Rodgers Dictionary of Proverbs
When bull ole him feed a fence side.
When bulls fight, woe to the frogs.
When buying a house, check the beams;
when choosing a wife; check the mother.
When cat is absent, mice dance.
When cats are hairdressers, rats will always
go around with uncombed hair.
When cats are mousing, they don't mew.
When children stand quiet, they have done
some ill.
When Christ disappears, light goes out.
When Christ was along, the devil tempted
him.
When cicadas sing, the swineherd weeps
and works. When frogs sing, the
swineherd yawns.
When cockroach get in a trouble, him well
glad fe fun go hide a fowl-house.
When coins rattle, philosophers are silent.
When cold revenge is served, the dish is
always very good.
When con men meet a legitimately honest
man, they are so bewildered that they
consider him a greater con man than
themselves.
When crab walk too much him los' him
claw.
When cranes migrate, bad weather can't be
far off.
When crops be blighted put the widows on
the stake and light the torch.
When danger approaches, sing to it.
When David grew old he sang pious
psalms.
When death comes, it will not go away
empty.
When death comes, the rich man has no
money and the poor man no debt.
When death is near, neither doctors nor
medicine help.
When death is there, dying is over.
When death knocks at your door, you must
answer.
When deeds speak, words are nothing.
When difficulties are overcome they begin
blessing.
When dirt comes to honour it know not
692
what to be.
When drink enters, wisdom departs.
When drink is in, wit is out.
When drinking water, think about the
source.
When drink's in wit's oot.
When drums beat, laws are silent.
When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the
man who planted them.
When eating fruit, remember who planted
the tree; when drinking clear water,
remember who dug the well.
When eating the fruit, think of the person
who planted the tree.
When elephant steps on a trap, no more
trap.
When elephants fight, it is the grass who
suffers.
When elephants fight, the grass gets hurt.
When every man gets his own, the devil gets
nothing.
When every one minds his own business the
work is done.
When every one says you are an ass, bray.
When every one sees that you are a pig, why
don't you go into the sty?
When everybody says you are drunk, go to
sleep.
When everybody's house is on fire go home
and look at your own chimney.
When everyone takes care of himself, care is
taken of all.
When everything is going smoothly, a man
tends to get cocky.
When falkland hill puts on his cap, the howe
o' fife will get a drap, and when the
bishop draws his cowl, look out for wind
and weather fowl.
When fate strikes physicians are useless.
When fate throws a dagger at you, there are
only two ways to catch it: by the blade or
by the handle.
When fava beans are flowering, apply water
in torrents.