225
He that BURNS shines most.
Qui
plus art, plus resplendit.
(Tr. Qui plus brûle, plus resplendit.)
226
One beats the BUSH and another catches the birds.
Il
a battu les buissons, et un autre a pris les oisillons.
Il a battu
les buissons, et un autre a pris les oiseaux.
Sim. The
poor man turns his cake and another comes and takes it
away.
Cf. Little
DOGS start the hare, the great get her / One SOWS and another reaps.
227
BUSINESS is business.
Les
affaires sont les affaires.
228
Every man knows his own BUSINESS best.
Chacun
travaille à son métier.
Chacun son métier et les vaches seront
bien gardées.
229
No man fouls his hands in his own BUSINESS.
Les
mains noires font manger le pain blanc.
230
What is everybody's BUSINESS is nobody's business.
Affaire
à tout le monde, affaire à personne.
231
It rains BUTTER and cheese.
Quand
il pleut en août, il pleut miel et bon moût.
232
Better BUY than borrow.
Mieux
vaut acheter qu'emprunter.
233
The BUYER needs a hundred eyes, the seller but one.
Un
oeil suffit au marchand, l'acheteur en a besoin de cent.
Un oeil
suffit au marchand, cent yeux ne suffisent pas à l'acheteur.
Var. The
seller needs but one eye; the buyer one hundred.
Sim. Let
the buyer beware.
234
He that BUYS what he does not want, must often sell what he does
want.
Qui achète
ce qu'il ne peut, vend après ce qu'il ne veut.
Qui achète le
superflu, vendra bientôt le nécessaire.
Var. Buy what you do not want and you will sell what you cannot spare.
C
235
CABBAGE twice cooked is death.
Choux
réchauffés, mauvais dîner.
Cf. Take heed of reconciled ENEMIES and of meat twice boiled / A broken FRIENDSHIP may be soldered, but will never be sound.
236
Either CAESAR or nobody.
Roi
ou rien.
237
Render unto CAESAR the things which are Caesar's.
Rendez
à César ce qui est à César.
Il faut rendre à César ce qui
est à César, et à Dieu ce qui est à Dieu.
Var. Give
back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.
Cf. Every
MAN should take his own.
o Matthew 22, 21 / Matthieu 22, 21; Mark 12, 17 / Marc 12, 17; Luke 20, 25 / Luc 20, 25
238
CAESAR's wife must be above suspicion.
La
femme de César ne doit pas être soupçonnée.
239
A fine CAGE won't feed a hungry bird.
La
belle cage ne nourrit pas l'oiseau.
240
You can't eat your CAKE and have it too.
On
ne peut avoir le lard et le cochon.
On ne peut avoir le drap et
l'argent.
Vouloir le beurre et l'argent du beurre.
Var. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
241
As the CALL, so the echo.
Tel
voix, tel écho.
242
After a CALM comes a storm.
Après
le calme, la tempête.
Après vent calme vient tourmente.
Cf. After a STORM comes a calm.
243
It is easier for a CAMEL to go through the eye of a needle than it is
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Il
est difficile à un chameau de passer par le trou d'une aiguille,
mais il est encore plus difficile à un homme riche d'entrer dans le
royaume de Dieu.
Il est plus facile à un chameau de passer par le
trou d'une aiguille qu'à un riche d'entrer dans le royame de Dieu.
o Matthew 19, 24 / Matthieu 19, 24; Luke 18, 25 / Luc 18, 25
244
The CAMEL going to seek horns, lost his ears.
Le
chameau désirant des cornes a perdu les oreilles.
245
A CANDLE lights others and consumes itself.
La
chandelle eclaire chacun et allume et soi meme se détruit, fond et
consume.
246
It is sometimes good to hold a CANDLE to the devil.
Il
faut quelquefois brûler une chandelle au diable.
Il faut savoir
mettre une chandelle devant le diable.
Donner une chandelle à
Dieu, et une au diable.
Cf. Like the old woman who burned one CANDLE to St. Michael and another to the Dragon / Give the DEVIL his due.
247
Like the old woman who burned one CANDLE to St. Michael and another
to the Dragon.
Une
chandelle à St. Michel, et une à son diable.
Cf. It is sometimes good to hold a CANDLE to the devil.
248
You cannot burn your CANDLE at both ends.
On
ne peut pas brûler la chandelle par les deux bouts.
Var. Don't burn the candle at both ends / Never light your candle at both ends.
249
If CANDLEMAS day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight:
if on Candlemas day it be shower and rain, winter is gone, and will
come not again.
Selon
les anciens on dit: si le soleil clair luit à la chandeleur, vous
croirez qu'encore un hiver vous aurez.
Var. If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, winter will have another flight; if Candlemas day be cloudy with rain, winter is gone, and won't come again.
250
When the CANDLES are out, all women are fair.
