Wolfgang Miedler, professor at the University of
Vermont in the United States, is the world’s top expert in
proverbs. According to him, “Proverbs are crystallized bits of
wisdom. They average seven words, tend to have several levels
of meaning and apply to various situations”.
Many proverbs originated in ancient Greece and
Rome and in medieval Europe, spreading from country to country
in Latin texts.
An example; “Big fish eat little fish.”, goes
back to the Greek poet, Hesiod in the 8th century
B.C.
Young people know fewer and fewer proverbs and
it’s too bad because proverbs are considered to be “the social
part of a country”.
Here is a list of the most common
proverbs in English.
1. A stitch in time
saves nine.
2. Never look a gift
horse in the mouth.
3. Barking dogs
don’t bite.
4. Still waters run
deep.
5. A man’s home is
his castle.
6. He laughs best
who laughs last.
7. No news is good
news.
8. Time waits for no
man.
9. All that glitters
is not gold.
10. Man does not live
by bread alone.
11. No man is an
island.
12. Cold hands, warm
heart.
Many popular proverbs are correct when applied to
life’s circumstances. But they can also cancel each other out.
Here are some “duelling” proverbs
You are never too old to learn.
You
can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Actions speak louder than words.
Clothes make the man.
Never judge a book by its cover.
There is safety in numbers.
Better
alone than in bad company.
First it’s best to talk about proverbs in the
Italian language to see how many they know. Then the students
can see if the proverbs written above can have a counterpart in
Italian.
An example: Better late than never
>>> Meglio tardi che mai.
Then obviously they can talk about what meaning
lies behind the proverb. Finally they can do some research on
proverbs from other countries.
I especially like Chinese proverbs. This
one is appropriate for those who teach:
“A child’s life is like a piece of paper on
which every person leaves a mark.”
Remember that the class activities can vary
according to the level the class is on. If they show
interest, they can vote on a class proverb, or else choose a
“personal” proverb” that could have a special meaning for
them. The results may be surprising!
I found this cute joke regarding a proverb.
Our pastor was discussing a quotation from the
Book of Proverbs. It read, “Pleasant words are sweet to the
soul and health to the bones.” The minister then added, “You
can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” My
7-year-old son leaned over, put his head on my shoulder and
whispered into my ear, “Mom, I just love your apple pie.”
A Nice Thought
“Proverbs can tell you what to do or what NOT
to do. Then the decision is yours.”
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