174. Besser zai an eck ba a leib eider a kopf ba a fuchs. (Better the tail of a lion than the head of a fox.)

175. Me zoll trinken wein, ober in a gute fass.

(It is good to drink wine, but from a goodly vessel.)

176. Er ligt wie a chazir in der blote.

(He wallows in the mire with the pigs.)

177. A chazir weist was gut is!

(How can a pig understand what is good!)

178. Wie kumt a chazir zu pfeffer!

(How can a pig appreciate pepper! [Pepper was a great delicacy at

one time.])

179. Chazir, avek fun die kez!

(Pig, get away from the cheese!)

180. Gold scheint fun blote.

(Gold glitters even in the mud.)

181. A hund bleibt a hund!

(A dog will always be a dog!)

(147) A chazir bleibt a chazir!

(A pig will always be a pig!)

INSTITUTIONS, THE FAMILY, PARENTS AND CHILDREN.

182. Besser dos kind zoll weinen eider der foter.1

(Better the child cry than the father.)

183. A schlechte mame is nitto.

(There is no such thing as a bad mother.)

184. Kleine kinder, kleine freiden;

Greisse kinder, greisse leiden.

(Little children, little joys;

Bigger children, bigger sorrows.)

185. Jeder mutter denkt ihr kind is schein.

(Every mother thinks her child is beautiful.)

186. Ein kind un ein hemd zollen meine sonim hoben.

Behiet Gott far ein kind un ein hemd.

(It's just as unfortunate to have one child as to have one shirt.)

187. Ein kind iz azei wie ein eig.

(Having an only child is like having one eye.)

188. Wer es hot kinder in die wiegen,

Zoll lozen laiten zufrieden.

(If you have children at home, don't annoy other people.)

189. Besser af der welt nit zu leben eider onkummen zu a kind (popular Yiddish song).

(It is better not to live than to be dependent on children.)

1 Danish, "Better the child cry than the mother sigh" (Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs, p. 349).

190. Me zoll nit darfen onkummen zu kinder.

(Pray that you may not be a burden to your children.)

191. Die eier zainen kliger far die hiener.

(The eggs are wiser than the hens [said scornfully of children who think they are more advanced than their parents].)

192. Der tate is noch do, der zun is schen af'n dach.

(The father is still here, the son is already on the roof [trying to govern the household].)

193. Die appele fallt nit weit fun der beimele.

(The apple does not fall far from the tree [German, Dutch].)

194. Meschugene gänz, meschugene grieben. (See under Insanity, p. 162.) (Crazy geese, crazy cracklings.)

MARRIAGE.

The Jews believe that marriages are made in heaven, and many of their proverbs reflect this belief. The bride or groom is always called "the fated one." Because of this belief, the marriage-customs of the Jews are very peculiar. It will be noticed that there are no proverbs about love among the Jews. That is because love in the Occidental sense is practically unknown among Eastern peoples. The Jews have retained their Oriental traditions in their marriagecustoms more than in any other form of their life.

In order to understand some of these proverbs, it will be necessary to know something about the method of procuring a helpmeet among the Jews of a generation or two ago. (Of course, in modern countries and in modern times, a great many young people do as they please; but even in the most advanced countries, - America, for instance, — some of the old customs still remain.). Marriages were arranged by the parents, or through a marriage-broker, whose business it was to bring congenial couples together. Marriage-brokers do a thriving business in some of our American cities to-day. Sometimes a marriage was negotiated; and when the young people found that they did not like each other, the arrangement was broken off with just as much sangfroid as it was entered into. Such occurrences gave rise to expressions like—

195. Iz Yachna nit kein kale!

(It doesn't matter; Yachna is not betrothed!)

196. Iz nischt gefidelt!

The latter saying is particularly interesting, because it may be that "Ish gebibble," which was such popular slang in this country a few years ago, is a corruption of "Iz nischt gefidelt." The expression means "Then we'll not play the wedding-march," or something like that.

197. Gott sitzt eiben un port unten.

(God sits above, and pairs below.)

198. Az se kumt der bascherter, wert es in zwei werter.

(When the fated one appears, the marriage is arranged in two words.)

199. Eich mir a chisorin! Die kale iz zu schein.

(What an objection! The bride is too beautiful.)

200. Ois kale, weiter a moid!

(No longer betrothed, again free [marriage negotiations broken off].) 201. A heise liebe!

(A hot love! [Derision.])

202. Starben un chasene hoben farspetigt men nit.
(It is never too late to die or get married.)

203. A weib warft fun die fiess, un stellt af die fiess.
(A wife can make or break her husband [financially].)

204. Az in mill molt zach nit, dreht zach in stub.
(When the mill doesn't turn, the house is upset.)

205. Zie trogt die heiz'n.

(She wears the trousers.)

206. Man un weib zeinen ein leib.

(Husband and wife are one flesh.)

207. Wu zwei schlofen af ein kischen,

Darf zach der dritter nit mischen.

(Where two sleep on one pillow, a third person has no right to interfere [no right to interfere in a family quarrel].)

