# Sicilian proverbs

Proverbs from all Sicilian speaking parts of the world.

## C

* Chi la dura la vinci.
** Translation: He who perservers shall win.
** English equivalent: Perservere and never fear.
** Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 127. ISBN 0415096243.
* Cui a speranza d autru la pignata metti, Nun ha paura di lavari piatti.
** 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.
* Cui mali accumensa, peju finisci.
** English equivalent: A bad beginning makes a bad ending.
** Meaning: "It is as impossible that a system radically erroneous, once commenced, should end well, as it is that a mathematical problem, commenced wrong, should come out right."
** Source for meaning: William Henry Porter (1845). Proverbs: Arranged in Alphabetical Order .... Munroe and Company. p. 202.
** Emanuel Strauss (1994). "1". Concise Dictionary of European Proverbs. Routledge. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-136-78978-6.
* Cui a speranza d autru la pignata metti, Nun ha paura di lavari piatti.
** 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.
* Cui si fa pecura lu lupu si la mancia.
** English equivalent: He that makes himself a sheep shall be eaten by the wolf.
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "70" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. p. 39.

## E

* È tintu lu nudu, chiu tintu lu sulu, ma megghiu sulu chi mala accumpagnatu.
** 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.

## L

* Lu minsugnaru chi dici la verità non è crittu.
** English equivalent: A liar is not believed when he tells the truth.
** von Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "65" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanishcen und romanischen Sprachen Vergleichend. II. p. 36.
* Lu tempu è priziusu.
** Translation: Time is precious.
** English equivalent: There is nothing more precious than time.
** Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 1008. ISBN 0415096243.

## M

* Medicu pietusu fa la chiaja verminusa.
** English equivalent: Mild physician – putrid wounds/you need to crack an egg to make an omelet.
** Strauss, Emanuel (1994). Dictionary of European proverbs (Volume 2 ed.). Routledge. p. 710. ISBN 0415096243.

## N

* Nil novi sub sole Suttu lu celu nenti c è di novu dem Himmel gibt's nichts.
** English equivalentː Nothing is new under the sun.
** von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Ida; von Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Otto (1875). "174, Neues" (in German). Sprichwörter der germanischen und romanischen Sprachen. p. 96.

## P

* Porta rispettu a lu locu unni stai.
** English equivalent: Cast no dirt into the well that gives you water.
** "People who can put themselves in the place of other people – who can understand the workings of their minds, need never worry about what the future has in store for them."
** 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.

## Q

* Quannu s' abbrucia la casa di lu to vicinu, porta l' acqua a casa to.
** ̽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.

## 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
* Tristine proverbs ‎
* Tuscan proverbs
* Venetian Proverbs