# Tuscan proverbs

Tuscan is a Milanese dialect spoken in the region of Tuscany which approximately lies in north-western Italy.

## A

* Al bugiardo non è creduto il vero.
** English equivalent: A liar is not believed when he tells the truth.
** "Do you remember the fable of the little boy who cried 'wolf'? In the story a young prankster called out for townspeople to save him from an imaginary wolf. One day, the lad encountered a real wolf and called for help. The people, remembering his earlier tricks, didn't come to his aid and the boy was eaten."
** Paoli E. Massaglia, The Little Boy Who Cried Mayday (1988)
** "By telling a single lie to oneself or to another, by denying a single fact of the world as it has been created, one adds to the World’s Pain."
** Michael Moorcock, The War Hound and the World’s Pain (1981), Chapter 16
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "65" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. II. p. 36.
* A padre avaro (cupido) figliuol prodigo.
** English equivalent: A miserly father makes a prodigal son.
** von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "523, Vater" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 292.

## C

* Chi è diffamato, È mezzo impiccato.
** English equivalent: Give a dog a bad name and hang him.
** von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "578, Gerücht" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. I. p. 300.
* Chi è imbarcato col diavolo, ha a passare in sua compagnia.
** English equivalent: Better never begun than never ended; He that takes the devil into the boat must carry him over the sound.
** von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "439, Teufel" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. pp. 244–245.
* Chi molto pratica, molto impara.
** English equivalent: Practice makes perfect .
** von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "496, Übung" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 274.
* Chi per l altrui man s imbocca rade volte si satolla.
** English equivalent: He that waits on another man's trencher, makes many a late dinner.
** von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "96" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. I. pp. 45-46.
* Chi rubba una spilla rubba una libbra .
** English equivalent: He that will steal a pin will steal a better thing.
** von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "387, Stehlen" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 212.
* Chi sa disprezzare di essere onorato, Merita di non esser disprezzato..
** English equivalent: Follow glory and it will flee, flee glory and it will follow thee.
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto von (1872). "320". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. p. 164.
* Chi troppo intraprende, poco finisce.
** 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.

## D

* Dimmi con chi (chi tu) pratichi e ti dirò chi (tu) sei.
** 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.

## E

* 'È mal sordo chi non vuol sentire .
** English equivalent: None so deaf as those who will not hear.
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "427, Tauben" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. Fries. p. 238.

## I

* 'Il diavolo quand è vecchi, si fa cappuccino.
** Approximate translation: "When the devil is old, he makes himself a cappuccino."
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "Teufel, 436" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen sprachen vergleichend, zusammengestellt. II. p. 243.
* Il medico pietoso fa la piaga puzzolente.
** English equivalent: Mild physician – putrid wounds.
** Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 710. ISBN 0415096243.

## L

* La natura può più dell'arte.
** English equivalent: Nature is beyond all teaching.
** "There is the love of knowing without the love of learning; the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind."
** Confucius, Analects (~ 300 BC), Book XVII, Chapter VIII.
** Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 764. ISBN 0415096243.
* La sanità e libertà Vaglion più d'una città.
** English equivalent: Good health is above wealth.
** von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto. "588, Gesundheit". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. p. 305.
* La scimmia è sempre scimmia, anco vestita di seta.
** English equivalent: A golden bit does not make the horse any better.
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1872). "14 Affen" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. Fries. p. 7.

## M

* Meglio un ovo oggi, che una gallina domani.
** English equivalent: Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.
** von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "725, heut". Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. p. 381.

## N

* Ne' fiori cova la serpe.
** English equivalent: Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers do creep.
** von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "315, Schlange" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. ÏI. pp. 177-178.
* Non istuzzicare il can che dorme.
** English equivalent: Let sleeping dogs lie.
** Ida; Otto (1875). "599, wecken" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen vergleichend zusammengestellt von Ida von Duringsfeld und Otto Freihern von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld. II. pp. 334–335.
* Non nominare la fune in casa dell impiccato starden.
** English equivalent: In the house of the hanged man, mention not the rope.
** von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "405, Strick" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 225.

## P

* Parola detta e sasso tirato non fù più suo .
** English equivalent: A word spoken is past recalling.
** von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "391, Stein" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. pp. 215–216.

## Q

* Quando brucia nel vicinato, porta l' acqua casa tua.
** ̽English equivalentː When thy neighbour s house doth burn (is on fire) be careful (beware) of thine own.
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "Nachbarn, 127" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. p. 73.
* Quattrino risparmiato du volte guadagnato.
** English equivalent: A penny saved is a penny earned.
** von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "370, spart" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. II. p. 204.

## S

* Scherzo lungo non fu mai buono.
** English equivalent: Leave a jest when it pleases you best.
** von Düringsfield, Ida; von Düringsfield, Otto (1875). "122, aufhören" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. I. p. 59-60.

## T

* Tien la ventura mentre l'hai, se la perdi, mai più l ' avrai.
** 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.

## V

* Vivere e lasciar vivere .
** English equivalent: Live and let live.
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "15". Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen sprachen vergleichend, zusammengestellt. H. Fries. pp. 8–.

## 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 ‎
* Venetian Proverbs