Corsican proverbs

Corsican is a Tuscan dialect dialect spoken in the island of Corsica.

B

• Bisogna fa di forza legge.
  • Idiomatic translation: Make a virtue out of necessity.
  • Meaning: Acquiesce in doing something unpleasant with a show of grace because one must do it in any case.
  • Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 1079. ISBN 0415096243. 

• Bole piglia l'anguilla pe a coda.
  • Idiomatic translation: You might as well try to hold an eel by the tail.
  • "He that does not speak Truth to me, does not believe me when I speak Truth."
  • Thomas Fuller, Introductio ad prudentiam: Part II (1727)
  • Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 480. ISBN 0415096243. 

C

• Chi ha tempu unn ' aspetti tempu.
  • English equivalent: When fortune knocks, be sure to open the door.
  • von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto. "573, Gelegenheid". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. pp. 297-298. 

D

• Dimmi con chi vai, ti dirò quel che tu fai.
  • English equivalent: If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas.
  • von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "498, umgehst" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. pp. 275–276. 

• Dopo fatta la cosa, consiglio non vale.
  • English equivalent: When a thing is done, advice comes too late.
  • von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto. "580, Geschehenr". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. pp. 301. 

• Duve si ha de beie un ci si sputa.
  • English equivalent: Don't spit where you need to drink.
  • Refers to someone who causes trouble in their immediate surroundings.
  • Dale Carnegie, How To Win Friends And Influence People (1934)
  • Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 634. ISBN 0415096243. 

E

• È chiucu ancu a pevaru.
  • English equivalent: Every hair casts its shadow.
  • Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 4. ISBN 0415096243. 

• È meglio solo che mal compagnadi.
  • Translation: It is better to be alone than to be in bad company.
  • English equivalent: Better be alone than in bad company.
  • Source for proverb: Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 572. ISBN 0415096243. 

F

• Forse un diaule caccia il altru.
  • English equivalent: One nail drives out another.
  • "As one nail drives out another,
    So the remembrance of my former love
    Is by a newer object quite forgotten."
  • William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (1592)
  • Emanuel Strauss (1994). Dictionary of European Proverbs. Taylor & Francis. pp. 648–. ISBN 978-0-415-10381-7. 

L

• La notte è madre di consigliu.
  • English equivalent: To take counsel of one's pillow.
  • von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "232, Rath" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen vergleichend zusammengestellt von Ida von Duringsfeld und Otto Freihern von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld. II. p. 129. 

P

• Per chi un sa zappà, tutte e zappe so malfatte.
  • English equivalentː An ill workman quarrels with his tools.
  • von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "329, Schreiber" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. II. pp. 184-185. 

Q

• Quandu t'è prumess u purcellu, legalu en u muscellu.
  • Translation: Seize the offer.
  • English equivalent: When the pig is proffered, hold up the poke.
  • "I knew that what I had felt was envy or regret, not for something lost but for something never achieved."
  • P. D. James, Dr. Theodore Faron character in The Children of Men (1992)
  • Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 1226. ISBN 0415096243. 

U

• U megliu è spessu nemicu di u be.
  • English equivalent: Better is the enemy of good.
  • von Düringsfeld, Ida (1872). "218" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. II. H. Fries. p. 113. 

• Un lascià mai corre u certu per l'incertu.
  • English equivalent: He that leaves certainty and sticks to chance, When fools pipe, he may dance.
  • von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "863, Gewiss" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. p. 308. 

• Un mette troppu carne a focu
  • English equivalent: He that has many irons in the fire, some of them will let burn (will cool).
  • von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875) (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. II. p. 306. 

See also

• Bolognese proverbs
• Corsican proverbs
• Emilian proverbs
• Italian proverbs
• Lombard proverbs
• Milanese proverbs
• Neapolitan proverbs
• Northern Italian proverbs
• Piedmontese proverbs
• Romagnol proverbs
• Romanesco proverbs
• Sardinian proverbs
• Sicilian proverbs
• Tristine proverbs ‎
• Tuscan proverbs
• Venetian Proverbs