À
la chandelle, la chèvre semble demoiselle.
251
If the CAP fits, wear it.
Que
celui à qui le bonnet fait, le mette!
252
If thou hast not a CAPON, feed on an onion.
À
faute de chapon, pain et oignon.
Sim. Acorns
were good till bread was found / Better a louse (mouse) in the pot
than no flesh at all.
Cf. They
that have no other MEAT, bread and butter are glad to eat.
253
Where the CARCASE is, there shall the eagles be gathered together.
En
quelque lieu que soit le cadavre, là s'assembleront les aigles.
Var. Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the ravens be gathered together.
o Matthew 24, 28 / Matthieu 24, 28; Luke 17, 37 / Luc 17, 37
254
Lucky at CARDS, unlucky in love.
Heureux
au jeu, malheureux en amour.
Heureux au jeu, malheureux en
femmes.
Chanceux aux cartes, malchanceux en amour.
Var. Lucky at play, unlucky in love / Unlucky in love, lucky in play.
255
Unlucky at CARDS, lucky in love.
Malheureux
au jeu, heureux en amour.
256
CARE brings grey hair.
Les
soucis font blanchir les cheveux de bonne heure.
257
A creaking CART goes long on the wheels.
Les
pots fêlés durent plus longtemps.
Sim. A creaking door hangs long on its hinges.
258
Don't put the CART before the horse.
Il
ne faut pas mettre la charrue devant les boeufs.
Var. Don't get the carriage before the horse / To put the cart before the horse.
259
The best CART may overthrow.
Il
n'est charrette qui ne verse.
Il n'est si bon charretier qui ne
verse.
Il n'est si bon cocher qui ne verse.
260
A CAT always falls on its legs.
Il
est comme le chat qui tombe toujours sur ses pieds.
261
A CAT has nine lives.
Les
chats ont neuf vies.
Var. A cat has nine lives; a woman has nine cat's lives.
262
A CAT in gloves catches no mice.
Chat
ganté ne peut pas rater.
Chat emmoufflé ne prend souris.
263
A CAT may look at a king.
Un
chien regarde bien un évêque.
264
A scalded CAT fears cold water.
Chat
échaudé craint l'eau froide.
Sim. Once
bitten twice shy / A burnt child dreads the fire / Whom a serpent has
bitten, a lizard alarms.
Cf. A
scalded DOG fears cold water / He that has been bitten by a SERPENT
is afraid of a rope.
265
The CAT would eat fish and would not wet her feet.
Le
chat aime le poisson, mais il n'aime pas à mouiller la patte.
Var. The cat loves fish, but dares not wet his feet.
266
Who is born of a CAT will run after mice.
Qui
naquit chat, court après les souris.
Chat et chaton chassent le
raton.
Var. The
son of a cat pursues the rat / That that comes of a cat will catch
mice / Cat after kind, good mouse-hunt.
Cf. He
that comes of a HEN must scrape.
267
When the CAT's away, the mice will play.
Quand
le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent.
Quand le chat est
parti, les souris dansent.
Absent le chat, les souris dansent.
268
All CATS are grey in the dark.
La
nuit tous les chats sont gris.
Var. All cats are alike grey in the night.
269
CATS eat what hussies spare.
Ce
que l'homme épargne de sa bouche le chat ou chien vient qui
l'embouche. (XVIe siècle)
270
Take away the CAUSE and the effect must cease.
Cessant
la cause, l'effet est nul.
271
Without CERES and Bacchus, Venus grows cold.
Sans
Cérès et Bacchus, Vénus a froid.
Vénus se morfond sans la
compagnie de Cérès et de Bacchus.
Sans pain, sans vin, l'amour
n'est rien.
272
Nothing is CERTAIN but the unforeseen.
La
seule certitude, c'est que rien n'est certain.
Var. Nothing is certain but the unexpected / Nothing is positively certain but uncertainty.
273
Never quit CERTAINTY for hope.
Il
ne faut pas quitter le certain par l'incertain.
Ne préfère pas
l'inconnu au connu.
274
He is not free that draws his CHAIN.
N'est
pas libre qui traîne son lien.
Il n'est pas échappé qui traîne
son lien.
Cf. The HORSE that draws after him his halter is not altogether escaped.
275
A CHANGE is as good as a rest.
Le
changement de travail est une espèce de repos.
Var. A change is as good as a holiday.
276
CHANGE of pasture makes fat calves.
Changement
d'herbage réjouit les veaux.
277
CHARITY begins at home.
Charité
bien ordonnée commence par soi-même.
Sim. Love your friend, but look to yourself / Every man is nearest himself.
278
CHARITY covers a multitude of sins.
L'amour
couvre toutes les fautes.
o I Peter 4, 8 / I Pierre 4, 8
279
He that CHASTENS one, chastens twenty.
Qui
un punit, cent menace.
