Category Archives: Proverbs

Hindi Joke: Randi rona mat kar

Text: रंडी रोना मत कर

Romanization: Randi rona mat kar

Transliteration: randi → whore / rona mat kar → don’t cry

Transcription: Don’t cry, whore

Translation: Don’t cry, whore

Context: My informant – a 20-year-old international student from Kolkata, India – explained to me that this is a common Hindi phrase spoken in India. When translating it for me, he said that it means “a prostitute crying” and it is an inappropriate jab that he and his friends use towards each other. He has heard it most in North India and has described it as slang in Delhi and the Punjab region used in his age group. The jab is used when someone is perceived to be whining about something and the people around the whiner are fed up with it, so they call that person a whore and tell them not to cry. In recent years, he has also heard the phrase in the content of social media influencers, making it more widespread in his country.

Analysis: While prostitution is permitted in India, there is a large portion of the population that sees it as unethical and a violation of cultural values (Prostitution: Legality and Morality in India). In Hinduism, the dominant religion in India, marriage is believed to be a union made in Heaven, and when that marriage is completed on Earth, the marriage bond is believed to persist through seven lifetimes (Hindu Wedding Ceremony). Considering this, there are many who believe that prostitution is an insult to the sanctity of marriage, thus rendering the subject as taboo. In the phrase “randi rona mat kar,” you are explicitly calling someone a prostitute or a whore, pulling on language that is bound to reap discomfort given the perception of the profession in the culture. In the chapter “Jokes that Follow MassMediated Disasters in a Global Electronic Age” by Christie Davies, the author writes that “disaster jokes, like jokes about sex or race or, in some societies, religion or politics, are a way of playing with the forbidden for the sake of amusement” (32). Pulling on this analysis and the perception of prostitution in India, the utilization of “randi rona mat kar” is a way for young people to play with the sacredness of cultural values in an attempt to subvert or challenge traditional norms and beliefs. It serves as a medium for cultural defiance and pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable in their society. Additionally, my informant was adamant about the phrase only being used in his age group, and he also mentioned it becoming more widespread due to the Internet. Davies also writes that the Internet “stimulates the invention of disaster jokes and of death-of-a-celebrity jokes by providing templates for, encouraging emulation among, and granting legitimacy to disaster joke-tellers” (33). With this, I believe that the proliferation of “randi rona mat kar” among younger generations is a product of the Internet’s ability to disseminate information at a faster rate, and with that comes a larger amount of young people playing with a taboo topic that is bound to reestablish cultural norms.

References:

Davies, Christie. “Jokes that Follow MassMediated Disasters in a Global Electronic Age.” In Of Corpse: Death and Humor in Folklore and Popular Culture, edited by Peter Narvaez, 15-34. Utah State University Press, 2003.

Harsh, Garima. “Prostitution: Legality and Morality in India,” The Times of India, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/welfaremeasuresunderthefactoriesactacriticalappraisal/prostitution-legality-and-morality-in-india-55396/. 

“Hindu Wedding Ceremony,” Sikh and Dread Photography, https://www.sikhanddread.com/hindu-weddings#:~:text=In%20Hinduism%2C%20it%20is%20believed,life%20%E2%80%93%20the%20’Grihasthashram’. 

Spanish Proverb: Más vale solo que mal acompañado

Text: Más vale solo que mal acompañado

Translation: It is better to be alone than in bad company

Context: My informant – a 20-year-old international student from Oaxaca, Mexico – explained to me that this is a common phrase spoken in Mexico. The phrase is in Spanish, so I asked her if this was a common phrase used in various Spanish speaking countries, to which she replied in the negative; she has only heard people in Mexico state the proverb. In response to my question regarding where she first heard this phrase, she couldn’t remember, but she did hear it a lot from her mother while growing up. She interpreted it as a means of comfort from those she heard it from; instead of feeling sad in her solitude, she should rejoice in being in her own presence rather than in the presence of bad company. Additionally, she also remembered hearing the phrase in an episode of Como Dice el Dicho, a telenovela that creates stories revolving around common sayings in Mexico. The episode is called “Más vale solo andar, que mal casar,” translating to “It’s better to walk alone than to marry badly.”

Analysis: Given that my informant had heard the phrase in Como Dice el Dicho but it was uttered in a different manner, I was curious to see if the meaning behind it might differ from how she interpreted it. The episode’s title in English is “It’s better to walk alone than to marry badly,” and the description of the episode is that a young woman finds her boyfriend in bed with another, yet she ultimately ends up marrying him. However, as time goes on, their relationship becomes more complicated, leading her to understand the proverb the episode revolves around at the end of the program: it is better to be alone than in bad company (ViX). My informant had said that this phrase was more general, being spoken to provide comfort to anyone who might be uncomfortable in their solitude as it can be a better alternative to being with bad company. However, the episode from Como Dice el Dicho leads me to believe that the phrase might be more commonly used when it comes to romantic relationships, especially as a way to console someone when their partner is unfaithful or toxic.

In the Hispanic and Latino communities, there has been a phenomenon revolving around La Toxica/El Toxico, translating to “the toxic one” and used to refer to partners in relationships who are unhealthy for the other person (“La Toxica” And How We View Relationships). However, the phrase is more commonly associated with women, attributing their role in the relationship as the toxic one. In Como Dice el Dicho, the roles are reversed, with a man emulating the trope of “El Toxico” and a woman navigating her way out of the toxic relationship. The show challenges the stereotypical gender dynamics in relationships through this reversal and creates a space for viewers to evaluate their perceptions of gendered behavior. Because of this, I feel that the phrase “más vale solo que mal acompañado” is a way for Mexican women to feel independent in their lives and understand that instead of being tied to a partner who doesn’t treat her right, she is better off alone. The trope of “La Toxica” is disproportionately applied to women than it is to men, so I see “más vale solo que mal acompañado” as a way for women to acknowledge their agency in relationships. 

