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Irish proverbs

From Wikiquote

Many Irish proverbs originated in the Irish language, but many have come into common usage among the Irish and their descendants in their translated form. In Irish, proverbs are called "seanfhocail" (literally "old words").

• "Dhúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi"
  • Translation: "A woman told me that a woman told her . . ."
  • Meaning: Don't believe everything you are told. It may be just gossip.

• "Never burn a penny candle looking for a halfpenny."
  • Meaning: Don't spend more on something than it is worth.

• "Marry a woman from Truagh and you marry all Truagh."
  • Meaning: You cannot be in a relationship without accepting a person's friends, family, and past affiliations.

• "Though the carpenter is bad, the splinter is good."
  • Meaning:

• "It's hard to make a choice between two blind dogs."
  • Meaning:

• "Don't go putting wool on the sheep's back."
  • Meaning:
  • Similar: Carrying coals to Newcastle

• "Is iomaí slí muc a mharú seachas a thachtadh le him"
• Translation: "There's many ways of killing a pig other than by choking it with butter."
  • Meaning: There's more than one way to do something - usually, more simply.

• "Cailín ag Mór agus Mór ag iarraidh déirce"
  • Translation: "Mór has a maid and yet Mór has to beg."
  • Meaning: Anything to keep up appearances

• "Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir"
  • Translation: "Time is a good story teller"
  • Meaning: Either "time will tell", or "wisdom comes with age"

• "Níor bhris focal maith fiacail riamh"
  • Translation: "A good word never broke a tooth"
  • Meaning: It doesn't hurt to pay a compliment

• "Is minic a bhris beál duine a shrón"
  • Translation: "It's often a person's mouth broke their nose"
  • Meaning: Watch what you say--it can hurt you!

• "Ní hé lá na báistí lá na bpáistí"
  • Translation: "A rainy day is not a day for children"

• "Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin"
  • Translation: "There's no hearth like your own hearth"
  • Meaning: There's no place like home.

• "Molann an obair an fear"
  • Translation: "The work praises the man"

• "Ní bhíonn saoi gan locht"
  • Translation: "There's never a wise man without fault"
  • Note:In Hiberno-English, this is rendered as "There doesn't be a wiseman without fault".

• "Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí"
  • Translation: "Praise the youth and it will develop"

• "Ceileann searc ainimh 's locht"
  • Translation: "Love is blind"

• "Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile"
  • Translation: "One beetle recognises another"
  • Meaning: Like sees like; Birds of a feather flock together

• "Nuair a bhíonn an t-ól istigh, bíonn an chiall amuigh"
  • Translation: "When the drink is in, common sense is gone"