Agua que no has de beber, dejala corer

Water you won’t drink, let it run.

We always want to make our lives better, and one way of doing that is to fix problems in our lives.  Some have the problem of dealing with their own problems and often cause more problems by interfering with other people’s business.

My informant would hear this saying growing up most often from his grandmother, who was of Mexican descent.  Although it was never often said directly to him, he would hear his grandmother say this to his mother, when they were talking “chisme” or gossip.  Even though his mother and grandmother would partake in daily “chisme” sittings, at the end of the conversation his grandmother would always say, “Aqua que no has de beber, dejala correr!” which was saying that the mother should not meddle in other people’s business because there is no point in involving yourself.

The practice of “chisme” is very common in Hispanic cultures.  It is very common during Christmas times, all the females of the family gather together for a large tamale-making event.  It is very common that they would share stories and gossip they’ve heard throughout the years, while the men all drink Corona beers in a different room, most likely in the TV room.  My informant remembers how humorous it was that his grandmother would always involve herself in others business, gossip about their stories, offer rhetorical advice, but then state this idiom, as if she wasn’t really meddling, yet she was in her own way.

In English, a common phrase is “Mind your business” which states just worry about yourself and not others, which is a very common Westernized ideology in the culture.