Category Archives: Proverbs

Spanish Proverb

Nationality: Mexican-American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: United States
Language: English

Text:

Spanish: “el que se enoja, pierde”

Translation: “The one who gets mad loses”

Context:

“It’s kind of hard to pin point as to when I first heard it. I’ve always known this phrase since I was young. I think my grandpa was the one who taught me this concept since I would often talk back or argue with my siblings. I think the phrase explains that when we become very emotional in any given situation, like being angry, we often don’t think rationally.”

Analysis:

This phrase represents Latin culture, showing the informant’s culture to be considered as hard-workers and diligent in the workforce, which also emphasizes the group’s oichotype. For the literal meaning, the phrase values and favors those who are patient rather than those who let their anger win. The saying also consists of an importance within family values as the informant states that she mostly heard it within family contexts. This relates to the folk as the informant family in addition to their culture with the lore showcasing the idea of patience winning over anger. It’s used in situations of emotions or a battle between favorable and undesirable feelings.

Glass Houses – Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: United States
Language: English

Text:

“People in glass houses should not throw stones.”

Context:

“my dad used this saying a lot when i was little so that’s where i learned it. i think it means to not be hard or talk down to or about others because you probably are just like them in one way or another. and i use it in softball when my teammates talk down about the way someone hits or fields a ball when we all know everyone has had their off days”

Analysis:

The folk group that this proverb is used in seemed to evolve. The informant first learned this saying from their father, which then spread into being used within their softball team, showing the spread of this phrase. The saying itself seems to refer to the idea of being nice to everyone instead of immediately getting upset and “throwing stones” when you yourself might have been in the same situation. It’s purpose is to teach a lesson to other people who may be to focused on their anger and frustration.

You are enough even when you don’t feel like it – Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student & Restaurant Employee
Residence: United States
Language: English

Text:

“You are enough even when you don’t feel like it”

Context:

“I saw a picture of it on TikTok lol. I usually use it to make someone feel better if they are feeling overwhelmed or upset.”

Analysis:

Though coming from social media, the post itself may derive from different authors as it is constantly reposted and changed to become longer or shorter. There’s different variations of this quote, such as the most common “You are enough.” These don’t necessarily have authors, rather they are used as sayings in specific contexts. The informant continues to reuse and recycle this saying, especially in situations to show kindness, showing or saying it to a particular group of those in pain or needing cheering up. Sayings and phrases like these continue to spread and expand among those who are kind-hearted or in situations that require this feeling.

mother daughter proverb

fields:
AGE: mother and daughter current(50/23) when used (40/15)
Date_of_performance: 02/15/25
Language: English
Nationality: Canadian
Occupation: Artist/ retail worker
Primary Language: English
Residence: Toronto, canada

Quote: “For beauty you must suffer”

A folk phrase used by mothers to their daughters when teaching them the grooming rituals of a grown woman. from shaving, to waxing, to tight heels, or spanks its a way to acknowledge the effort one must put in to meet the beauty standard.

This phrase is was used by my mother and her mother before her, they were british woman so i don’t doubt that this is a folk phrase that can be traced back to the creation of the corset.

the folk that use this are woman and sister or motherly circles.

Tiger’s Wedding Day

AGE: 53

DATE OF PERFORMANCE: 02/19/2025

LANGUAGE: English 

NATIONALITY: American 

OCCUPATION: Attorney

PRIMARY LANGUAGE: English 

RESIDENCE: New York 

INTERVIEW SUMMARY:

When asking my mother of any proverbs she grew up on she told the story of the Tiger’s Wedding Day. Whenever it was raining on a sunny day, her mother [my grandmother] would say “it’s tiger’s wedding day,” referencing the tale. While my mother does not remember the exact story of it, this is the basic premise of how the story goes:

The Tiger, the King of the Mountain, was getting married to the Fox. During the wedding ceremony, the Cloud fell in love with the Fox, causing it to weep.

This story comes directly from the translation of sun shower from Korean to English. In Korean, the term for sun showers is yeowoo bi (여우비), which directly translates to “fox rain” in English.

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION:

I think it’s interesting how our culture can weave into parts of the proverbs and phrases we use and pass down generations. Even though my mother didn’t remember the actual story itself, she remembered the phrase that her mother would say every time there was a sun shower. Storytelling is such a deep part of Korean culture (and especially culture as a whole), so there is no surprise that it shows up in the every day phrases my family uses.