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Contents: Basque, Belgium, England, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
BASQUE CULTURE
The Basque are a group of people living mainly in France and Spain on land near the Bay of Biscay and Pyrenees Mountains.
There are about one million Basque people in that region, while about 150,000 others live outside of Europe. Many Basque
speak their own language, which is very different to other nearby European languages, and is possibly the oldest European
language currently in existence.
Themes of the Basque include apples, fishing, cow and sheep herding, Catholicism, iron mining, and shipbuilding.
Basque Proverbs
Things used to be that way, now they're this way, and who knows what they will be like later.
The sun shines the same on the good and the bad.
Before you get married, make sure you know what you are doing
A strong attack is half the battle won.
The person who wants everything to be just right often gets closer to the opposite.
Other people carry their faults up front--we carry ours behind our backs.
Meaning: People commonly notice and criticize other people's faults, but it is less common for someone to point out his
own faults.
A small fountain quenches your thirst as well as a big one.
If you always tell the truth, you may lose your friends.
More people are threatened than beaten up.
A good listener needs few words.
Doing nothing and doing useless work are both the same thing
BELGIUM
Belgium is a small country with about 10 million people who speak Dutch, French, and German. Throughout its history, it
has been influenced, ruled, or had settlers from the Celts, Romans, Franks, Hapsburgs, and Dutch.
Some Belgian themes include beer, parks, carnivals, paintings, and museums.
Belgian Proverbs
Note: For more proverbs commonly used among Belgian people, see the Netherlands section of this chapter.
Don't use another person's mouth unless it has been lent to you.
Honor is better than honors.
There is no use waiting for your ship to come in if you haven't sent one out.
ENGLAND
England is located on the island of Great Britain, and has a population of about 50 million people. The country has been
a major force in world politics, economy, and culture for many centuries.
Celtic-speaking people lived in Great Britain in early times, and it later became part of the Roman Empire by the 50s BC.
As the Roman Empire weakened in the 400s AD, England was invaded by Germanic and Nordic tribes such as the Angles, Saxons,
and Jutes, who settled in and established kingdoms. Vikings also came to England in the 800s
In the mid 1000s, a French nobleman named William (Duke of Normandy) led a French-speaking group called the Normans, and conquered
England. Over the years, the people and cultures of the Anglo-Saxons and Normans blended together, which resulted in the
development of the modern English language.
In 1707, England united with other parts of the British island to form what later became known as the United Kingdom. At
the same time, the British Industrial Revolution propelled Britain into the world's richest country, and the country also
began gaining control of many other territories throughout the world.
Britain later became part of the winning sides in World Wars I & II (ending in 1918 and 1945, respectively), but suffered
severe post-war economic depressions. Their colonial empire also weakened immensely, and by the 1950s, Britain had lost most
of its vast number of worldwide colonies.
In the 1960s, the British economy began to improve. In the 1970s, Margaret Thatcher became the first ever woman prime minister
of Britain. England's current prime minister is Tony Blair. Almost all English people today live in urban areas.
English themes include gardening, literature (noted for such writers as Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, and William Shakespeare),
visiting the neighborhood pub (public house), tabloids, newspapers, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), soccer, cricket,
rugby, music (including folk songs, as well as rock groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones), concerts, ballet,
dancing, movies, plays, sculptures, paintings, potatoes, barley, beer, Christianity, longstanding universities, textiles,
aerospace manufacturing, and chemical production.
English Proverbs
A danger foreseen is half avoided.
Strike while the iron is hot.
He that is master of himself will soon be master of others.
Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.
With all your knowledge, know thyself.
One does harm, and another bears the blame.
When everyone takes care of himself, care is taken of all
A place for everything, and everything in its place.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Praise the sea but keep on land.
My mind to me is a kingdom.
Nature is the true law.
One eyewitness is better than ten earwitnesses.
A good example is the best sermon.
Some are very busy and yet do nothing.
First come, first served.
Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away.
Half the world does not know how the other half lives.
He that is warm thinks all are so.
There is no time like the present.
There is a time to speak and a time to be silent.
Success makes a fool seem wise.
Everything has its time.
Skill and confidence form an unconquered army.
Self-preservation is the first law of nature.
Do not be in a hurry to tie what you cannot untie.
You may find your best friend or your worst enemy in yourself.
Two wrongs do not make a right.
A change is as good as a rest.
If he deceives me once, shame on him; if he deceives me twice, shame on me.
