Netherlandish proverbs
Jul. 16th, 2010 06:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterbadgerI was trying to find examples of a specific type of painting by one of the Bruegels, and I came across this, a painting that illustrates about forty different proverbs (so-called--I would say "proverbs or expressions") common in the 16th century Netherlands.
I love some of these expressions! They are so evocative. Some of them are just like ones we use (belling the cat; to sit between two stools; to lead someone by the nose; 'the die is cast'; to put a spoke in someone's wheel; to chalk something up). And many of them are close to, but not quite the same as, familiar ones in English. (killing two flies with one stroke, instead of two birds with one stone; casting roses before swine, instead of pearls; filling the well after the calf has drowned, which seems far worse than closing the barn door after the horse has gone)
There also seems to be a strong emphasis on poop! and herrings! :-)
And some of them are just odd and quirky. I'd love to add some of them to my vocabulary of regular speech. "Oh, that Nicholas, he never gives up! He could tie the Devil to a pillow!" Or "Yeah, I was hoping to get a vacation in during July, but I guess that herring won't fry." "Buy a new car this year? What, do I look like my roof is made of tarts?" "They were trying not to let the landlord know that they got a dog, but...well, that grew out the window." And one of my favourites, "Well, that Dan, he was asking for trouble going up against the program manager like that--if you eat fire, you're going to shit sparks!"
Well, enough of this. I should go stare at the storks some more. Why am I still here in the office on a Friday night? *sigh* Who knows why geese go barefoot?
I love some of these expressions! They are so evocative. Some of them are just like ones we use (belling the cat; to sit between two stools; to lead someone by the nose; 'the die is cast'; to put a spoke in someone's wheel; to chalk something up). And many of them are close to, but not quite the same as, familiar ones in English. (killing two flies with one stroke, instead of two birds with one stone; casting roses before swine, instead of pearls; filling the well after the calf has drowned, which seems far worse than closing the barn door after the horse has gone)
There also seems to be a strong emphasis on poop! and herrings! :-)
And some of them are just odd and quirky. I'd love to add some of them to my vocabulary of regular speech. "Oh, that Nicholas, he never gives up! He could tie the Devil to a pillow!" Or "Yeah, I was hoping to get a vacation in during July, but I guess that herring won't fry." "Buy a new car this year? What, do I look like my roof is made of tarts?" "They were trying not to let the landlord know that they got a dog, but...well, that grew out the window." And one of my favourites, "Well, that Dan, he was asking for trouble going up against the program manager like that--if you eat fire, you're going to shit sparks!"
Well, enough of this. I should go stare at the storks some more. Why am I still here in the office on a Friday night? *sigh* Who knows why geese go barefoot?
