The "sayings" or proverbs of Traditional St. Martin are not just verbal artifacts of an old cultural legacy or oral records of the common folk and their old-time way of life. More than for their age-old value, proberbs like the few gathered here, are ageless, living testimonies of the people's creative and adaptive genius.
The proverbs known as "native" to Sweet St. Martin reflect the "memory" of pragmatism and wisdom from older cultures and civilizations - especially of the African but also of the European. Some are unique to the St. Martin Experience. Some are known throughout the Caribbean, worded differently perhaps, and thus wed common ancient origins and insular uniqueness to the centuries' old integration process, and out of which is evolving a sovereign Caribbean civilization. Some are of a wider New World creation, and others are by now the preserve of all humanity and their origins obscure.
The St. Martin "sayings" from the bawdy to the sublime, constitute a profound intellectual activity by a people whose reflection on life was by the sweat of their brow. The St. Martin folk, thus, began to define their immediate reality and claim a rightful place in the world a long time ago. The folk "sayings" or proverbs are then the creative encoding of the people's knowledge an capacity to coexist, change, and transform natural symbiotic relationships. The "sayings" are at the root of a national "language" and are elemental to the continuing formation of a philosophy, a way of life, and a world view - a St. Martin identity that is creative and dynamic.
All Grin Teeth T'ain Laugh
Old Fire Stick Burn Quick
Still Mouth Keeps Wise Head
What Goes Up Comes Down
Never Spit in the Sky; It Will Fall in Your Face
Still Water Runs Deep
Barking Dogs Seldom Bite
Massa Cow, Massa Bull
Never Get Between the Tree and its Bark
Roaches have no Business in Fowl's Nest
Never Burn the Bridge You Pass Over
Never Cut Down the Tree that Gives You Shade
Monkey Knows What Tree to Jump On
Don't be a Carry-Go-Bring-Come
Tell the Truth and you never Have to Remember Not To Forget
Never Hang Your Hat Higher than you Can Reach
Look Before You Leap
Very-Well Will Tell Not-So-Well "Hold On a Little Longer"
While the Grass is Growing the Horse is Starving
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
Never Count the Chickens Before the Eggs Hatch
Never Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
You Will Never See Fowl's Behind Until Wind Blows
Let-Alone Better Than Beg-Pardon
What Sweetens Goat's Mouth Sours His Behind
Talk is Cheap; Tobacco Costs Money
Distance Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
Nothing Comes From an Empty Coal Bag but Dust
Empty Bag Can't Stand Up
What Hurts Eye Makes Nose Run
Blood is Thicker than Water
Long Run for Meager Goat
Hungry Dog Eats Raw Corn
Make Haste, Less Speed
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Where Horse Reach, Jackass Will Reach Also
Cattle-Boy Knows Cattle's Temper
Pure Water Comes from the Head of the Fountain
To Beat Dog Find Stick
Bald Head Men Never Part With Their Combs
Tall Trees Catch Much Wind
Every Dog has his Day, and Every Hog his Saturday'
Moonlight May Run; Daylight Will Sure Catch Her
Do Your Best and God Will The Rest
Every Day Bucket Goes to the Well, One of these Days the Rope Will Burst
Please, I'm no Bamboo to Cover the Rain
He Who Has the Watch Must Keep the Look-Out
Who has Quaw-Quaw in the Sun Must Keep Eye for Rain
Small Boat Carries Big Sail
Time is Money
If You Care, You Will Share
Never Ask How Much But Ask How Good
Where There is Smoke, There is Fire
The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn
Behind Every Dark Cloud is a Silver Lining
Old Broom Sweeps Cleaner than New Broom
Never Be Wrong And Strong
What You Have Bought You Will Have to Wear
You Can Run but You Can't Hide
What Soberness Would Have Concealed Drunkenness has Revealed
When Jack Says "Walk", Tom, You Better Run
If You Sleep With Dogs, You Must Catch Fleas
Who Don't Hear Does Feel
Mangoes Don't Fall Far from the Tree
He Who Lives in Glass House Shouldn't Throw Stones
What You Sow You Reap
He Who Laughs Last Laughs Best
When Monkey Can't Reach the Grapes, He Says They are Sour
Love-So Don't Have-So
Meh Dear, if Barracuda Come out of the Sea and Tell You Sprat Does Poison You Will Have to Believe Him
One Rotten Mango Spoils the Bunch
Never Put a Monkey to Watch Bananas
Who Has Butter on his Head Must Keep out of the Sun
Honesty is the Best Policy
Don't Put the Cart in Front of the Horse
What Goes Around Comes Around
Today for Me, Tomorrow for You
My Lord God is High, but he Sees Low
Once Burned, Twice Shy
Actions Speak Louder than Words
Silence Gives Consent
To Trust Someone You Must Have Confidence in Him
What is Joke for the Butcher is Death for the Hog
Your Own Lice will Bite the Hardest
Soon Ripe, Soon Rot
Monkey Says What he has in His Jaw-Bone is his Own
One Bird in Your Hand is Worth One Hundred in the Bushes
Don't Give Me a Cock-And-Bull Story; Later You will tell me Guinea-Cock Brings Guinea-Hen
Make Sure Your Brains are Engaged Before You put your Mouth in Motion
Have Pride in Your Work and it Will Support You
A Man's Word Should be so Great That He Should Be able to Stake His Life on it
When You Have Bad Luck, Wet Paper Will Cut You
Your Own is Your Own, Even if you have it in a Spoon
If Someone Doesn't Like You, They will Give You a Basket to Carry Water
While Your Brother's Beard is Burning Soak Yours
You Never Miss the Water till the Well Run Dry
When Town is Asleep, Thief is on the Prowl
Don't Be Like the Cow that Gave a Good Pail of Milk, and then Kicked it Over
I Can't Wrangle; You Have the Handle, I Have the Blade
When Filth Stinks, it Doesn't Care Who it Dabs
A Dirty Hog Will Brush Against the King
Be Careful With Those Who are Quick to Promise; They are Nearly Always Late to Deliver
When Rum In, Wits Out
Don't Get Fried in Your Own Fat
Meh Choil, Lingeh-Longah Spells Dutch, But Your Manners desire Much
Never Trouble Trouble till Trouble Troubles You
When You Can Tell Back Wait, You Can't Tell Belly Wait
In a Pasture Where Cattle Fight, No Grass Grows
If a Man Can't Return Your Stare, He Has Something to Fear
Dog Needs His Tail to Fan Fly From his Behind Just One More Time
You Must Look For Black Sheep Before Dark
Two Man-Crab Can't Live in the Same Hole
Spit Your Cough Where You Caught It
Play Fool to Catch Wise
from "National Symbols of St. Martin"
House of Nehesi - 1996