An artist lives everywhere.
Better to say nothing, than to say something not to the purpose.
What "they say" is half lies.
In a calm sea, every man is a pilot.
Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Creditors have better memories than debtors.
A full cup must be carried steadily.
He helps little that helps not himself.
Do not triumph before the victory.
Advice is least heeded when most needed.
Discretion in speech is more important than eloquence.
Poverty is no vice, but an inconvenience.
Actions speak louder than words.
Haste makes waste.
You never miss the water till the well runs dry.
A stitch in time saves nine.
Buy in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest.
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.
Cursing the weather is never good farming.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
FRANCE
France has had a significant influence on the world for much of history, and the French language has been and continues to
be one of the world's most widely used languages. France has been continuously inhabited for thousands and thousands of years,
and has a very rich culture and history.
One of the most well known aspects of French history is the French Revolution (1787-1799), which led to the rise of Napoleon
Bonaparte as France's emperor. Napoleon, who reigned from 1804 to 1814, expanded the Empire to large boundaries throughout
and beyond Europe. However, he and his Empire quickly came crashing down after its brief period of dominance. The Current
French Republic was established in 1959.
Some themes of France include wine, dining, wheat, dairy foods, philosophy, literature, poetry, art, music, ballet, architecture
(including the Eiffel Tower), tourism, science, Christianity, Jerry Lewis appreciation, iron, steel, car manufacturing, technology,
and skiing.
French Proverbs
Always talk big and you will never be forgotten.
Everyone thinks his own burden is heavy.
One day is as good as two for the person who does everything in its place.
Friends are lost by calling too often and by not calling often enough.
If the doctor cures, the sun sees it; but if he kills, the earth hides it.
A bad compromise is better than a good lawsuit.
A fault that is denied once is committed twice.
A man's value is that which he sets upon himself.
A small fire that warms you is better than a large one that burns you.
If you want to totally avoid being deceived, get married on February 30th.
To be willing is to be able.
Women will believe any lie that is wrapped in praise.
One dog's piss will not pollute the ocean.
It is a double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
I have so much to do...that I am going to bed.
You cannot be very smart if you have never done anything foolish.
A rich man has more relatives than he knows about.
A throne is only a bench covered with velvet.
Why kill time when one can employ it?
A good meal should begin with hunger.
When you can't find peace within yourself, there is no use looking for it somewhere else.
A great fortune in the hands of a fool is a great misfortune.
Vive la difference.
The person who does not ask will never get a bargain.
There are more foolish buyers than there are foolish sellers.
Set your sail according to the wind.
All of the Earth's treasures can't bring back a lost moment.
War is much too serious a matter to be entrusted to the military.
Comparison is not (necessarily) proof.
Tough times don't last, but tough people do.
Late is worth more than never
Paris wasn't made in a day.
Impossible isn't (a word in) French.
Nothing is given as easily as advice.
To want to forget something is to remember it.
I love my friends--but I love myself more.
You need to break the shell in order to have the almond.
Better to prevent than to cure.
It would be a huge book that contained all the maybes said in a day.
When you rely too much on reason, you end up not relying enough on feeling.
There is no such thing as an insignificant enemy.
A person's reputation is like his shadow--sometimes it follows and sometimes it precedes him; and sometimes it is smaller
and sometimes it is bigger than him.
The meaning is best known to the speaker.
The common property donkey is the worst saddled.
The only real way someone can stop criticism is to die.
Remember that everyone you ever meet is sure to fear something, to love something, and to have lost something.
Don’t talk about a rope in the house of someone whose father was hung.
Example is the greatest of all seducers.
Sailors get to know each other better when there is a storm (Corsica)
IRELAND
Ireland is an island west of Britain. The northeastern section, known as Northern Ireland, is part of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain. The rest of the island is called the Republic of Ireland. In its history, Ireland has been subject to
influences, migrations, and invasions by groups such as the Celts, Normans, Norses, English, and Scots.
The country's official languages are Irish and English. Ireland is particularly noted for its strong emphasis on Christianity,
which is said to have been brought to the island in the 400s by a British / Roman man now known as St. Patrick.
Themes of Ireland include shamrocks, leprechauns, music (including harps and bagpipes), dancing (including the kind featured
in Riverdance), soccer, hurling (a type of sport), storytelling, joke telling, art, theatre, literature, cows, potatoes, milk,
wheat, and barley.
