Informant:

I had a conversation about proverbs they had learned from their families with three female employees at a local taco shop during one of the less busy times of the day.  Mercedes Rodriguez, 42, Maria Lopez, 23, and Rosalba Valdez, 18 each consider themselves Mexican.  Rosalba was the only one born in the United States, though she is a second generation immigrant.  Rosalba’s mother would use this proverb whenever two persons were talking, but each one only spoke about what interested themselves instead of the other person’s interest.

Text:

Cada loco con su tema.

Transliteration: Every crazy person with his theme.

Translation: They are talking past each other.

Analysis:

This proverb likens obsession with an interest, to the point of being able to engage in someone else’s interests, to insanity.