LW is a retired 74-year-old woman who lives with her husband in Sunnyside, WA. She was born and raised there and came from an immigrant mother and father who came from Guadalajara, Mexico. She never went to college but became a mother to three children and a grandmother to several grandchildren. She was remarried twice and worked two minimum wage jobs to support her family. Her primary language is Spanish but her English is perfect as well.

Are there any sayings you grew up with that you still use today that you are fond of?

LW: Yes, there was a saying that my aunt used to always say to me and I heard it from a few other family members as well and it was, ‘El sordo no oiye pero compone’. It means in english that the deaf cannot hear so they make it up.

Do you know if there is an underlying meaning to that phrase or proverb?

LW: I think the underlying meaning is that people will make up what they think or believe you said if they could not hear you correctly or if they cannot hear at all literally. Its more about being clear about what you say and what it means so it cannot be confused or so people don’t think you are saying the wrong thing. My own interpretation is it might be a fake-it-till-you-make-it metaphor on how if you don’t understand something or cannot figure it out it is okay to fake it or make something up. Improvising is a skill of the deaf that we could find helpful in day to day life I believe.

Do you think then that this phrase is to be taken more literally or figuratively?

LW: I am thinking that it is more figurative than literal. I don’t think many proverbs are literal these days and it is more about the internal lesson than the metaphor used to describe it.

Analysis:

This Spanish proverb is not very well known, it was almost impossible to find any record of it at all so it must be rarely used now. The significance of this unique phrase is interesting because it could be interpreted in many different ways. I am not sure whether it should be literal or figurative but either way I do not think this proverb could have much variation because of the way it has been passed on up till this point.

TM is an accountant who was born in Sunnyside, WA and now is currently living in Bothell, WA. He descends from a heavy Irish and Italian background which have influenced much of his culture growing up. His grandparents were the ones to teach him the most about his culture through their traditions and common sayings.

Is there any sayings that your grandfather used to say a lot?

TM: In his house, he hung multiple sayings that were mounted or framed and were old Irish jokes or sayings that he often practiced in conversation. Many of them were very witty or sarcastic in a way that could make anyone laugh.

What was one that you remember?

TM: This one is a nice one, a blessing he used to practice; ‘May the roads rise to meet you, may the wind be at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again… May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.’ That is an Irish blessing he often said to his siblings and my dad and uncles. He was adamant about telling those to the people he cared about.

Were there any specific times he would say it to others?

TM: He would say it when saying goodbye to someone or he would say it to my father before he went to bed. He may even have said it at family events or holidays when he says some of my relatives that weren’t around as often. He took pride in expressing how much he cared about others by the quality of conversation and blessings he gave them.

Analysis:

Blessings and prayers were important to Irish Catholics. It was very important to say prayers for others and bless the less fortunate. It was part of common consideration to say blessings for those you loved and cared about. The specific blessing was one known by many and often varied slightly from person to person. Major holidays in the Catholic religion such as Easter and Christmas made these blessings and prayers more frequent.