References:

Banda, Monserrat. “‘La Toxica’ And How We View Relationships,” Compass Center, https://www.compassctr.org/post/la-toxica-how-we-view-relationships. 

“Más vale solo andar, que mal casar,” ViX, https://vix.com/es-es/detail/video-3711494. 

Variations of a proverb: hell in a handbag

Text:  “It’s hotter than Hell in a handbag out here”

Context: My informant –  a senior at the University of Southern California from Indiana – explained to me that this was a saying her mother would always say when the weather was very hot. Her mother was born and raised in Indiana, and while she first heard it from her mom, it is something that is typically said in the state and in the broader Midwest. Her mother explained to her that the phrase comes from Hell being an extremely hot place alongside the feeling of being confined and stuffed into something small, like a handbag. So, if Hell itself is already hot and the landscape is confined to a handbag, then it must be an unbearably hot day if you are using that analogy to describe the weather.

Analysis: When searching “It’s hotter than Hell in a handbag out here” on the Internet, there are phrases that come up similar to it, but not exactly the same. “Going to hell in a handbasket,” “going to hell in a handcart,” “going to hell in a handbag,” and “something being like hell in a handbasket” are all variations of an allegorical locution that has unknown origins and describes a situation heading for disaster (Wikipedia). However, my informant’s mother had her own variation – It’s hotter than Hell in a handbag out here – which she used to describe the weather, not a situation heading for disaster. In the chapter “Riddles and Proverbs” by F. A. de Caro, the author writes that proverbs are ready-made statements that convey a culturally agreed~upon idea which can be used to make a point that may only be made less succinctly and perhaps less clearly and effectively in a speaker’s own words” (185-186). Despite the proverb staying virtually the same, my informant’s mother repurposed it to fit an aspect of her culture. This highlights the fluidity of proverbial language and the ways in which individuals personalize and reinterpret commonly used expressions to fit their own experiences and surroundings. So, while “something being like hell in a handbasket” might sound similar to “it’s hotter than hell in a handbag out here,” the two phrases are interpreted differently based on their respective cultural contexts.

References:

De Caro, F. A.. “Riddles and Proverbs.” In Folk Groups and Folklore Genres: An Introduction, edited by Elliot Oring, 175-197. Utah State University Press, 1986.

“To hell in a handbasket,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_hell_in_a_handbasket.

Shanghai Proverb Against Forgetfulness

Text: 

Original Script in Mandarin Characters:

阿拉做事体伐好脱头落襻

Pronunciation in Shanghai Dielect, Noted in Mandarin Pinyin:

ā lā zù zi tì fá háo té te lò pie

Transliteration:

We do things better not with a fell-off button and a dropped button loop.

Translation:

The proverb is used to remind people to not be forgetful.

Context: 

The informant is a 24-year-old female who was born and raised in Shanghai, and currently studies in the United States. Shanghai dialect is her first language. The informant first learned this proverb from elder family members, who oftentimes use this proverb to educate younger generations to mind their habits and social upbringing. The informant found the metaphor of button and button loop to be quite intriguing.

Analysis: 

Though the informant did not know about the origin of the metaphor “脱头落襻” (button falling off and the button loop dropping) when she first heard it from older generations, she later deliberately searched for the proverb’s origin. As it turns out, it’s likely that this proverb first emerged in the Shanghai dialect in the late 19th or early 20th century, when the old-fashioned clothes from that time period were known for having buttons and button loops to fasten. Hence Shanghai people started correlating a person being forgetful and being slovenly in their appearance with worn and unattended clothes characterized by their fasteners falling off. After learning about the button metaphor, the informant was both intrigued by it and surprised to find out that the proverb has been so natural in Shanghai dialect that she never actually found it to be incomprehensible.

Correspondingly, this proverb helped us learn about old-fashioned Shanghai clothing, but more importantly, it inevitably revealed how much Shanghai people value social upbringing and decency as reflected in their clothing and manner. Shanghai is historically known for its cosmopolitan lifestyle, and in this highly modernized metropolis delicacy, dignity and pride for themselves are highly valued. It’s no wonder that Shanghai people choose a metaphor regarding one’s looks to remind themselves to pay extra attention to their self-image, sending a social signal that they are decent, mindful people who don’t easily forget.

Cantonese Proverb Examining Appearance VS Reality

Text: 

Original Script in Mandarin Characters:

扮猪食老虎

Pronunciation in Cantonese:

baan[6] zyu[1] sik[6] lou[5] fu[2]

Transliteration:

Play pig and eat tiger.

Translation:

The proverb is used to describe ambitious individuals who pretend to be dumb.

Context: 

The informant is a 23-year-old female who was born and raised in Guangzhou, and currently studies in the United States. Cantonese is her first language. The informant could not remember when, where, and from whom she learned the proverb, but it has always been natural for her to both understand and use it regularly herself.

Analysis: 

The two animal metaphors in this proverb play their own parts, and combined, they work together to describe someone who appears to be ignorant and simple, but is in fact dangerously ambitious. Pig, often seen as a carefree animal, is featured to suggest someone’s simple appearance whereas tiger, the animal correlated with strength and superiority becomes the pig’s prey in this proverb. The seemingly absurd scene of a pig devouring a tiger suggests a dangerously ambitious individual can play dumb to achieve great means, touching on the discrepancy between appearance and reality.

The informant never researched but instinctively understands the proverb and has been using it quite regularly herself. Born and raised in the folk culture, she has no trouble understanding exactly what the two animals symbolize and is able to identify that the “pig” is actually what the proverb is describing. Despite the proverb is only made up with 5 characters, its concise and humorous message fascinates her even today.