SICILIAN SAYINGS

Sicily is full of all these sayings and proverbs....
Did you know them all? Or do you know any more? If so, share your saying/proverb with us and we will add it to the list 

1. Lu lupu di mala cuscenza comu opira penza.
The dishonest wolf thinks of others what he himself would do.

2. Munti e munti `un s`incontranu mà.
Mountains never meet other mountains
But people sooner or later do meet

3. La pignata taliata `un vugghi mai.
A watched pot never boils
When you wait for something, it never arrives

4. Attacca lu sceccu dunni voli lu patruni.
Tie the donkey where the master wants.
Stick to the instructions of those above you

5. Cu `un fa nenti `un sbaglia nenti.
Only those who do nothing make no mistakes

6. Prima di parlari mastica li paroli.
Before speaking, chew your words.
Think carefully about the words you are saying

7. Cu avi la cummirità e `un si nni servi mancu lu cunfissuri lu pò assolviri.
Those who have the chance to live well and don't take advantage of it can't be forgiven even by the confessor.

8. Di `na rosa nasci `na spina. Di `na spina nasci `na rosa.
From a rose comes a thorn, from a thorn comes a rose.

9. Cu nesci arrinesci
Those who leave their environment find themselves in a better condition.

10. Iunciti cu lu megghiu e perdicci li spisi.
Keep company with the best people even if it means some sacrifice.

11. Si ad ogni cani chi abbaia ci vò tirari `na petra `un t`arrestanu vrazza.
If you want to throw a stone at every barking dog, your arms won't be able to keep up.

12. Ogni cani è liuni a la sò casa.
Every dog in its own house feels like a lion.

13. Ovu d`un`ura, pani d`un jornu e vinu d`un annu `un ficiru mai dannu.
An egg of an hour, bread of a day, and wine of a year never did any harm.

14. Li sordi di lu `Nfinfirinfì si li mancia lu `nfinfirinfà.
Money earned dishonestly is spent badly.

15. Servu d`autru si fa cu dici lu sigretu chi sa.
Those who tell their own secrets become servants to others.

16. Fa beni e scordatillu, fa mali e pensaci.
Do good and forget it, do evil and think about it.

17. Lassa lu focu ardenti e succurri la parturienti.
Leave the fire burning and immediately help the woman in labor.

18. Quannu ‘u piru è maturu cari sulu.
When the pear is ripe, it falls by itself.
(With time, situations clarify themselves.)

19. ‘U cani muzzica sempre ‘u spardatu
The dog always bites the poor man
(Troubles happen to those who already have enough.)

20. Lu rispettu è misuratu, cu lu porta l’havi purtato.
Respect is measured. Whoever brings it receives it.

21. Nuddu si pigghia si ‘un si assimigghia.
People choose each other because they are alike.

22. Cu mancia fa muddrichi.
Who eats makes crumbs.
(Whoever does something inevitably makes some mistakes.)

23. Cu fa carteddi, ‘ni fa lari e ‘ni fa beddi.
Who makes baskets makes ugly ones and beautiful ones.
(In what we do, we don't always achieve the best results.)

24. Cu duna prima duna `ntimenza, cu duna doppu cu tutti li senza.
Who strikes first does so with hesitation, who responds to provocation does so with all their strength.

25. Aranci aranci, cu havi guai si li chianci.
Oranges oranges, whoever has troubles cries for themselves.

26. A li ricchi ricchizzi, a li scarsi scarsizzi.
To the rich, riches; to the poor, poverty.

27. La nostra casa n`abbrazza e ni vasa.
Our home hugs and kisses us, that is, it welcomes us warmly.

28. `Addu o senza `addu Diu fa jornu e senza lu to crivu spagghiu e cernu.
With the rooster or without the rooster, God makes the sun rise just the same, and I, without your sieve, still clean and select the grain.

29. `Unn`è sempri chi ghioca e riri la muggheri di lu latru.
It's not always that the thief's wife gets to play and laugh.

30. Lu bonu no vali cchiù di lu tintu sì.
The no said gracefully is worth more than the yes said rudely.

31. Du` su` i putenti, cu avi assà e cu nun avi nenti.
There are two powerful people: those who have a lot and those who have nothing.

32. Chiddu chi fa p`i me denti nun fa p`i me parenti.
What is useful for me is not for others.

33. Aceddru `nta la aggia `un canta p`amuri, ma pi raggia.
A bird in a cage doesn't sing for love, but out of rage.

34. Ama a cu t`ama si vo` aviri spassu, chi amari a cu nun t`ama e` tempu persu.
Love those who love you if you want to enjoy it, because loving those who don't love you is wasted time.

35. Li guai di la pignata li sapi la cucchiara chi li rimina.
The troubles of the pot are known only by the spoon that stirs them.

36. Quannu lu diavulu t`alliscia voli l`arma.
When the devil flatters you, he wants your soul.

37. Spenni picca e arricchirai, parla picca e `nzirtirai, mancia picca e campirai.
Spend little and you'll get rich, speak little and you'll make the best choice, eat little and you'll live long.

38. Megghiu `na vota arrussiari chi centu voti aggianniari.
Better to blush once than turn yellow with bile a hundred times.

39. Soccu ora si schifia veni lu tempu chi si addisia.
What is despised now will one day be desired.

40. Siddru lu beni nun ritorna a mali nun si chiama beni.
If the good we do doesn't come back to us as evil, it's not called good.

41. Vali cchiu` un sceccu `ntirrugannu, ca un ancilu rispunnennu.
An ass interrogating is worth more than an angel answering.

42. Quannu la furtuna vota ogni amicu si fa la ritirata.
When fortune turns its back, all friends withdraw.

43. Quannu la lingua voli parrari, divi prima a lu cori dimannari.
When the tongue wants to speak, it must first ask the heart.

44. Si pri paura di corvi `un si semina linusa, nun putissimu aviri la cammisa.
If for fear of crows you don't sow flax, we couldn't have a shirt

45. Cu strigghia lu so` cavaddru `un si chiama garzuni.
Who brushes their own horse is not called a stable boy

46. Diu fa l`abbunnanzia e li ricchi la caristia.
God makes abundance and the rich make famine

47. Acqua, cunsigghiu e sali a cu `unn`addumanna `un ci nni dari.
Water, advice, and salt: don't give them to those who don't ask

48. Aspittari e nun viniri, jiri a tavula e nun manciari, jiri a lettu e nun durmiri
su` tri peni di muriri.
Waiting for someone who doesn't come, going to the table and not eating, going to bed and not sleeping are three pains to die for.

49. Arvulu chi nun ciuri e nun fa frutti tagghialu di sutta a quattru botti.
A tree that doesn't flower or bear fruit, cut it at the base without hesitation

50. Assai vali e pocu costa a malu parlari bona risposta.
A good answer to bad words is worth a lot and costs little