Ithacan Sayings: Local Dialect and Humor

The Ithacan sayings are a good example of the local dialect, sense of humor, and quite often are self-sar­castic.

The popular philosophy, the daily problems and the way of thinking of the island are also included within the small phrases.

• Some people love the priest, but others his wife.
• It’s more difficult for a rude fellow to become a gentleman than pig’s hair to turn smooth like silk.
• A hen for a poor man is like a horse for a rich one.
• Don’t become a friend of a baker, fisherman or butcher, because if you think well about it, all three of them are jackasses.
• If you screw around in August, it’ll be a bad winter (refering to crops).
• Charon has an entrance, but never an exit.
• If you drink borrowed wine, you get drunk twice.
• The people who buy wheat have both eyes, those who buy flour have only one, and those who buy bread areblind.
• It’s inconvenient where allowed and comfortable where it’s forbidden.
• Wet feet, fish to eat.
• A thief not caught a lord he becomes.
• Many only want a lot but one wants everything.
• In a close friendship a quarrel is foreseen.
• The forest has ears and the valley has eyes.
• God gives to the lazy two large coρνloaves and to the worker only one of barely.
• Prudents prepare weddings, crazy people take part. The devil who becomes poor, a pirate he becomes. Good wine in the tavern has a short life.