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Maltese Proverbs (84)

When prices go down buy; when prices go up sell.

Cleanliness is the sister of holiness.

As the corpse rots away grief grows less.

The cow does not sell straw.

One man's death is another man's life.

A woman's tongue breaks bones.

The poor have their own troubles and the rich their own.

The devil dreads holy water.

Better one word less than one word too many.

Kill the spider and you will destroy the cobweb.

A spoiled boy won't be much good.

He who thinks of his own grief forgets those of others.

There is hardly any profit in reluctant work.

A dog, though he grows old, continues to bite.

Familiarity little by little gets into the drawers of the cupboard.

The eyes deceive.

Bragging never made a man.

He is a fool who does not consider his own interests.

Playing and joking lead to quarrelling.

The gambler is always a loser.

The devil makes pots and not lids.

Only God knows what is still to come.

Marriage is not like a patch which you
can take off whenever you like.

Medicine is not roast beef.

Only God knows what man may have in his heart.

Times grows longer for him that gets up early and goes to bed late.

When someone comes to pay you a visit, he does so for a purpose.

You cannot serve God and the devil.

A mother becomes a liar and a thief for the love of her children.

Where there is patience everything is possible.

Kisses are like almonds.

Everyone seeks his own house.

He who remains at home will neither hear nor see.

Little by little the spinach is cooked.

Never rejoice in the misfortune of other people.

There is no grief greater than that of a mother.

A hand in the water feels no pity for a hand in the fire.

The grave is our permanent home.

Truth is lame, but it forges ahead.

The evil weed produces the largest number of seeds.

He who tries again does better.

Good health is the sister of beauty.

Power and violence shut the mouth.

A goods looks of a woman are her dowry.

Love suffers many disappointments.

He who governs must know how to be strong.

A lovely girl attracts attention by her good looks,
an ugly girl by the help of a mirror.

Death rights everything.

A baby hires and enslaves you.

The best part of marriage is from
the day of engagement to the wedding.

Evil is easily learned by everyone.

No death without a cause.

One whore calls another whore names.

A thrifty woman is the wealth of her house.

A dog, though he grows old, continues to bite.

Work and overtime are the father and mother of wealth.

He who carries manure gets soiled with it.

God helps and the people oppress.

One plans ahead but plans go awry.

An old mouse does not eat cheese.

After murder expect justice.

The mouse that keeps going round
the trap will at last get noosed by it.

Money is a mattress of thorns.

He who goes to bed hungry dreams of pancakes.

So long as there is oil in the lamp, don't give up hope.

Better one word less than one word too many.

Worry, not work, kills man.

A rotten orange rots a whole boatload.

When poverty enters from the window,
love goes out of the door.

Children take after their parents.

The law catches the small fish.

Real rest in one's own house.

Long skirts carry dust, but short skirts carry away souls.

Not everyone who sings is happy.

A well-timed reply is worth its weight in gold.

Time and money make everything possible.

Do not load the ass with more than it can carry.

Good health is the sister of beauty.

The world is a chain, one link in another.

Too much yeast spoils all the dough.

Prickly pear trees do not produce peaches.

When time grows long, opinion changes.

The world belongs to the scoundrel.

The world is a cage of madmen.

Beware of him that holds a long rosary.

It is better to live in a small cottage of one's
own than in a palace with other people.

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