The informant told me of a proverb she learned from her father who was born and raised in Israel. The proverb is central and common to Israeli culture and is as follows: “It’s better to be the head of the coyotes than to be the tail of the lions.” The informant explained that in the Israeli culture, everyone wants to be a leader and that Israeli people typically want to be super independent. Her father tells her this proverb in times where she feels lost and when she is not motivated to keep going forward. She explained that she feels a sense of pride whenever her dad tells her this proverb, or whenever she thinks about it. I think this is a proverb that we should all follow, it says a lot with minimal language and is telling of true character.
Category Archives: Proverbs
Far Behind, I’m First
Informant first heard this proverb from his business partner back in the nineties. Since then, he has passed along this saying to his own children. It is important to him because it’s something he tries to live by and it brings back good memories of this period in his life. The proverb goes like this: “I’m so far behind I think I’m first.” It means that the subject matter is behind and he is being lapped, so there’s pressure to keep up and to get metaphorically faster. This parallels anything in our lives we feel we are not well suited towards, things we wish we could improve on. He uses this proverb with his children to make them feel more compelled to try harder in life and to work diligently to avoid feeling like they’re in last place.
Birthday Noodles
Proverb:
“On your birthday you are supposed to eat noodles. Really long, long noodles. You almost choked on them.”
Background:
My mother told me this custom was passed through the family that was told to her by her family. According to the folk lore, long noodles were indications of a person’s life span, therefore on the celebration of a birthday, the eating of long noodles represents the wish for the individual’s life to be long and prosperous. While many no longer believe in the folklore anymore, the symbolism behind this custom becomes a wish of good health and prosperity.
Analysis:
While I distinctly remember that I actually choked on the noodles in this particular event, the retelling of this custom reminded me of the memories from the past. It is interesting to see how superstitions and folklore can transform to represent something different. In this example, it becomes a form of tradition that means wishes for a long life.
Russian Proverb
“The thief who stole 4 kopecks is hung but the thief who stole 400 kopecks is praised.” Amina and her family are from Moscow. When she was growing up, her father used to say this to her often. She describes him as a funny man who does not take life too seriously. He would say this to Amina as comic advice in different situations. Mostly, when Amina was stressed in school, he would say this to encourage her to cheat.
Irish/English Proverb
“He didn’t lick it off a stone”.
This one is really funny because Nicolette’s grandfather is English, but often says this Irish proverb so much so that it has become something of an inside joke amongst the family. Nicolette didn’t even really know what it meant, but I looked it up and found that it means someone’s attributes are always influenced by someone else.