Latin Via Proverbs 134

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes third conjugation verbs with third declension nouns.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more help at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 134

1741. The sea washes away all things. (You can find a fuller version of this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.4.9: Mare proluit omnia mortalium mala, "The sea washes away all the troubles of mankind.")

1742. Salt seasons everything. (The "salt" here is the salt of wit, which is more clear in the Latin, because the verb, sapere, means "to season" but also "to know, to be wise, witty," etc.)

1743. No one is wise at all times. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 2.4.29.)

1744. No one, by himself, knows enough. (You can find this saying in Plautus.)

1745. The bird who hastens catches the worm. (This is the equivalent of the English "early bird"' who catches the worm.)

1746. A snake does not beget a rope. (You can find this saying in Petronius.)

1747. Tiny showers yield a downpour. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.3.2.)

1748. Wine makes the mouth eloquent. (There are many proverbs about the loquaciousness produced by wine: Vinum verba ministrat, "Wine supplies the words," etc.)

1749. The old parrot doesn't mind the rod. (Parrots are already cranky enough to begin with, so I really like the idea of an old parrot, who is even more cranky and not likely to obey any discipline whatsoever. Watch out!)

1750. One crow mocks another for being black. (This is like our English proverb of the pot calling the kettle black.)

1751. A common danger begets friendship. (You can find many variants on this same idea, e.g. Commune periculum concordiam parit, "Common danger engenders agreement," etc.)

1752. An abundance of books distracts the mind. (This saying is adapted from Seneca.)

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This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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