Category Archives: Folk speech

A Riddle About A Spoon

¿Qué compras para comer pero no te la comes? Una cuchara. (What do you buy so that you can eat, but don’t actually eat it? A spoon?)

My mom would hear riddles like these growing up from her parents and aunts and uncles.

I myself would also be told these kind of similar riddles in Spanish and my sisters would already know all of them and I’d be struggling to figure them out much to the enjoyment of my family. These kind of riddles are a very recurring element within the types of things circulated around my family.

Proverb About Timeliness

El que tiempo agarra, tiempo le sobra – (The one who makes time, has time to spare)

My mom would tell me this every time I was late for school or was in a hurry. It’s much like the Spanish version of “the early bird gets the worm”. My mom said her parents would tell her siblings the same thing and eventually my mom picked up on it to tell her own tardy children.

I myself would find it tedious because my mom was right. I’d be rushing and hurrying out the door going to school in the morning and she’d often bid me goodbye by saying this old proverb. And now still, when I’m running late, I hear it in my mind in her voice. My parents are big on timeliness and tend to sometimes go overboard on being so. As such this expression serves as a kind of thing to live by, which admittedly, is true.

Proverbs Catholic Grandmothers Say

“Dios Por Delante, Todo Sale Bien” (God in control, all will be well).

My mom told me that my great-grandmother would often say this phrase. It is obviously based deeply within religion and proverbs like these were ones often told and frequently said. They were said in a hopeful context centered in the belief of a higher power. And with said belief and manifestation of faith, good fortune would also be summoned.

I’ve heard very similar proverbs be said be my grandma, my mom, and other relatives indicating that same sense of hope according to their faith, something that’s very big amongst Latinamerican cultures. These are said very often and in many scenarios. For example, one would say “I hope I get the job” and then someone would say one of these proverbs indicating luck and good things.

Riddle: “The less of them you have, the more one is worth. A Friend.”

Text: “The less of them you have, the more one is worth. A Friend.”

Context: This riddle came from a movie I enjoy dearly, The Batman. This riddle is very important to me because it is a significant saying that reflects many aspects of life, from people to inanimate objects. This riddle can be interpreted in different contexts but it says the overall message that more does not equal better. Some people may not have a lot but being grateful and having one thing can account for everything. For example, having one good reliable friend can make up for having lots of friends who are unreliable.

Analysis: This riddle signifies a strong feeling of valuing what you have rather than how many of a specific thing you have, in this case, friends. The meaning to the informant is important because it reflects an aspect of their life where they learn to appreciate what they have rather than what they don’t. This riddle may relate to a group of people who feel the need to have a lot of one thing instead of valuing what they already have. Having the mentality of wanting more than appreciating what one has could cause one to lose touch with reality and become inconsiderate of what they have in front of them. This riddle goes as far as to set a reminder to people that all things don’t last forever so it is important to value what you have when you have it, and also to appreciate those who stay with you through thick and thin. Despite the riddle being able to be linked to a specific culture, it aims to challenge people to think differently about what they have and how they appreciate it, whether that be enough or not enough, the riddle makes one think and evaluate if they value what they have.

Folk Speech: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Text (Proverb): “Fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me.”

Context: Being a life-long learner means seeing the good in mistakes. I’ve gotten comfortable with the fact that progress is made through our own failure or the failure of others. This is an old Chinese proverb that I have heard many times while growing up with my immigrant parents. They would say this out of anger when people treat them poorly for not being able to speak English. This mistreatment led them to learn English so that they could stand up for themselves in society. I think this proverb speaks to the natural naivety of humans, as there are many things in life that are out of control. At the same time, it also speaks to our primal ability to take control through critical thinking, drawing from personal experience to prevent what was previously unknown.

Analysis: The proverb chosen is a very driven and direct proverb that is used to set the mindset of the sayer to never let themselves get too comfortable with people after being fooled/ let down. As for the Informant, I can see that this proverb originates in their childhood as they would hear it growing up from their parents, possibly being the cause of why they remember it so clearly. As for how the proverb was interpreted, the proverb goes further than just a note to self, it is related to the nature of humans and how one must adapt to the situations they face, making the proverb a reminder to never get too comfortable nor too unaware.