Category Archives: Proverbs

Mexico: Monkey Proverb

Nationality: Mexico City
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 20 2018
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Original:

Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda. 

Translation:

Although the monkey dresses in silk, it’s still a monkey. 

Analysis:

This Mexican proverb was given to me by my friend who is a 20 year old from Mexico City. The exchange happened in the form of an interview while on the USC campus. She claims to have been hearing this ever since she was a child. Her mom would repeatedly say this to her every time they encountered a new person who, according to my friend, was someone her mom did not like or thought was rude. My friend then went on to explain to me how this proverb speaks to how classist of a society Mexico tends to be.  There is a large gap between the different economic sectors of Mexico; 1% of the population is extremely rich while almost 50% of the population live in extreme poverty. According to my friend, this proverb is often used to describe people that come from a poor background and are constantly showing off their newly gained money. In other words, she says that it is used to describe “people that are new rich but don’t have manners.” Hence the image of a monkey being able to dress in silk but still being a monkey regardless of the fancy clothes.

 

I think this proverb speaks a lot about Mexican society and how it functions. It also says a lot about the inequality in wealth distribution and how class plays an important factor into how people are perceived. Furthermore, it implies that people’s actions are being scrutinized despite their newly acquired wealth and/or status. The end result is to demonstrate how Mexican society is extremely closed off to outsiders of people that have not been a part of it for more than one generation. This is very interesting to me because it delineates how wealth, status, and class are taken into consideration in Mexico City.

Mexico: You Snooze, You Loose

Nationality: Mexico City
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 20 2018
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Original Proverb:

Camarón que se duerme de lo lleva la corriente. 

Translation:

If the shrimp falls asleep, the current carries him away. 

Analysis:

This is a Mexican take on the English proverb “if you snooze, you loose.” According to Andrea, she first heard this proverb when she was a little girl. Her father would say it to her every time she was late or forgot something. She explains that, in a way, it is a proverb meant to remind you to stay on your toes. You need to be aware of the things happening around you and if you lose an opportunity because of your lack of awareness then there’s no one to blame but you.

I love the imagery used in this proverb. The image of a shrimp being swept up by the current is a very vivid and entertaining image. This says a lot about how the Mexican language works; imagery and metaphors are an extremely common way of communicating ideas. I think it is a very creative twist on the American “you snooze, you lose” proverb. It also speaks a lot about Mexican ingenuity and how language is used as a way to reflect that.

Procrastination proverb

Nationality: Irish
Age: 56
Occupation: Lawyer/Screenwriter
Residence: Los Angeles
Primary Language: English

The informant is my mother who is Irish and she grew up in Buffalo, New York. She always used to tell me this proverb growing up and still says this to me today.

 

“Your tomorrow self will thank your today self.”

 

I have never heard this proverb before and she is really the only person I have ever heard say it. My mother said her Irish grandmother would say it to her growing up. Upon further research I could not find where the proverb originated from, but I kept finding this:

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

 

Which has the same sentiment and was apparently originally said by Sean Patrick Flanery who is also Irish.

If this is an Irish proverb, it tells me that the culture is very efficient and very in the now. I think American world view is very much future oriented and we put things off, but this proverb encourages people to do things now so you don’t have to think about it in the future.

 

For another version of this proverb see “Jane Two,” written by Sean Patrick Flanery.

 

Australian Proverb

Nationality: Australian
Age: 49
Occupation: Accountant/Talent Manager
Residence: Australia/Los Angeles
Primary Language: Panjabi

The informant was my best friends mother (referred to as KM) who is Australian. She is from Brisbane Australia and has been living there for around 50 years now. She works as a talent manager and an accountant. She told me her mother used to tell her the following proverb.

 

KM: “The more you know, the less you need.”

 

I think this short proverb is very powerful and says a lot about Australian culture. I think a lot of people in western culture view knowledge as power and power also equates to material items and money. So this is kind of the opposite of that. Knowledge is power and therefore, it is the only thing you need. Through my time in Australia and my friends, I have over there I saw a lot of people living a minimalist styled life. Obviously, people live in excess over there as well, but I think this is a beautiful way to live by. When you know more you become more resourceful and are filled with less desire to constantly consume.

 

 

 

 

 

Indonesian Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 27
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Primary Language: English
Language: Indonesian

The informant was my cousin (referred to as LG) who spent 4 years being a Fulbright scholar in Indonesia. There she was teaching school girls English and art. She told me one of the Indonesian teachers would always say this proverb to the girls:

 

LG: “Bagai pungguk merindukan bulan. Which translates into Like an owl reaching for the moon.”

 

CI: “What does that really mean?”

 

LG: “It’s definitely kind of sad, It is basically saying, ‘you’re wishing for something impossible.’ I feel like the older Indonesian generations definitely tried to be what they thought was realistic with their students or children, but also it definitely could be seen as putting the children down.”

 

I find this particularly interesting because teachers in America are very encouraging and there is a strong sentiment that “The children are the future. But in Indonesia, especially in the village, my cousin lived, which was very poor, it seems that adults think it is important to not encourage the children too much. This proverb isn’t necessarily putting children down, it is just telling them not to dream too big.