1 A -‘Tank yu’ nu buy half bit bread
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Payment is more useful than expressions of gratitude
2 A crab never forget he hole
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There’s no place like home.
3 A eyeful en a bellyful
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Seeing is different from having.
4 A faas mek anansi de a house top
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It is dangerous to meddle in the affairs of others.
5 A lia is fugetful
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A dishonest person can’t remember to keep his story straight.
6 A no wantin tongue mek cattle can’t talk
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it’s sometimes wisest to keep one’s mouth shut.
7 A nu same day leaf drop it rotten
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One bit of misfortune does not mean total destruction
8 A word betta dan a wink fo a bline horse
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Use the right motivation for each person
9 All cassava get same skin but all nah taste same way
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People may look alike, but all act differently
10 All crab fine dey hole
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Everyone finds their place in life.
11 All fish does bite but shark does get di blame.
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Those with a history of bad behaviour are always the first ones accused
12 All mout nu set fi tell di same lie.
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If everyone says the same thing, there may be truth behind it.
13 Alligator lay egg, but him nu fowl
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Things are not always as they seem.
14 Alligator shouldn’t call hog long mout.
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You shouldn’t belittle or criticise others when you have the same faults.
15 Anansi rope tie him maasa
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Be careful that you are not caught in the traps you set for others.
16 Annu every kin teet a laugh
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Someone who smiles to your face does not necessarily mean you well
17 Ants follow fat, fat drown im
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Excessive greed will hurt you.
18 Anyting stay too long serve two masta
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Take advantage of what you have before someone else takes it away from you
19 Apre dans tanbou lou.
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“After the dance, the drums are heavy”. It’s not all fun and good times when the party ends. Sometimes there’s hard work.
20 Bad ting neva got owner
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No one wants to take responsibility for a mistake or bad situation
21 Before dawg go widout suppa, im nyam cockroach
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Make do with what is available to you.
Before monkey buy trousers, him affi know whe fi put him tail
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Make sure the fashions of others suit you before you rush to adopt them.
22 Bel anteman pa di paradi.
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A beautiful funeral is no guarantee of entry into heaven.
22 Belly full, pitata ave kin
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Contented people can afford to be choosy
24 Ben di tree when it young, when it ole it wi bruk
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It is easier to train children when they are young than when they are older
25 Betta belly buss dan good food waste
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It is better to overeat than to waste great food.
26 Better fish in di sea dan wha get ketch
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There’s always a better lover than your current one.
27 Big tree fall down, goat bite he leaf
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When the mighty fall on hard times, they are disrespected by all.
28 Bit bit mek poun
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Small amounts will eventually add up
29 Black bud say fi im pickny fus
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Attend to your own affairs before the affairs of others.
30 Blood can’t wash out wit blood
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Two wrongs don’t make a right.
31 Blood falla vein
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Family comes first
32 Blood ticka dan water, but water taste better
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Dealing with friends or strangers is often better than dealing with family
33 Breeze blow pelikin same place him waa go
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Some people will change direction or opinion to suit the moment
34 Bucket go well every day, one day di bottom ago drop out
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If you repeatedly take the same risks, eventually it will end in disaster
35 Bucket wid hole a battam nu have no business a riverside
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Don’t criticise others when you have faults of your own.
36 Bud fly too faas, pass him nes
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Excessive ambition puts one in danger of missing their goals
37 Byen prè pa lakay.
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Very close is not home yet. A miss by an inch is the same as a miss by a mile.
38 Cat a ketch rat, but he a teef he massa fish.
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Good and evil often come from the same source.
39 Cause parrot mek noise, dem say a him one nyam banana
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The loudest and most obvious always gets blamed.
40 Chak jou pa dimanch
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Every day is not Sunday. You can’t rest all the time, sometimes you have to work.
41 Changie black dog fuh monkey
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To make an exchange for something equally bad or worse than the original
42 Chicken merry, hawk de near.
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Danger lurks wherever there is too much merriment and excitement.