208. Zei leben wie die toiben un drapen zach wie die ketz. (They live like doves, and fight like cats.)

209. A sholem azei wie a hund mit a katz.

(They lead as peaceful a life as a cat and a dog would.)

210. Der tate hot die mame genummen.

(Father married mother [said of people who have been divorced and remarry].)

MOTHER-IN-LAW, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.

211. A gute tochter iz a gute schnur.

(A good daughter makes a good daughter-in-law.)

212. Me zogt der tochter, un me meint die schnur.

(You speak to the daughter, and mean the daughter-in-law [Spanish].)

213. Geh' ich giech, raiss ich die schiech;

Geh' ich pamelach, zogt zie ich krich.

(If I walk fast [my mother-in-law says], I tear my shoes; if I walk slowly, I crawl.)

214. Blut iz dicker fun wasser.

RELATIVES.

(Blood is thicker than water.)

215. Eigene zainen nit fremde.

(One's own people are not like strangers.)

216. Bind mich af alle vier zaiten un warf mich zwischen mainige. (Bind me fast, and throw me among my own people.)

217. Zainige az zei weinen nit, farkrimen zei zach chozhbe.

(If your own don't weep with you, they at least screw up their faces.)

FRIENDS, ENEMIES.

218. A guter fraint is oft besser fun a bruder.

(A friend is sometimes better than a brother.)

219. Ein harz fielt die andere.1

(One heart feels another's affection.)

220. Gleich sucht gleich.

(Like seeks like.)

221. A barg mit a barg kennen zach nit zusammen kummen, ober a mensch mit a mensch kennen.

(Mountains cannot meet, but men can.)

222. Zuzogen un lie b hoben kosst nit kein geld.

(It doesn't cost anything to promise and to love.)

223. A fraint blaibt a fraint bis der keschene.

(A friend remains a friend up to his pocket.)

224. Gute fraint fun waiten.

(You are better friends at a distance.)

225. Wos die eig zet nit, die harz fielt nit.

(What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't feel [Out of sight, out of mind].)

PUBLIC OPINION.

226. Besser a weitig in harz eider a charpe in ponim.

(Better a pain in your heart than shame before men.)

227. Az die welt zogt, zoll men gleiben.

(If everybody says so, there's some truth in it.)

228. Az zwei zogen schicker, muz der dritter zach legen schlofen. (If two say "Drunk," the third must go to sleep.2)

229. Az me klingt, iz a choge.

(If the church-bells ring, it's holiday.

230. Az se brennt, iz a faier.

(Where there's smoke, there is fire.)

231. Az me zogt meschuge, zoll men gleiben. (See under Insanity, p. 162.) (When people say some one is crazy, believe it.)

1 Compare German, "Was von Herzen kommt, das geht zu Herzen."

* Compare the Hindi, "If five people together say it's a cat, it's a cat" (Folk-Lore Journal, 3: 36; Temple, North Indian Proverbs); also the Italian, "When everybody says you are drunk, go to sleep" (Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs, p. 123).

232. Mit wos der topf wert ongebrennt, mit dos stinkt er. (The pot smells of what has been burned in it.)

233. Wu es iz do fliegen, is do tinef.

(Where there are flies, there is dirt.)

234. Jener weisst nit wemen der schuch kwetscht.

(A stranger can't tell where the shoe pinches.) (See under Trouble, etc., p. 159.)

235. Einem dacht zach az bai jenem lacht zach. (One always thinks that others are happy.)

CONFORMITY.

236. Az me spielt, tanzt men.

(When others play, you should dance [When in Rome, do as the Romans do].)

237. Azei wie me spielt, azei tanzt men.

(Dance to the tune that is played [When in Rome, do as the Romans do].)

238. Af wemens wogen me sitzt, singt men dem lied.1

(People always sing the tune that pleases their host [or benefactor].)

GOSSIP.

239. Az me geht zwischen laiten, weisst men wos se thut zach in der heim. (When you go to your neighbors, you find out what is happening in your home.)

240. Az es hot far a yohren gebrennt, stinkt haint die schmolene.

(If there was a fire last year, you can still smell the smoke.)

241. Me tor nit gleiben biz m'is ba der bai nit gewenn.2

(You should not believe unless you yourself were there.)

242. Far mein thür vet eich a mol zein a blote.

(There may be mud before my door, too, some day.)

243. Zie geht suchen bei jenem in teppel.

(She goes looking into other people's pots and kettles.)

244. Zie mischt zach wie a koch leffel.

(She stirs about like a stirring spoon.)

245. Wu'z zwei is er a dritter.

(Where there are two, he makes a third.)

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

246. Warf arois dem eiven.

(Throw out the stove [said when an unexpected guest arrives].)

1 Meaning the same as for Nos. 236 and 237, “When in Rome," etc. This is a quotation from the Talmud. Compare Hindi, "Until I see with my own eyes, I will not believe" (Folk-Lore Journal, 3 : 26; R. C. Temple, North Indian Proverbs.

VOL. 33.-NO. 128.—II.