The Caribbean Dictionary

Belize proverbs and sayings

Wen man dead grass grow da i door mout
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The dead are soon forgotten.

Same knife kill sheep kill goat
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The thing you do to others can be done to you.

Fool fool daag bark afta moonlight
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Fools worry about everything

Blood falla vein
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Family comes first

John Crow tink he pickny white
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Parents think their children are saints, different from other children

Sake a mout fish get ketch
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Talking too much gets one in trouble

When pickny waa cry, yuh only look pan dem an dem cry
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Some people love to complain, and will complain about every and anything

When man no gat nutt'n fu do he go da sabana an tell cow maanin
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People who have nothing to do, or are bored do stupid things to kill time

When cockroach mek dance e no invite fowl
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Don't invite trouble.

Play wid puppy he lick yu mout
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Familiarity breeds contempt

Han napkin tun tablecloth
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Someone who has advanced in life and now looks down on others

Bad ting neva got owner
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No one wants to take responsibility for a mistake or bad situation

Neva drap di bone fi ketch di shadow
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Don't lose what you have because of greed for more.

Every day da nu Sundeh
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You can't rest every day, sometimes you have to work

Cockroach nu go da fowl dance
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Don't go where you don't belong.

Kine word neva bruk jawbone
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You'll never get beat up for saying something nice or polite

Man hate yu, he gi yu basket fi carry wata
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People who dislike you will give you difficult or impossible tasks

Breeze blow pelikin same place him waa go
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Some people will change direction or opinion to suit the moment

Fus food da nu fool
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Don't blame the first one deceived.

Dawg whe eat egg neva stop
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Bad habits are hard to break

Changie black dog fuh monkey
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To make an exchange for something equally bad or worse than the original

One plate a dinner nu fatten maaga dog
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One piece of good luck doesn't do much to change a bad state of affairs

When bone nu provide, dog nu de
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One is not welcome where one is not invited

Good soup neva meet good fufu
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Good things rarely happen at the same time

Ebery pat gat a kibber
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There's someone for everyone.

Wen da tree ben yu cyaa straighten it
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Train children properly before it's too late

If yu nu check di watah, nu tek off yu shoe
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Look before you leap

Yuh borrow money, i mek enemy
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Debt always comes between friends and family

Blood can't wash out wit blood
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Two wrongs don't make a right.

A lia is fugetful
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A dishonest person can't remember to keep his story straight.

No stop a donkey whe yu no own
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Mind your own business.

When trouble ketch yu, pickny shut fit you
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People squeeze themselves into tight situations in order to escape trouble.

Plantain nu eat like rice
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Make do with what is available to you

Hog ask he mumma "whe mek yu mout so long?". He mumma say "nu worry chile, you soon fine out"
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Experience teaches wisdom

Lessa fowl, lessa shit
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Fewer people, fewer problems.

Falla fashion monkey caahn buy good soup
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Some people try to keep up with the fashions of others even if they have to deprive themselves of basic necessities.

Blood ticka dan water, but water taste better
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Dealing with friends or strangers is often better than dealing with family