My informant heard this proverb in Lebanon, his home country. He did not recall the first time he heard it or who he heard it from. He said it is simply an Arabic folk saying that he picked up from friends and family.
This is not the first proverb I have heard that speaks of onions and garlic as aphrodisiacs. Unfortunately, my informant was uncertain of the exact meaning of the second line of the saying. It could mean that eating onions causes one to lose his erection, or that onions cause poor memory. My reaction was to interpret “forget it” as something like “it won’t be going away for days.” In effect, “garlic works, but onions work better,” was my immediate interpretation. On the other hand, it could be a mnemonic (much like our “yellow on black, venom lack; black on yellow, kill a fellow”) for remembering which of the two related herbs is the one that does the trick. As it rhymes in Arabic (Toum, bikoum, Basal, hasal), the proverb incorporates an element of appropriateness, one of the features of most any joke; and obviously, the proverb is for humor and entertainment rather than any kind of edification or instruction.
Tag Archives: proverb
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
My informant who is currently a first-year college student first heard this proverb in his elementary school in Downey, CA from his teacher in third grade. There had been a problem with certain kids being targets for bullies in class. The teacher decided to address this issue to the class. She told everyone to remember that even though physical pain cannot be helped, you can always choose how to take words from others. The only way words have power is when the person allows them to hurt him or her.
This proverb is not usually used on adults but mostly on children. I do not think this proverb can apply to adults as well because the circumstances are different. When children taunt, the taunting consists of silly rhymes, sticking out the tongue and such whereas when adults exchange harsh words with each other, those words are personal and have the ability to hit someone at a vulnerable spot. Parents and teachers teach young children about not allowing words to hurt them because many children tend to pick on others not for any legitimate reasons of dislike but from mere prejudice. I believe this proverb can apply very well to children but not to adults.
You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl.
“You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl.”
My informant first heard this saying as an eighth grader in middle school that is located in Downey, CA. She had gone on a three-week trip to New York. It was her second trip there. The first time she had visited New York, she remembers being mesmerized by the city, and when she returned home, all she could think about was going back. However, on this second trip to New York, she missed home, Los Angeles (Downey is a suburb of L.A.) very much. No matter how exciting New York was, she became homesick. A friend she had met on the trip there noticed her homesickness and told her, “You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl.” Physically, Cindy was in New York, but her heart was at home, Los Angeles.
I personally love this quote and apply it to myself as well. Distance from the place you grew up in and the place where you are surrounded by familiar faces and streets cannot make you forget the attachment to that place. I have lived in L.A all my life, and if I were to live anywhere else for the time being, I will still have “L.A.” qualities about me. I would probably not blend in with my new location immediately. Similarly if a girl from a rural farm ventured into the city, she would still have traits that show she most likely grew up in a farm. She may seem to be overwhelmed with the loud cars and crowded streets. If I lived in the countryside for a year, people would obviously know I am from the urban area because I would probably appear very restless and uneasy with the calmness. Where an individual was raised makes a large impact on that individual’s personality. Hence, the girl can physically change her location, but her heart remains in the place she has called home for the years past.
What comes around goes around.
“What comes around goes around.”
My informant first heard this proverb actually told to him a couple of years ago when he was sixteen years old. He had been having fun while two-timing two girls, but eventually they found out about his infidelity. A few months later after he cut his ties with both girls, he wanted to start fresh and leave that incident behind him. When he was introduced to another girl who was from Fullerton, CA through a friend, he was extremely smitten with her. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to him, he had become a notorious topic among the girls. The girl completely ignored him and appeared disinterested. His friend later that night told Andrew that she already had heard the rumors about him and had said about him, “What comes around goes around.” She had no guilt in snubbing him because he deserved it for his past wrongdoing.
This idea of karma is interesting because people feel relieved from the sense of justice. Your transgressions will always come back to haunt you. I do believe that what goes around comes around. Conversely if you do beneficial activities, your goodness will somehow be rewarded later. I believe this proverb has the intention of promoting good behavior while discouraging bad behavior. I hear this proverb often in dealings with romantic relationships; when someone breaks another’s heart, that someone is bound to have his or her heart broken, too. I tie in this proverb closely with another one: “What goes up must come down.” Both advise that your actions have consequences in the future.
Annotation: This proverb is the title of the popular song by American singer Justin Timberlake, “What Comes Around Goes Around.”
Bringing a girl to a party is like bringing sand to a beach.
“Bringing a girl to a party is like bringing sand to a beach.”
My informant, Andrew, is a college student who regularly attends parties as well as throwing them. He had been debating who to bring as a date to the New Years Party that would ring in the year of 2007 in Huntington Beach, CA. He also kept in mind of who he would want to kiss at midnight. When he was hanging out with a guy friend of his, Andrew asked his friend’s opinion of who he should bring. His friend who was the one throwing the party admonished Andrew for thinking about bringing a date, saying, “Bringing a girl to a party is like brining sand to a beach.” He meant that there will be plenty of girls at his party, so why should Andrew tie himself down from having as much fun with them as possible because of a date? His friend assured him that there will definitely be enough girls with whom to kick of the New Year, so hearing the similie, Andrew decided not to bring a date.
As soon as I heard Andrew tell me this, I understood the meaning. While girls may not appreciate hearing this, guys would catch on quickly. Just as bringing sand to the beach is futile in that there is already an abundant supply of sand at the beach, bringing a girl to a party is also useless where they will be flocks of girls who are eager to have fun, so there is no need to bring a date.