CONTEMPTUOUS PROVERBS

INCLUDING SNEERING, JEERING, SCOFFING, AND TAUNTING EXPRESSIONS AND SARCASTIC PHRASES

A fool: unable to make out the front from the hind part of an elephant. (Behar).

"Said of a fool who cannot make 'head or tail' of anything-like the villager who, it is said, on seeing an elephant for the first time, exclaimed: 'It has tails on both ends.' "—John Christian.

After Abbádán no village remains. (Arabian).

A derisive expression applied to people who laud their native town no matter how lowly and obscure it is. Abbádán was said to be a place in

the district of Sowád on the eastern bank of the Tigris.

A great man that with his turban cocked! (Bengalese). Applied to an insignificant person who boasts of his great ability.

A great merchant-eighteen robberies on his premises! (Bengalese).

A scoff at anyone who boasts of wealth and position but who is known to be poor and lowly.

A great wedding-lac-paper on both legs! (Bengalese). Spoken jeeringly when one makes a great ado about nothing," or displays his ornaments, or, although in humble circumstances, has a pretentious marriage procession.

A huge baboon with a big belly, yet declines jumping across to Lanká! (Bengalese).

Lanka is the Sanskrit name of Ceylon or its capital.

The reference is to the monkeys who helped Ráma in his fabled invasion of the island.

The proverb is applied to a braggart or one who, because of his appearance of physical strength, gives promise of ability, but who shrinks from a small enterprise.

A hundred of the goldsmith's are not equal to one of the blacksmith's.

(Behar).

A hundred strokes of the diminutive hammer of the goldsmith does not equal in its results one stroke of the blacksmith's sledge.

The proverb is used in scoffing at the feeble efforts of one who attempts great things and fails.

An unexpected thing has happened; the head Bhakat has been found fault with, whom shall I make Medhi? (Assamese).

The proverb is of course ironical. Next to the Gosain, the Bhakat is the most powerful person at the Sastra; of less importance is the Medhi, who, being the agent of the Gosain in the village, has particular honours paid to him at the village feasts.

A pair, a wonderful pair: one has ears that have been cut off, and the other is a thief. (Assamese).

An ironical proverb. In olden times the punishment for stealing in India was the loss of both

ears.

A red packsaddle on a lazy ox. (Bengalese).

A sarcastic phrase applied to a coarse person who seeks recognition from others by fine apparel and display.

"A man is not always known by his looks nor is the sea measured with a bushel." (Chinese). "Everyone sees his smart coat, no one sees his shrunken belly." "Fine linen often conceals a foul skin." (Danish). "Fine clothes often hide a base descent." "Fine dressing is usually a foul house swept before the door." Foppish dressing tells the world the outside is the best of the puppet." "It is not the gay coat that makes

the gentleman." "No fine clothes can hide the clown." (English).

A retailer of ginger getting tidings of his ship. (Bengalese) A jeer at a man of limited means who talks about his large undertakings.

"Great boast and little roast make unsavoury mouths." "None more apt to boast than those who have least worth." (English).

As bashful as a hog.

(Modern Greek).

A servant and a dog are alike. (Bengalese).

Spoken by a servant who has an inconsiderate

master.

As fierce as a lion of Cotswold. (English).

The lion of Cotswold is understood to be a sheep. The expression is used in referring to a coward. Sometimes it is said: "As fierce as a lion with a white face," or 'As violent as an Essex lion." In Scotland the phrase, "As bold as a Lammermoor lion," is used. The reference in each case is to a calf.

As happy as a parson's wife during her husband's life. (English).

An ironical expression used in the early part of the seventeenth century.

Ask the tapster if his ale be gude. (Scotch).

An ill natured retort to one who questions another's integrity by asking him for information regarding his character or possessions. There are several similar English sayings: "Ask the seller if his ware be bad." Ask my companion whether I be a thief." "Ask my mother if my father be a thief." The Italians say: "Ask the host if he has good wine."

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As learn't as a scholar o' Buckhaven College. (Scotch). See Proverbs that are Founded on Historic Incidents, Legends, Folk-Tales,” etc: "To fence in the cuckoo."

By the scholar is meant a Buckhaven fisherman.
There is no such institution as Buckhaven Col-
lege. It is common in many lands for people
to select a locality or town within their borders
for taunting purposes and it is not surprising that
the Scotch should make merry over some place
with which they were familiar. There is no
particular reason why Buckhaven should be
regarded as containing more ignorant people
than any other town. Asia had its Phrygia,
France its Abdera, Greece its Boeotia, Hindustan
its Bohilkhund, Germany its Swabia, and Galilee
its Nazareth. England also had its Nottingham,
particularly Gotham located therein, that was
supposed to be the place where fools lived.
"A little smith of Nottingham

Who doth the work that no man can."

To say that a man was "as wise as a man of Gotham" has long been equivalent to calling him a fool, though the Gothamites are no more foolish than others, and the absurd stories told about them are without the slightest foundation.

"If a man of Naresh (in Babylonia) has kissed thee, count thy teeth." (Hebrew). "Children of Badaun." (Hindustani).

A squaw's tongue runs faster than the wind's legs. (American Indian).

"One

"One tongue is enough for a woman.
tongue is enough for two women." (English).
"The tongue of women is their sword, and they
take care not to let it rust.' (Chinese).

This is a reply to one who asks the loan of money, and is spoken as a rupee is held before his face.

Cleaned in a mortar. (Hindustani).

An ironical expression to indicate that the person has many faults.

Cutting grass for a dead cow.

(Bengalese).

Applied derisively to one who labours for those who do not pay their servants.

Eagles catch nae fleas. (Scotch).

Applied to people who excuse themselves from meeting small obligations on the ground that large and important affairs consume all the time at their command.

The saying is found in many languages, but probably came from the Latin motto: "Aquila non capit muscas.'

Father's and grandfather's names forgotten, he is the grandson of Hida the weaver. (Bengalese).

Tauntingly applied to one who boasts of ancestors who are of no great consequence.

For beauty a camel, for singing an ass. (Telugu).

For the love of my beau I did not observe whether he had a beard. (Modern Greek).

An expression of repugnance for one whose presence is disagreeable.

(Modern

Give him some rue, lest he be bewitched. Greek). Used ironically and applied to people who are always anticipating some evil, and who, because of this are timid and irresolute and act as though they were bewitched.

In olden times rue was thought to possess magical power, particularly in protecting against the influence of witches. Aristotle accounted for the superstition by declaring that Greeks were not in the habit of sitting at the table with strangers, and that when by accident or otherwise they did so, they at once became nervous and excited and ate so rapidly that the food was not properly digested and caused flatulency, indigestion, nightmare, and similar ailments, which indicated the presence of evil powers and led them to the conclusion that they were bewitched. Finding that rue was an antidote they adopted it as a charm.

In England the plant was thought to have a special influence on the eyes, enabling any person who had it in his possession to see witches. Some