280
CHASTISE the good and he will mend; chastise the bad and he will grow
worse.
Bats le
méchant, il empirera; bats le bon, il s'amendera.
Sim. Show a good man his error and he turns it to virtue; but an ill, it doubles his fault / Praise makes good men better, and bad men worse.
281
Who CHATTERS to you will chatter of you.
Qui
médit des autres devant toi médira de toi devant les autres.
282
Those that eat CHERRIES with great persons shall have their eyes
squirted out with the stones.
C'est
folie de manger cerises avec seigneurs, car ils prennent toujours les
plus mûres.
Ne mangez point de cerises avec les grands, de
crainte qu'ils ne vous jettent les noyaux au nez.
Var. Eat
peas with the king, and cherries with the beggar.
Cf. Share
not PEARS with your master, either in jest or in earnest.
283
Take the CHESTNUTS out of the fire with the cat's paw.
Faire
comme le singe, tirer les marrons du feu avec la patte du chat.
Tirer
les marrons du feu avec la patte du chat.
Sim. To take the nuts from the fire with the dog's foot / It is good to strike the serpent's head with your enemy's hand.
284
Do not count your CHICKENS before they are hatched.
Ne
comptez pas vos poulets avant qu'ils soient éclos.
Il ne faut pas
compter ses poulets avant qu'ils soient éclos.
Il ne faut pas
compter l'oeuf dans le cul de la poule.
Sim. Don't
cross the bridge till you come to it / Never fry fish till it's
caught / It is not good praising a ford till a man be over / Count
not four, except you have them in the wallet / Do not halloo till you
are out of the wood.
Cf. Don't
sell the BEAR's skin before you have caught him.
285
A CHILD may have too much of his mother's blessing.
Enfant
par trop caressé, mal appris et pis réglé.
Sim. Give a child till he craves, and a dog while his tail doth wave, and you'll have a fair dog, but a foul knave.
286
Happy is the CHILD whose father goes to the devil.
Heureux
sont les enfants dont les pères sont damnés.
287
It is a wise CHILD that knows its own father.
L'enfant
est sage, qui son père connaît.
288
Praise the CHILD, and you make love to the mother.
Pour
l'amour du chevalier on baise la dame.
Var. Many
kiss the child for the nurse's sake.
Cf. He
that would the DAUGHTER win must with the mother first begin.
289
The CHILD says nothing, but what it heard by the fire.
Ce
que l'enfant écoute au foyer, est bientôt connu jusqu'au moutier.
Sim. What children hear at home, soon flies abroad.
290
Better CHILDREN weep than old men.
Il
vaut mieux que les enfants pleurent que les vieillards.
Sim. The
man who has not been flogged is not educated.
Cf. Spare
the ROD and spoil the child.
291
CHILDREN and fools tell the truth.
Enfants
et fous disent la vérité.
Enfants et sots sont devins.
La
vérité sort de la bouche des enfants.
Var. Children
and fools cannot lie.
Cf. DRUNKARDS
and fools cannot lie (speak truth).
292
CHILDREN are poor men's riches.
Enfants
sont richesse des pauvres.
À pauvres, enfants sont richesses.
293
CHILDREN when they are little make parents fools, when they are great
they make them mad.
Petits
enfants, petits tourments; grands enfants, grands tourments.
Var. Children when little make parents fool, when great, mad.
294
A CHIP off the old block.
C'est
bien le fils de son père.
Var. A
chip of the old block.
Sim. An
apple never falls far from the tree.
Cf. Like
FATHER, like son / Like MOTHER, like daughter.
295
From CHIPPING come chips.
Où
il pleut, il y dégoutte.
296
CHRISTMAS comes but once a year.
Ce
n'est pas tous les jours Pâques.
Tous les jours ne sont pas
noces.
Cf. Every DAY is not Sunday.
297
CHRISTMAS in mud, Easter in snow.
Qui
prend le soleil à Noël, à Pâques se gèle.
Noël au balcon,
Pâques au tison.
À Noël au balcon, à Pâques au tison.
Sim. Green Christmas brings white Easter.
298
They talk of CHRISTMAS so long that it comes.
Tant
crie-t-on Noël qu'il vient.
299
The nearer the CHURCH, the farther from God.
Près
de l'église, loin de Dieu.
Qui est près de l'église est souvent
loin de Dieu.
Var. He
who is near the church is often far from God.
Sim. He
has one face to God and another to the devil.
300
CIRCUMSTANCES alter cases.
Convenances
rompent loi.
301
You cannot see the CITY for the houses.
Les
maisons empêchent de voir la ville.
Cf. He cannot see the WOOD for the trees.
302
CIVILITY costs nothing.
La
politesse ne coûte rien.
Cf. A man's HAT in his hand never did him any harm / LIP-HONOUR costs little, yet may bring in much / Kind WORDS go a long way.