43 Chile whe de on mudda back nu know how road long
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The young and inexperienced don’t understand true troubles or hardships.
44 Clear conscience sleep a tunda
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Those with a clear conscience can sleep well through the stormiest nights
45 Cock mout kill cock
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Choose your words with care lest you draw unpleasant or unwanted attention to yourself.
46 Cockroach neva right before chicken
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One will never be judged fairly by one’s enemies.
47 Cockroach nu go da fowl dance
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Don’t go where you don’t belong.
48 Common sense make before book sense.
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Not all useful knowledge comes from books or formal learning.
49 Crab say im nu trus nu shadow afta dark
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Don’t make assumptions in uncertain situations.
50 Crab walk too much lose him claw
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If you overuse a thing you will break or lose it.
51 Crave all, get none at all
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Excessive greed puts one in danger of losing everything.
52 Craven choke puppy
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Greed will hurt you
53 Crow does fly high, but when e come down, de ants does still eat out e eye
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When the mighty fall on hard times, they are disrespected by all.
54 Cyaa bury a man an lef out him foot
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Be sure to properly complete the task at hand
55 Dance a yard before yu dance abroad
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Practice good behaviour at home before you go outside.
56 Dawg a sweat and long hair hide it
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Things are not always as they seem
57 Dawg say ‘if im ave money’, im woulda buy flea
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Some people spend money on useless or necessary things.
58 Dawg whe eat egg neva stop
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Bad habits are hard to break
59 Day longa dan rope
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Time will right or avenge all wrongs
60 De dog dat bring a bone will caah one
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The person that gossips to you will gossip about you.
61 De higher de monkey climb de more he show he tail
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The more one shows off, the more one is vulnerable to ridicule and criticism.
62 De las’ calf kill di cow
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The final straw breaks the camel’s back – Doing something once too many can cause disaster.
63 Def ears gi liad trouble
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Be certain of what you have heard before you choose to repeat it
64 Di hotta di battle, di sweeta di victory
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Success is more rewarding after hard work and struggle
65 Di house whe shelta yu when a rain, look fi it when sun hot
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When you become successful, look out for those that helped you during your hard times.
66 Di man mek outa honey, fly wi nyam him
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People take advantage of the goodnatured.
68 Di olda di moon di brighta it shine
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Age brings wisdom
69 Donkey got long ear but he don’ like to hear he own story
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People don’t like to take criticism.
70 Duppy know who fi frighten
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Bullies know exactly who they can abuse.
71 Dutty han mek greasy mout
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Work hard and you will eat well and enjoy the fruits of life
72 Dutty water cool hot iron
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Everything has its use.
73 Dutty water will out fyah
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Even bad things could be useful.
74 Ebery pat gat a kibber
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There’s someone for everyone.
75 Empty bag cyaa stan up
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A hungry person cannot work
76 Every day da nu Sundeh
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You can’t rest every day, sometimes you have to work
77 Every day devil help teef. One day god wi help watchman
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Good people should not be discouraged by the successes of unscrupulous people
78 Every day yu goad donkey, one day him gwine kick yu
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Everyone has their limits
79 Every mickle mek a muckle
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Every little bit adds up
80 Every rope gat two ends.
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Every story has two sides.
81 Every tub affi sit on it own bottom.
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Every person will have to take responsibility for his own life and actions.
82 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.
83 Fattening frog for snake
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Taking care of a woman only for a next man to enjoy her.
84 Finger neba say look ya, him say look yonda.
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People never point out their own faults.
85 Fisherman never smell he own basket
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People are oblivious to their own faults and flaws
86 Fool fool daag bark afta moonlight
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Fools worry about everything
87 Fowl gwine fat im begin fram him toe
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Adult behaviours begin in childhood
88 Fowl whe feed a yard nu hard fi ketch
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It is easy to catch up to someone who is avoiding or running away from you when that person depends on you for something essential.
