explore

Sa k rive koukouloulou a, ka rive kakalanga tou.

What happens to the turkey can happen to the rooster too.

Sake a mout fish get ketch

Talking too much gets one in trouble

Saltfish de pan counta a wait pan bread an butta

Lazy people wait for rewards instead of working for them

Same knife kill sheep kill goat

The thing you do to others can be done to you.

Sel pa vante tèt li di li sale.

Salt doesn't brag that it is salty.

shoes alone know if stocking have hole

Only those closest to a situation fully understand it.

Sick nu care, doctor worst

If you don't care about your own problems, don't expect anyone else to care

sleep nu ha no massa

Sooner or later you have to sleep

So much mout cyaa set fi tell di same lie

If everybody makes the same accusation then there must be some truth in it.

Sorry fi mawga daag dem tun roun bite you.

No good deed goes unpunished.

stranger nu know di deep wata

Be careful with things you don't fully understand

Studyation betta dan education

Common sense is better than formal education or learning.

'Tank yu' nu buy half bit bread

Payment is more useful than expressions of gratitude

Teef neva love fi si teef wid long bag

Unscrupulous people begrudge the successes of other unscrupulous people

Teef Teef from feef, God laugh

God laughs at poetic justice

Tek kin teet kibba heart bun

Laughter is the best medicine

Thief neva like fi see thief with long bag

Those who prosper by illegal or crooked means dislike those who are more successful than themselves via the same means

Trouble nu set like rain

Problems often arrive without warning

tu much ratta neva dig good hole

If too many people are involved in a thing it will not be done well

tu much siddung bruk breeches

Idleness creates wants

Tumuch callaloo mek peppa pot bitta

There can be too much of a good thing

Two poor cow does make good dung

People of limited means can improve themselves by working together and combining resources

Victory nu come fram lie dung inna bead

Success requires hard work

Want all, lose all.

Excessive greed puts one in danger of losing everything.

We don't play hockey, we eat ackee

A funny bit of wordplay by deejay Shabba Ranks that depends on the overlapping pronunciations of 'ackee' (the food) and 'hockey' (the game). This pron

Wen da tree ben yu cyaa straighten it

Train children properly before it's too late

Wen man dead grass grow da i door mout

The dead are soon forgotten.

Wen yu gwine knock anansi memba di wall

When you try to hurt another be sure you aren't hurting yourself.

Wha nu kill fatten

That which does not destroy you makes you stronger

Wha sweeten yu mouth goin bitter yu tail.

That which causes merriment and pleasure now will cause grief and sorrow later.