What are your all-time favorite Yiddish “proverbs”/sayings?

Blessing1

Sun, Jan 10 2021, 7:28 pm

Sprinkles1 wrote:

...ווייזט מען נישט

No, she said it correctly, it's without the nisht.
Let's say if you're in middle of doing a project and people keep asking you to see it but it's not done, you say "far a naar veist men halba arbet", meaning that a naar/fool would think that the work is complete when you show them incomplete work.

silverlining3

Sun, Jan 10 2021, 7:39 pm

Red veinig n tee asach
Talk less and do more

Ganimen seichel mit a gupel
Took sechel with a fork

Sprinkles1

Sun, Jan 10 2021, 8:58 pm

Blessing1 wrote:

No, thats exactly why for a fool you should not show 'half of the work' because he'll ask questions as if its finished.

amother

Coral

Sun, Jan 10 2021, 9:07 pm

רעדן איז זילבער שווייגן איז גאלד

dankbar

Sun, Jan 10 2021, 9:56 pm

ווער עס איז פויל האט נישט אין מויל

Whoever is lazy, won't have anything to take into the mouth

In Yiddish, it rings better because it rhymes

( today not shayich, as everything is readily available)

Blessing1

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 6:47 am

Sprinkles1 wrote:

No, thats exactly why for a fool you should not show 'half of the work' because he'll ask questions as if its finished.

Which is why you tell a smart person that asks to see 1/2 done work "far a nar veist men halba arbeit",
A naar/fool is content seeing 1/2 done work.
Maybe there are 2 ways to say this proverb, but I never heard it with nisht.

Genius

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 6:59 am

It’s without the nisht. Another vote for you blessings

Sprinkles1

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 8:36 am

Blessing1 wrote:

I still think my version makes more sense.

And I guess I'm right. Check this out:

https://www.facebook.com/notes.....60821

Scroll down to פ.

(We could add the whole list here!)

ShishKabob

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 9:13 am

Sprinkles1 wrote:

I still think my version makes more sense.

And I guess I'm right. Check this out:

https://www.facebook.com/notes.....60821

Scroll down to פ.

(We could add the whole list here!)

I'm with you too! Another vote for 'nisht'

Blessing1

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 9:58 am

I guess both versions may be correct but I've only heard it without nisht.

weirdo

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 10:14 am

A kranken beet men in a gezinten gebt men

A sick person you ask and a healthy you give.

My mom always says it when we would ask a guest or someone if they want to eat or if they want a portion or if they want a drink so with that saying you mean that a 'healthy' person you don't ask if he wants, you just give him Smile

amother

Puce

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 11:31 am

געבענטשט זענען די הענט וואס טוען זוך אליין
אז מען צינט בייטאג לעשט מען ביינאכט

mandr

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 11:50 am

"billig iz teier" - cheap is expensive. When you try to cut corners, you end up losing in the long run.

"mit mechatanim est men kugel" - with mechutanim, you eat kugel. Which means, it's ok to eat together with family, but not to do business with them.

spoiled

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 1:48 pm

די בעסטע לערנער איז ערפארונג. א שאד אבער אז די שכר לימוד איז אזוי טייער!

silverlining3

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 2:24 pm

Ven mashiga macht ven klein vultzti gakent zitzn oif a seltzer cover n shuklen dein fees.

When craziness would make small you'd be able to sit on a seltzer cover and wiggle your feet.

Said basically when people do crazy things

amother

Saddlebrown

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 2:29 pm

amother [ Coral ] wrote:

רעדן איז זילבער שווייגן איז גאלד

Wanted to post this!!!!

amother

Mistyrose

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 3:44 pm

Blessing1 wrote:

I guess both versions may be correct but I've only heard it without nisht.

Right, this is the version I grew up hearing

amother

Mistyrose

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 3:47 pm

קלײנע קינדער קלײנע דאגות גרויסע קינדער גרױסע דאגות

behappy2

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 4:07 pm

vos men tut, tut men fahr zich alein-what you do (I assume for others) you do for yourself (that it benefits you)

doodlesmom

Mon, Jan 11 2021, 4:12 pm

A mamas fleish is pareve men meg es eibig Essen.
I’m trying to figure out how to translate...can anyone help