89 Fus fool da nu fool
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Don’t blame the first one deceived.
90 Fus laaf anno laaf
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He who laughs last, laughs best
91 Fyah de a mus mus tail, him tink a cool breeze
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Some people are happily oblivious to the trouble or dangers hanging over them.
92 Gi a man a haas him want saggle to
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Help someone once and they’ll always want more
93 Goat doh make sheep
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Children turn out like their parents.
94 Good friend betta dan pocket money
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True friends are better than money
95 Good soup neva meet good fufu
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Good things rarely happen at the same time
96 Haad ears pickny nyam rockstone
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Disobedient children often learn the hard way
97 Han napkin tun tablecloth
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Someone who has advanced in life and now looks down on others
98 Hand go, hand come.
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As you give, so shall you receive.
99 Hang yu basket whe yu can reach it
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Keep your goals within your abilities and means
100 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
101 Hog know where to rub he skin
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Bullies know exactly who they can abuse.
The one used to troubles know where to find solutions
102 Hog say the fus water im ketch im walla
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Take advantage of the first opportunity.
103 Howdy an tenk yu nu bruk no square
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It never costs anything to be polite.
104 Humble calf suck di most milk
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Humility is more rewarding that arrogance
105 Hungry mek cat eat salt
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Necessity or hard times forces people to do strange things
106 Hungry mek monkey blow fire
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People are forced to become innovative and resourceful under harsh conditions
107 If blackbird fly wid pigeon he will get shoot
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You are judged by the company you keep.
108 If speech wort shillin, silence worth pound
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Sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut. Silence is golden.
109 If you bawn fi heng, yu cyaa drown
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Your destiny will be fulfilled
110 If yu cuss Johncrow peel head turky wi bex
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People resent when you criticise others that are similar to them
111 If yu cyaa get turkey, satisfy wid John Crow.
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Make the best of a bad situation, and be content with what you have.
112 If yu cyaa walk faas, tek time run
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Master the basics before you attempt more difficult activities
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114 If yu fraid a yeye yu cyaa nyam head
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One must be willing to put up with unpleasant things in order to be successful
115 If yu mash ants yu fine im guts
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People reveal their true colours when faced with pressure or hard times.
116 If yu nu check di watah, nu tek off yu shoe
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Look before you leap
117 If yu nu go unda fowl coob, fowl cyaa shit pan yu
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People cannot abuse you or take advantage of you unless you put yourself in a position for them to do so.
118 If yu see everybody a run tek time
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Don’t be too eager to follow others
119 If yu waa good, yu nose affi run
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Success requires hard work
120 If yu want half a bread beg it, if yu want one, buy it yuself
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If you want a job done right, do it yourself
121 Igle jackass follow cane trash go a poun
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People who have nothing to do, or are bored do stupid things to kill time
122 Jackass say ‘hill an gully yasso’, ‘hill and gully desso’
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Life is filled with ups and downs
123 Jackass seh di worl nu level
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Life isn’t fair.
124 John Crow tink he pickny white
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Parents think their children are saints, different from other children
125 Kay koule twompe soley soley men li pa twompe lapil.
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A leaky house can fool the sun, but it can’t fool the rain.
126 Kine word neva bruk jawbone
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You’ll never get beat up for saying something nice or polite
127 La salud es la mayor riqueza
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Health is the greatest wealth.
128 Lafimen pa janm leve san dife.
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There’s no smoke without fire. Rumours always have a grain of truth.
129 Laugh an cry does live in di same house
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The thing that makes you happy may also hurt you
130 Lessa fowl, lessa shit
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Fewer people, fewer problems.
131 Likkle alligator tun big alligator
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Children invariably adopt all the bad attributes of their parents.
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“A monkey never thinks her baby’s ugly.” People never see their own faults
134 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
135 Man nu dead, nu call dem duppy
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Don’t underestimate people
136 Mawga cow a bull mumma
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Someone who appears weak or vulnerable may have powerful allies.
