Selection of Apulian proverbs, sayings and idioms most used in Puglia, including translation into Italian, as testimony to the wisdom of its people.
Apulian idioms
- There goes n-gase de varviire not àcchie lusce, nor cannelìire. (In barbers' houses there are no lights or candlesticks)
- Face chiù meracule na votte de vine ca na churches de Sante. (A barrel of wine works more miracles than a church of Saints)
- U scarpàre ticche and tticche sèmbe fatìche and mmà iè rricche. (The cazolaio "ticche e tticche" always works and is never rich)
- Criste le fòce and u diavue accòcchie. (Christ makes them, the devil mates them)
- Art is ciardìne: there is no accuègghie la sère, accuègghie la matìne. (Art is garden: if you don't pick up in the evening, pick up the morning)
- U che ve o strazzat. (The dog goes to the rag)
- Viàte a cchèdda case addò stà na chièreca rase. (Blessed is that family of which a priest belongs)
- From u mbriàeche puète avàie nu bbecchiere de mìere, from u canarèute nam buète avàie nu mùezzeche. (A drunkard will always give you a glass of wine, the greedy person will not give you even a single crumb)
- Canàte, fàccia lavàte; sròche e nnòre, spina cammaràte. (Sister-in-law, face washed; mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, poisonous thorns)
- Vaele cchièu a ssapà dòece ch’a ssapàie fateghè. (It is more able to convince than to know how to work)
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- O mègghie amìche la mègghia petràte. (To the best friend the best stone)
- La chessciènze iè ccome a la calzzètte, mo iè llarghe e mmò iè strètte. (Consciousness is like a sock: now it's wide, now it's tight)
- That u russe was faithful even u diàuue was senggère. (If the red hair was faithful, the devil would also be sincere)
- Càngene le senatùre; but the canzzène is the same. (The players change; but the song is always the same)
- We tea tà Fàccia toste se marìte and Fèmmena onèste arremàne zìte. (Who is brazen gets married and the honest woman remains a spinster)
Apulian sayings
- U pedùcchie prime te sòrchie u ssanghe and ppò te sbrevòggne. (The louse first sucks your blood then shames you)
- Na fèmmene, na pàbbere and nu puèrche fàscene reveldà nu paìse. (A woman, a duck and a pig mess up a country)
- Decève tatà granne: "Nessciùne bbène dure cìind’anne". (Grandfather said: "No good lasts a hundred years")
- The fèmmene captìge chiànge u muèrte and ppènze or lives. (The widow mourns the dead and thinks alive)
- The cambbàne de Manfredònie says: "Damme ca te dogghe". (Said the bell of Manfredonia: "Give me what I give you")
- Ci téne terrìse sèmbe conde ci téne megghièra bbone sèmbe cande. (Who has money always counts, who has beautiful wife always sings)
- Ce tu uè fadegà the Amèrghe iè ddò and the Armerghè iè ddà. (If you want to work, America is here and America is there)
- What the dowry the bbrutte if pìgghie, goes pe mmète grane eppàgghie pìgghie. (Who for dowry marries an ugly woman instead of wheat reaps straw)
- Ce l'ammìdie iève tìggne tutti u munne iève teggnùse. (If envy were ringworm the whole world would be woody)
- Ciùcce sàarràghene and varrìle if sfàsscene. (Donkeys fight and barrels fall apart)
- U pòdece iìnd'a la farìne se crète malenàre. (The flea in the flour is believed to be miller)
- Quànne u vove non vole arà, all sscìue nge pàrne stèrte. (When the ox doesn't want to plow, all the games seem awkward to him)
- Ci te vète mbecàte te vène ttrà le pìite. (Who sees you hanged comes to pull your feet)
- If you eat the pulp, sava spezzuà u uessse. (Whoever eats the pulp must gnaw the bone)
- Sacche vacànde non ze rèsce m-bbìite. (Empty sack does not stand upright)
Apulian proverbs
- U mèste d'àssce fasce crusce and ammène abbàssce. (The carpenter sends down the signs of the cross that is made and no bread)
- La salùte iè nu tresòre ca nessciùne sape canòssce. (Health is a treasure that nobody can recognize)
- Na mothers change their nails and non-gàmbene nails mothers. (A mom helps a hundred children and a hundred children don't help a mom)
- Strong water trapàne cappòtte, fine water trapàne rine. (Strong water goes beyond the coat, fine water reaches the kidneys)
- Mum wraps her nails and old her husbands. (Mother raises daughters and neighbor marries them)
- Cìile pegherìne ce non ghìove la sère chìove la matìne. (Sheep sky: if it doesn't rain in the evening it will rain in the morning)
- Lùnge u uàsse ca la ròte camìne. (Anoint the wheel that walks)
- We disce va cole merì, not vole stènne le pìite. (Those who say they want to die don't want to stretch their feet)
- La ca ca ze ze mesùre, pìcche tìimbe adùre. (The thing that is not measured little time lasts)
- Mègghie cape de sarde ca ièsse de balène. (Better sardine head than whale bone)
- Addò c'ive e non reffùnne oggne e ccose iàcchie u fùnne. (Where you take away and don't put back, everything finds its bottom)
- Sea, fèmmene and ffuèche, fusce quànde cchiù puète. (From sea, woman and fire, escape as much as you can)
- Sparàggne la farìne quànne u sacche stà chìine. (Save the flour when the sack is full)
- Na things assumed by ìind'a le dìinde, the well known cchiù de cìinde. (One thing came out of the teeth, more than a hundred know it)
- Desìggne de poverìidde non arrièsscene mà. (The projects of the poor never come true)
- Chiàcchire e pallùne vàlne nu solde l'une. (Chatter and balls are worth a penny each)
- Lùne sule fu ggiùste and was put n-gròsce. (Only one was righteous and was put on the cross)
