Category Archives: Proverbs

Twist on Known saying

Text: “If at first you don’t succeed, hide all evidence that you tried”

Context: My informant is a friend of mine who first heard this proverb from her older sister. She said when she first heard it, and how it put a clever twist to the known saying: “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”, she began sharing it with her friends, and repeating it whenever someone would bring up the original saying.

Analysis: While the proverb is fairly simple, and meant to be a humorous way to subvert a listener’s expectations, it has some interesting interpretations. Replacing the motivational message to never give up with the idea of hiding that one ever tried, appeals to a person’s desire for ease and comfort. While most would agree trying again is usually best, there is usually a desire to take the easy way out, which the proverb pokes fun at.

No Excuses

Nationality: Indian, American

Primary Language: English

Other language(s): N/A

Age: 19 yrs

Occupation: Student

Residence: Frisco, Texas

Performance Date: 2/1/2024

Text:

“Yeah so when I was a young kid, like I don’t know, 10 or 11, I was told by my grandfather that I needed to be serious about tennis and couldn’t slack off. My parents would repeat the same things he did, making me kind of fear being a slacker in a competitive sense. My grandfather said to me then: ‘He who cannot dance puts the blame on the floor,’ and it stuck with me. He told me it basically meant that even if I lost, the only one to blame for being bad at the game was me. It made me perform better but at a cost, a fear of failure type thing.”

Context:

My informant, PL, is a friend of mine from my freshman year at USC from Frisco Texas. I recall one day in second semester freshman year we were talking about tennis, a sport he used to play at a near professional level and won state championships for. We were waiting for an open spot to play pickle-ball down by the tennis courts and I asked him about his past in tennis as he mentioned he played it before, but I had no idea how personal it was to him or to what extent. That was until I questioned him about it later in time and asked him why he stuck with tennis, because he currently keeps describing tennis in the worst possible light. He then told me about a Hindu proverb that was told to him by his grandfather when he was growing up and learning tennis. He said that this proverb and the concept behind it was drilled into his head forever afterwards, pushing him to keep going, to keep trying to be the best, no excuses held or told, no slacking off in a competition. This made him feel a sort of resentment for the sport and the rigorous training he did and endured to effectively ascend the ranks with tennis pros.

Analysis:

PL said this was a proverb his grandfather told him and which his parents sometimes regurgitate, so clearly it is generational. I did some research about this proverb and ended up finding out that it was originally an African proverb but was adapted by Hindu culture centuries ago. It basically means that people who are serious about something they are passionate about, make it happen, and those who are not, make excuses, and tend to put blame on something else rather than themselves when failing. PL is of Hindu cultural descent, so this proverb is not so well known in the modern world, but rather a generational and cultural saying which was a huge way of pushing children to do their best in certain aspects of life like sports. I personally don’t agree with the way it was used in PL’s life, how it was made to make him fear failure, but in a general sense, the proverb is logical. If you are genuinely serious about something you are working on, you shouldn’t and probably won’t make excuses about it if under-performing when faced with challenges and obstacles preventing you from continuing to pursue or achieve a passion and/or goal. I think it’s super interesting how deeply rooted this proverb is in Hindu culture, as PL’s grandfather was telling him this saying like he’s heard it forever. The influence it had over PL’s tennis career was great as well, so clearly the proverb is influential in a behavioral sense, and historical sense, as this proverb has seemingly been around for centuries. 

Better Late Than Never

Nationality: American
Primary Language: English
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 02/21/2024

Text:

Better late than never.

Context:

The proverb is a joke between members of the informants family, that they will typically say as they arrive late to events. Their family is notoriously late to family events and other general appointments, and the proverb has become an ironic commentary on their timeliness as they leave the house. The informant does not remember when her family started saying it,

Analysis:

This use of the relatively popular proverb is interesting because it is ironic, joking about the families perpetual lateness, as opposed to a one-off event. This adds further meaning to the proverb, as it evolves and has become a tradition. This proverb typically is used to excuse lateness, citing that showing up at all is good. This is a widely used proverb, as it is an easy way to laugh-off something that is often accidental.

Heal Little Frog Proverb

Nationality: American
Primary Language: English
Other language(s): Spanish
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 02/21/2024

Text:

Sana sana, colita de rana
Si no sanas hoy
Sanarás mañana

Translation:

Heal heal little frog tail
If you don’t heal today,
you will heal tomorrow

Context:

This is a story the informant learned from her mom who said it to her whenever she was sick or injured. She doesn’t know what the frog part means, but thought it was cute. Her mom would also kiss whatever part was injured right before she said mañana. She further explained that when she calls her mom and is sick, her mom still repeats the proverb. This was a proverb that had been passed down for multiple generations, as the informants mother also heard it from her mother. The informant said that she could not remember a time being sick, where her mom did not say the proverb.

Analysis:

I think that this proverb is an excellent example of one that is passed down through family. The fact that it become a tradition whenever the informant was sick demonstrates that it holds sentimental value, and will most likely continue to do so. This type of proverb also is likely to get passed down, as people tend to positively associate it with family and love. I find it interesting that for many people, proverbs in their native tongue hold a unique level of sentimental value. Furthermore, the proverb’s inclusion of healing the next day is more applicable to sick people, as it reminds them to remain hopeful and focus on getting better, rather than hoping for miracles that may never occur.

Dirty Broom

Nationality: American

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): N/A

Age: 17

Residence: San Antonio

Text

“An old broom knows the dirty corners best.”

Context

This informant is my little sister. We lived in Texas, New Mexico, and Florida, but we are of Irish descent. We love digging deep into family history, and upon learning this was a popular phrase in Ireland, began using it regularly.

Analysis

This saying is a metaphor for age, knowledge, and the value of experience. The informant and I often use this saying when someone new enters our life and tries to change something that we believe shouldn’t be changed. For example, if there’s a new boss at work who fires a bunch of employees, we’ll say “an old broom knows the dirty corners best” in an almost spiteful way. Interestingly, this past-oriented way of thinking contradicts Dundes’ article discussing future orientation in American worldview. The dirty broom saying praises what is older and more experienced rather than what is deemed ‘newer’, ‘hotter’, or ‘better’ – it challenges novelty, something highly valued in American culture.