137 Mek sure betta dan cock sure
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It
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Many hands lighten the load.
139 Mischief come by di poun and go by di ounce
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It only takes a little effort or few words to start a lot of trouble.
140 Monkey doh si he own tail
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People never recognise their own faults
141 Moon run faas but day ketch im
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Your actions and misdeeds will eventually have consequences.
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In times of famine and hardships potatoes have no skin.
143 Neva drap di bone fi ketch di shadow
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Don’t lose what you have because of greed for more.
144 No stop a donkey whe yu no own
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Mind your own business.
145 Nu betta herrin, nu betta barrel
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Don’t expect children to be better than, or different from, their parents.
146 Nu cuss alligator long mout til yu cross di riva
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Don’t provoke people while they are in a position to retaliate.
147 Nu dash whe stick before yu done cross riva
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Don’t be too quick to discard or reject things because you may need them in the future
148 Nu jus one way fi heng dog
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There is more than one way to accomplish a goal
149 Nu matta how boar hog hide unda sheep wool, him grunt betray him
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People’s true colours will always come to the surface
150 Nu tek ugly mek laugh
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Don’t laugh at the misfortunes of others
151 Nubady neva kick dead dawg
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The successful are criticised
152 Nutt’n beat a trial but a failure.
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You can’t succeed if you don’t try.
153 Nyam some, lef some
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Plan for tomorrow; Don’t consume everything all at once.
154 Ole fyah stick easy fi ketch
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It’s easier to rekindle a romantic relationship than to start a new one with someone new.
155 One finga cyaa ketch lice
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Sometimes it is necessary to cooperate in order to achieve a goal
156 One one blow does kill ole cow
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Simple or minor annoyances may build up to cause major damage
157 One one coco full basket
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Little by little the task will be completed
158 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
159 Parson christ’n him pickny fus
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People look out for themselves before others
160 Peacock hide him foot when him hear ’bout him tail.
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A proud person hides his weaknesses when praised.
161 Peel neck fowl bawl fi life, im nu bawl fi fedda
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Outward beauty isn’t the most important thing
162 People nuh stone mango tree when it naw bear.
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People attack you for your successes
163 Pepper bun hot but it good fi curry
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Harsh advice may be good for you
164 Pick an pick until yu pick shit
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The excessively picking end up making poor choices
165 Plantain nu eat like rice
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Make do with what is available to you
166 Play fool fi ketch wise
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Feign ignorance to one’s advantage
167 Play stone kill bud
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One person’s fun and games may have serious consequences for another.
168 Play wid puppy he lick yu mout
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Familiarity breeds contempt
169 Poun a fret cyaa pay ounce a debt
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Worrying does not improve a bad situation.
171 Poun o fretment nu pay fo gill o debtment
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Worrying does not improve a bad situation.
172 Pudd’n cyaa bake widout fyah
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You need the right tools for each job
173 Puss belly full him say rat batty stink
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Only contented people can afford to be choosy.
174 Quattie bread full monkey belly
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The poor or disadvantaged are easily satisfied
175 Rain a fall but dutty tough
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Income is coming in, but not enough to meet all needs
176 Rat mout does sell he head
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Talking too much gets one in trouble
177 Rayi chyen di dan’l blan.
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“Hate the dog, but admit its teeth are white”. Give the devil his due; even those you dislike may have good qualities.
178 Rock stone a riva bottom nu know sun hot
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Sheltered persons don’t know true hardship or troubles.
179 Sa k rive koukouloulou a, ka rive kakalanga tou.
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What happens to the turkey can happen to the rooster too.
180 Sake a mout fish get ketch
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Talking too much gets one in trouble
181 Saltfish de pan counta a wait pan bread an butta
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Lazy people wait for rewards instead of working for them
182 Same knife kill sheep kill goat
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The thing you do to others can be done to you.