Irish Proverbs
Marriages are all happy--it's having breakfast together that causes all the trouble.
A glutton lives to eat; a wise man eats to live.
A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures in the doctor’s book.
Good sense is as important as food.
No time for your health today, (will yield) no health for your time tomorrow.
Never burn a penny candle looking for a halfpenny.
Bricks and mortar make a house, but the laughter of children make a home.
There is no luck except where there is discipline.
Every eye forms its own fancy.
Say but little, and say it well.
A questioning man is halfway to being wise.
He is bad that will not take advice, but he is a thousand times worse that takes every advice.
LUXEMBOURG
Luxembourg is a small country that has German and French influences, but has remained a politically separate region since
the 900s. The country's main language is Luxembourgish.
Themes of Luxembourg include wealth, art, and high iron and steel production.
Luxembourg Proverbs
Your wife and your wheelbarrow are two things that you should never lend to anyone.
A woman is as old as she wants to tell you she is.
THE NETHERLANDS (HOLLAND)
The Netherlands is a small and heavily populated country. Its 16 million inhabitants speak Dutch (a language related to
German and English).
The Netherlands was inhabited in early times by Celtic and Germanic people, and then by a variety of other groups including
the Saxons, Franks, and Frisians. The Netherlands has also been part of a number of European Kingdoms throughout its history.
In the 1500s and 1600s, the Dutch had a great influence on European art with artists such as Rembrandt. Some other Dutch
themes include bicycles, soccer, field hockey, ice-skating, architecture, proverbs, cheese, butter, pigs, steel, and shoes.
Dutch Proverbs
You can't shoe a horse while it is running.
The truth is lost when there is too much debating.
The person who is outside his door already has a major part of his journey behind him.
If you hear a lot of things, you will hear a lot of lies.
Deep swimmers and high climbers usually don't die in their beds.
Wise people can't answer the most foolish questions.
The strength of a tree lies in its roots--not in its branches.
He who undertakes too many things at once seldom does any of them well.
You can't hatch chickens from fried eggs.
Trees that are frequently transplanted rarely thrive.
A handful of patience is worth a bushel of brains.
Slowly but surely, the bird builds its nest.
It’s vain to learn wisdom yet live foolishly.
If the rope is weak, pull gently.
Silence is the answer to many things.
Milk the cow, but don't pull off the udder.
There's more to dancing than a pair of dancing shoes.
Skill and assurance form an invincible combination.
A wise husband and a patient wife equal a peaceful home and a happy life.
A praying pirate is definitely a sign of danger.
PORTUGAL
Portugal neighbors Spain on its east and the Atlantic Ocean on its west. Most Portuguese people live towards the coastline,
especially since Eastern Portugal has very bumpy land.
Over its early history, Portugal was inhabited or conquered by the Iberians, Celts, Romans, Germanic tribes, and Muslims.
By the 1400s, the Portuguese began making many sea explorations. By the 1500s, they amassed a large overseas Empire that
encompassed colonies in many parts of the globe, most of which they lost control of by the 1800s. From 1580 to 1640, Portugal
was also united with Spain.
The current Portuguese government was formed in 1976. The nation’s official languages are Portuguese and Mirandese.
Common themes of Portugal include Catholicism, cafes, soccer, the bullring (like bullfighting, but the bull is not killed),
architecture, art, music, dancing, singing, fruit, fish, olives, wheat, wine (especially red "port" wine), and economic problems.
Portuguese Proverb
The person who is well prepared has already won half of the battle.
Never cut what can be untied.
Not much can be done when everyone is giving orders.
Think of many things, but do just one at a time.
An hour of play discovers more than a year of conversation (does).
The dog wags his tail, not for you, but for your bread.
Visits always give a pleasure—if not the arriving, then the departing.
Hell is paved with good intentions, and roofed with lost opportunities.
SCOTLAND
Scotland is a country in the northern part of the United Kingdom. Scottish ancestry has many similarities to English ancestry,
including Celtic, Roman, Anglo, and Norman influences.
In the 1600s, the Scottish Kingdom united with the English Kingdom, and in the 1700s they both became part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain. The Scottish people have three languages: English, Scots, and Gaelic.
Themes of Scotland include kilts, bagpipes, music, opera, ballet, dancing, storytelling, art, architecture, poetry, movies,
actor Sean Connery, soccer, rugby, golf, whisky, oatmeal, cheese, wheat, barley, potatoes, hunting, and meat eating.
