Cultural sayings.

I was just wondering if there are any sayings that are unique to your culture. Espically if they have blood in them not in a morbit way-just curious.

Here's some British ones;

'Blood's thicker then water' which means at the end of the day we'll stand by our family (relatives).

'Bob's your uncle and Fanny's your aunt' The first bit means, that's the job done (not sure about the second bit).

'Ya eye's are bigger then ya belly' We say that to my second oldest most dinner times becasue she never finishes what she's put on her plate.

I've been given some more, these are Dutch; to have potatoeblood - doesnt look healthy
to be sleeping over in the monkey(doesnt work in english appearantly) - to be in trouble

i take pride in not doing any irish cultural sayings.

póg mo thóin Éire

Hunger is the best seasoning. - Old Mexican proverb

Java: mangan ora mangan, ngumpul

Meaning: whether you eat or not, the family gathers anyway

Bättre att stämma i ån än i bäcken.

I don't know if this is a typically Swedish saying. Literal translation: "Better staunch in the creek
than in the river." Message being it's better to fix a problem before it gets too big.

Bättre dåligt minne än dåliga minnen.

A humorous saying you only ever hear from older people: "Better a bad memory than bad
memories."

Du ska inte tro att du är någon.

Often said to people whom think a little too highly of themselves: "You shouldn't think you're
somebody." (A very Swedish mindset.)

En knuten näve kan varken ge eller ta.

"A closed fist can neither give nor take."

Har man tagit fan i båten får man ro honom i land.

"If you let the devil aboard, you have to row him to shore." Meaning, don't start what you can't
finish.

De aap komt uit de mouw.

The monkey comes out of the sleeve - something is revealed.

Kwaad bloed zetten.

To set (?) evil blood - to make someone angry.

Het bloed kruipt waar het niet gaan kan.

The blood crawls where it cannot go - if you really want something, it will happen.

Eigen schuld, dikke bult.

Own fault, severe bruise. (don't need to explain this)

Zachte heelmeesters maken stinkende wonden.

Soft (as in the personality trait) healers cause festering wounds - sometimes a drastic/painful solution is necessary.

And a nice one appropiate for some RHP posters:

Hij heeft de klok horen luiden, maar weet niet waar de klepel hangt.

He has heard the bell chime, but does not know where the clapper is - he talks about the issue without knowing anything about it.

Southern sayings:

Don't pull yer gun unless you plan to use it.
What goes down the devil's back comes back up under his belly.
(He/she) makes my a$$ crave onion tops.
Civility is the ability to refrain from beating the crap out of an individual who desparately needs it.

A Hispanic guy I worked with long ago said of another co-worker "He is always where the sun shines the brightest." To this day I don't know if it was a compliment or a put-down.

Universal, cross cultural saying in all languages...

"I feel your pain."

To take the blood under someones nails - to make someone really angry (dutch)
I can drink someones blood - I am outraged (dutch)
The grass doesn't grow any faster by pulling it - It doesn't help to push something/somebody in some direction (probably Morroccan)

Thank you everyone for posting. I thought there'd be more similarities but the only one I can think of that we have too is Jigtie's "Better staunch in the creek
than in the river." for which we have 'a stitch in time saves nine'.

Originally posted by yo its me
Thank you everyone for posting. I thought there'd be more similarities but the only one I can think of that we have too is Jigtie's "Better staunch in the creek
than in the river." for which we have 'a stitch in time saves nine'.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
'you must have royal blood', saying when someone is feeling cold, when its not so bad.

Ei elämästä selviä hengissä
Nobody gets out alive from life
(Finnish)

...

Las penas con pan son menos
Sorrows are less when you have bread
(Mexican)