183 Sel pa vante tèt li di li sale.
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Salt doesn’t brag that it is salty.
184 Sick nu care, doctor worst
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If you don’t care about your own problems, don’t expect anyone else to care
185 So much mout cyaa set fi tell di same lie
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If everybody makes the same accusation then there must be some truth in it.
186 Sorry fi mawga daag dem tun roun bite you.
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No good deed goes unpunished.
187 Studyation betta dan education
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Common sense is better than formal education or learning.
188 Teef Teef from feef, God laugh
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God laughs at poetic justice
189 Teef neva love fi si teef wid long bag
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Unscrupulous people begrudge the successes of other unscrupulous people
190 Tek kin teet kibba heart bun
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Laughter is the best medicine
191 Thief neva like fi see thief with long bag
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Those who prosper by illegal or crooked means dislike those who are more successful than themselves via the same means
192 Trouble nu set like rain
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Problems often arrive without warning
193 Tumuch callaloo mek peppa pot bitta
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There can be too much of a good thing
194 Two poor cow does make good dung
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People of limited means can improve themselves by working together and combining resources
195 Victory nu come fram lie dung inna bead
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Success requires hard work
196 Want all, lose all.
Excessive greed puts one in danger of losing everything.
197 Wen da tree ben yu cyaa straighten it
Train children properly before it’s too late
198 Wen man dead grass grow da i door mout
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The dead are soon forgotten.
199 Wen yu gwine knock anansi memba di wall
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When you try to hurt another be sure you aren’t hurting yourself.
200 Wha nu kill fatten
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That which does not destroy you makes you stronger
201 Wha sweeten yu mouth goin bitter yu tail.
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That which causes merriment and pleasure now will cause grief and sorrow later.
202 Whe horse reach, jackass does reach an pass
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The race is not for the swift, slow and steady wins
203 When bone nu provide, dog nu de
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One is not welcome where one is not invited
204 When bull foot bruk, im nyam wid monkey
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Misfortune or harsh time creates unlikely companionships
205 When cloud shado come, sun nu set
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One rough time does not mean all hope is lost
206 When cockroach mek dance e no invite fowl
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Don’t invite trouble.
207 When coco ripe it mus bus
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All will be revealed when the time is right.
208 When jackass smell corn him gallop
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Use the appropriate encouragement for each person
209 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
201 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
202 When rat like ramp roun puss jaw, one day him gwine en up in puss craw
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If you continually flirt with danger you will eventually get hurt.
203 When trouble ketch yu, pickny shut fit you
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People squeeze themselves into tight situations in order to escape trouble.
204 When yuh en got horse, ride cow.
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Use the resources available to you.
205 White mout fowl does eat and den wipe he mout in grass
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Some people will never show gratitude.
206 Willin pickny belly full, unwillin pickny belly empty
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Children who are helpful and willing are better rewarded
207 Wise monkey know wha tree fi climb
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Choose your goals or battles carefully
208 Young bud nu know storm
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The young and inexperienced don’t understand true troubles or hardships.
209 Yu can’ plant yam and reap eddoe
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Your reward or punishment is in line with your actions
210 Yu cyaa ride cow an cuss cow kin
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You shouldn’t criticise those on whom you depend.
211 Yu neva si pop gun kill alligator
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Don’t expect success if you set someone a task that is beyond their ability
212 Yu nu know how parson get him gown.
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Don’t envy the success of others when you don’t know what it cost.
213 Yu shake man han, yu nu shake him heart
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Appearances can be deceiving
214 Yuh borrow money, i mek enemy
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Debt always comes between friends and family
215 Yuh caan stan in de road an sih de leak in somebody else house
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Unless you’re close to someone you don’t know the true nature of their problems
216 Zafè kabrit pa zafè mouton.
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The goat’s business is not the sheep’s business. Focus on your own affairs instead of the affairs of others.
217 Duck nu lay egg before fowl
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You can achieve success regardless of your origin or background.
