Dominican sayings

[Mirador]

Cuando el rio suena, es por que agua trae. (If you can hear the river, is because it has water - referring to gossip and their validity) -NAL

There are two versions of this saying, the other one goes something like: "Si el rio suena es porque piedras trae", and the reference is more to rumors than to gossip...

By the way, my most favorite is:

"Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona queda"

and the more popular local versi?n:

"Aunque vengas disfrazado, te conozco bacalao"


-

 

[macocael]

Here is one I love from my suegra:

Mear no es igual que sacudir.

Figure it out; if you need help I will provide it, but I dont want to get too descriptive here.


Indiana16, again, thanks for starting this thread off and for your great input. Love "probando e que se guisa." Here is a line in a similar vein, not a Dominicanism but rather a famous line from the inestimable poet Antonio machado:

Se hace camino al andar.

PS: I can see why Chiri interpreted "el ojo del amo" as she did -- and I thought it meant the same thing -- because in English there are several locutions regarding this idea, that the subjective eye of the owner of a thing is biassed. El ojo del amo engorda el caballo could be interpreted to mean that the proud owner of a horse sees only a nice fat horse, and not the bag of bones he was deceived into buying. But Juniper's explanation nicely clears that up. Now I get it.

Mirador, love the colloquial version.

And as for "cuando el rio suena . . ." that is a bit like "where there is smoke there is fire" in English.

 

[Chirimoya]

I'm going to have a bash at finding English equivalents for some of these:

El ojo del amo engorda el caballo...Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?

that wouldn't be the right english equivalent.

better would be " when the boss leaves the mice begin to party."

When the cat's away, the mice will play.

 

[juancarlos]

Well, about el ojo del amo: this is similar to another spanish proverb: el que tiene tienda, que la atienda. It means that if you want your bussiness to prosper, you should be there to watch it. If you become too lax or overconfident or leave the primary resposabilities to others, you'll suffer the consequences.
A more accurate translation would be: under its master's gaze( or care) the horse becomes healthy.

A similar proverb is: Si quieres criado fiel, sirvete a ti mismo.

 

[Stodgord]

Was "Friendo y comiendo" said already? If not, it goes along doing something while ripping the profits. Basically, in a business setting "you are selling and a the same time using that money for personal stuff instead of going into the business" This is the best explanation I can give. I have only heard Dominicans and Puerto Ricans use this term. Any others.

 

[indiana16]

Libra me dios del agua manza que de la brava me libro yo =
God spare me from still water for I will spare myself from the rapids.

in other words you need to be more careful with people who are quiet and appear to be angels. They are more dangerous than loud people.

 

[indiana16]

Here is one I love from my suegra:

Mear no es igual que sacudir.

What does this mean?

 

[indiana16]

Un clavo saca otro clavo

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo

El buey busca la sombra porque la sombra no lo busca a el

Donde fuego hubo cenizas quedan

No hay mal que dure 100 anos ni cuerpo que lo recista

El que a hierro mata a hierro muere

El arbol que nace torcido jamas su tronco se endereza

El puerco no se arrasca en javilla

 

[Stodgord]

Lo que va, biene = What goes around comes around.

 

[macocael]

Indiana, I am not at all sure that "mear no es sacudir" is a colloquial saying or just something la suegra mia likes to say, but it strikes me as having that same populist quality that alot of such refrains share. When I first heard it, I was thrown too. Basically it means that starting something is not the same as finishing it (peeing is the first step,but shaking it is the final stage) -- and I guess it is intended to criticize half-ass endeavors.

btw, I guess you know Willie Colon's version of " El arbol que nace torcido jamas su tronco se endereza"? From the chorus of "El Gran Varon" ("lo que nace doblao, jamas se endereza")

 

[NALs]

El que vive bien, es el que sabe mas.

I heard this only once, though I wish it would have been otherwise!

Of course, there are plenty of people saying the following:

El que lee mucho, se vuelve loco.

Sad sad sad.

-NALs

 

[sofia]

Does anyone know any Dominican terms of endearment?

 

[AnnaC]

Here's a thread full

http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40253

 

[Jon S.]

Just a few I found or heard..........

Refranes Actualizados


"El que madruga...
encuentra todo cerrado"

"Dime con quien andas...
y si esta bueno me lo mandas"

"Ojos que no ven...
zapatos llenos de caca"

"Siembra un ?rbol...
has feliz a un perro"

Barriguita llena...
segurito para el ba?o"

"Caballo regalado...
tiene que ser robado"

"Hazlo bien...
sin mirar con quien"

Detr?s de todo hombre que triunfa...
hay una mujer sorprendida"

"Cuando un millonario pasa a mejor vida...
sus herederos tambi?n"

"El amor es ciego...
solo el matrimonio puede devolverle la vista"

"El trabajo en equipo es esencial...
te permite echarle la culpa a otro"

"La suerte de la fea...
a la bonita le vale madre"

"Mas vale prevenir...
que amamantar"

"El que r?e ultimo...
no entendi? el chiste"

 

[macocael]

Correction! From el Gran Varon: "palo que nace doblao, jamas su tronco endereza!" Been a while since i listend to that one, and when I did just now it occurred to me that I made this mistake