Category Archives: Proverbs

“Faith over fear.”

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Primary Language: English

Informant: At my gym, we always say, “Faith over fear.” And that was like something we used to say all the time, and that was the one point that I was even semi religious in my life.

 

My informant is a freshman at the University of Southern California. She is from San Diego, California. We had this conversation in the study room of my sorority house.

 

This is interesting because it somewhat can be related to a ritual before going out to perform. My informant was a cheerleader for a while, so this would work as a ritual and a superstition for some kind of performance she would ever do. It seems that many people have religious rituals they do before a performance, such as one of my informants doing the Catholic cross before going on in every ballet number she did. These manifest even in people who aren’t religious, and my informant is not religious anymore. This is interesting and shows some type of dependency on the idea of some hope for help from some other place, even without the belief that a God or higher power exists. It seems to be a type of mechanism that people just develop.

Chinese Proverb: “The Thousand Mile Horse”

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 53
Occupation: Microscope Store Manager
Residence: Southern California
Performance Date: 4/20/16
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

Informant is a 53 year-old Chinese female. She was born and raised in Beijing, China, and now lives in Southern California.

Informant’s folklore: There’s a saying in China called “A Thousand Mile horse is easy to find, the discoverer is hard to find.” A “Thousand Mile Horse” is a horse that can run a thousand miles in one night, like a very talented person. But, it’s not easy to find such a great talent, but in comparison to the discoverer, it’s harder to find. This means that talented people exists, but they need to be discovered and recommended.

Collector: Do you like this proverb?

Informant: Yes, I like it. It means, you are talented, but you need to get opportunities and meet people who can appreciate you to discover your talent and help you reach your full potential.

I think that this proverb means that all the elements need to be in place for success–the stars need to align. As person who has a dream needs to not only have talent, but seek and be open to the opportunities presented to him in order to become successful in his pursuits.

Chinese Proverb: Sow Seeds Before Rain

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 53
Occupation: Microscope Store Manager
Residence: Southern California
Performance Date: 4/20/16
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

Informant is a 53 year-old Chinese female. She was born and raised in Beijing, China, where she used to work as a farmer. She now lives in Southern California.

Informant: This proverb, “Sow Seeds Before Rain” means that you need to plan ahead. Sow the seeds before it rains, so that after it rains, your crops will have grown, and you won’t have to worry about lacking water or working in the rain.

Collector: What does this mean to you?

Informant: Without foresight, you will always run into problems. If you don’t have a future plan, you will always focus on the present, short term, problems. It means that a person will live in the problems of every day life because he is only solving the temporary problems, without knowing what’s the long term plan or focus. You can take life or business for an example. You need to have a plan–What should I do in five years? What will happen in 10 years? You need to see personal growth and development.

Collector: Do you like this saying?

Informant: Yes, I like this saying, because it’s something that I live by. A person needs to have a plan for their life, what their goals are. Even for businesses, you need to plan ahead, and can’t always focus on the small tasks and forget the larger tasks. This is very important to the development and growth the a person, business, and even nation.

I think that the informant did a good job of explaining the meaning of this proverb. It’s a philosophical way to approach life and reach one’s full potential as a human being. This proverb is reflective of the attitudes of people who aspire to be successful in the fields they choose.

El sordo no olle, pero compone

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Performance Date: 4/23
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

”El sordo no olle, pero compone.”

The deaf person doesn’t hear, but he composes.

“If someone isn’t really paying attention I guess, or they do something wrong so that it’s obvious they weren’t paying attention, people use this to call you out. My mom would use it a lot whenever we were being bad in general though.

I found this proverb interesting, mainly because I couldn’t necessarily think of an equivalent one in English. The context in which it is used is one that I (and many others, I’m sure) am familiar with; I am curious to know why some cultures have a niche for this particular proverb and others don’t. The proverb appears to reference the composition of music, and implicates that composing music without having the ear to listen to it is a foolish venture at best.

 

“Mangia vete”

Nationality: American
Age: 60
Occupation: Accountant
Residence: Denver, Colorado
Performance Date: 4/21/15
Primary Language: English

This is an Italian phrase that was used in RG’s family. However, RG does not speak Italian and only knew how to say it, not spell it. The second word of the phrase sounds like “vete”, but that is not an actual Italian word so it is most likely spelled a different way.

What does the phrase mean?

RG: My dad used to say it as something like “feed your face”. It was something he said when we were kids.

Did your dad speak Italian?

RG: “No, my grandfather was an Italian immigrant, but he didn’t want his kids to speak Italian. He said they were Americans, not Italians. Americans speak english. My dad still used some of the words and phrases though.

When would your dad use the phrase?

RG: “It was an expression for “it’s time for dinner”. It would be like “Bobby mangia fete”, “Bobby, come on feed your face”

This was a good example of how folklore is spread via word of mouth. RG had never even seen the phrase written out so he didn’t even know how to spell it. It also demonstrates how someones interpretation of  folklore is more important than what it actual means. “Mangia vete” itself doesn’t mean anything when it is spelled out. However, when it is used in the context of RG’s family, it is clear to all of them that it means “feed your face” or “it’s time to eat”.

I also found it interesting that it was an Italian phrase used by people who did not speak Italian. Although RG’s grandfather did not want his children to speak Italian because they were “Americans, not Italians”, slang from the Italian culture still became a part of their family that was passed down. Despite his grandfather’s best efforts, his family was American with a definite Italian influence. The fact that his grandfather wanted his children to be known as “Americans” is, I believe, a direct result of his being an Italian immigrant. He did not want his children to be treated any different than other American children, but at the same time the part of his Italian culture was inevitably expressed because that was what he grew up with. It’s a nice example of the blending of cultures to the point where eventually Italian phrases are used by English speakers who do not completely understand what they are saying, but they know the context of when to say it.