Scottish Proverbs
You will never know a man until you do business with him.
Don’t be penny wise and pound (dollar) foolish.
Be a friend to yourself, and others will.
Better to bend than to break.
Better to be ill spoken of by one before all than by all before one.
Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead.
Every man’s tale is good till another's be told.
Confessed faults are half mended.
Many a good tale is spoiled in the telling.
Be slow in choosing a friend, but slower in changing him.
A good diet cures more than doctors.
Self-assurance is two thirds of success.
SPAIN
Spain is one of the most influential countries in world history. The country's world exploration and conquests have resulted
in various regions around the world becoming known as Latin America.
Like many other European nations, much of Spai'’s early history is marked by arrivals of Celts (around the 900s BC)
and Romans (who ruled much of Spain from the 100s BC to the 400s AD). Spain was later conquered by Muslims and then by various
Christian Kingdoms before uniting under King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1479.
After the discovery of the Western Hemisphere in the late 1400s, Spain soon began colonializing the region. This caused the
language of Spanish and the religion of Christianity to spread and eventually predominate throughout much of the Americas.
By 1900, however, Spain had lost all of its overseas possessions.
Major themes of Spain include painting (including artists such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali), gambling, bullfighting,
Catholicism, coffee, olive oil, literature (including the works of Miguel Cervantes, who is covered in a separate chapter
of this book), music, dancing, architecture, and mining.
Spanish Proverbs
Make sure you have many books and many friends--as long as they are good ones.
If you are choosing between bad company and loneliness, choose the second option.
Every season brings its joy.
Never advise someone to go to war or to get married.
If you want to be respected, you must respect yourself.
The person who plants the lettuce does not always eat the salad.
Ask for too much so that you can get enough.
It is beautiful to do nothing and then rest afterwards.
Look for the good, and let the bad come on its own.
The person seeking India's riches must have them within himself.
Three Spaniards, four opinions.
Give the grateful man more than he asks for.
The wind changes every day; a woman changes every second.
A person who talks a lot is bound to be right sometimes.
Don’t talk too much—your ignorance exceeds your knowledge.
Even the best writer has to erase sometimes.
I dance to the tune that is played.
If you don't pay a servant his wages, then he will pay himself.
If someone cannot even keep his own secrets, don’t count on him to keep someone else's.
Tomorrow is often the busiest time of the year.
Don’t speak unless you can improve on the silence.
Changing one's mind is more often a sign of prudence than of ignorance.
The obscure we see eventually; the completely apparent takes longer.
The secret of patience is to do something else in the meantime.
Take hold of a good minute.
It is better if they say, "He ran away here" than "He died here."
Sell publicly and buy privately.
Buy from people who are desperate, and sell to newlyweds.
He that has a good harvest must be able to endure a few thistles.
The person that makes one basket can make a hundred.
Every person is a fool in some person's opinion.
Don't bite off more than you can chew.
Don't let anyone know about your silent (secret) money.
A meowing cat is never a good mouse catcher.
Say nothing when you are giving—only say something when you are receiving.
If you must battle your enemy, hit him where it hurts him most.
When the cat's away, the mice will play
Under a good cloak may be a bad man.
Don't sign a paper without reading it, or drink water without seeing it.
Talking about bulls is not the same thing as being in the bullring.
If you want to be respected, you must respect yourself.
When there is a famine, no bread is stale. (Catalonia)
At her wedding, the bride eats the least. (Catalonia)
A gentle breeze blowing in the right direction is better than a pair of strong oars. (Canary Islands)
SWITZERLAND
Switzerland is well known for its rivers, seas, lakes, and mountains (especially the Alps mountain system). Early Switzerland
was part of the Roman Empire (0-400 AD), and also received an influx of Germanic tribal immigrants from the 200s AD to 500s
AD.
The people of Switzerland speak a variety languages, including German, French, and Italian. The region's ancient Romansh
language is also sparsely used in the country.
Some Swiss themes include education, a generous social welfare system, international trading and banking, watches, tourism,
skiing, yodeling, granola, yogurt, cheese, chocolate, literature, philosophy, art, architecture, and science.
Swiss Proverbs
Sometimes you have to be silent in order to be heard
It's easier to criticize than to do better.
The poor lack much, but the greedy lack more.
Ask ten brewers and you will get eleven opinions.
When in doubt who will win, be neutral.
Love your neighbor, but don't pull down the hedge.
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