Capture

I don't cook my cabbage twice.
(i.e. I don't repeat my tale.) Irish

You cackle often, but never lay an egg. English

It is as yet an unborn calf.
(i.e. an unrealized ambition.) Bantu

They think a calf a muckle beast that never saw a cow. Scottish

The greatest calf is not the sweetest veal. English

It is not known what calf the cow will have. Bantu

If thou suffer a calf to be laid on thee, within a little they'll clap on the cow. Italian

There are calumnies against which even innocence loses courage. French

Everything with a crooked neck is not a camel. German

The camel has his own opinion and the camel driver has his. African

They said to the camel-bird, "Take up a load"; he replied, "I am a bird." They said, "Fly"' he said: "I am a camel." Persian

At the foot of the candle it is dark.
(i.e. at the foot of the throne are scheming men.)

See the candle light before you blow out the match. Negro

One sees no further than the candle lights. Walloon

He burns one candle to seek another. English

He uses a cannon to shoot a sparrow. Chinese

Capon comes to him who eats capon. French

Carefulness can go everywhere. Chinese

Light cares speak, great ones are dumb. English

When the house is built the carpenter is forgotten. Indian

A carpenter is known by his chips. English

He's not the best carpenter that makes the most chips. English

He who is carried does not realize that the town is far off. Hamitic

You can't carry what you can't lift. Russian

"Will pay" is a fine bird but "cash down" sings. Spanish

The cask can give no other wine than what it contains. Italian

When cat and mouse agree the farmer has no chance. Dutch

What should you expect from a cat except a kitten? Irish

A cat in gloves catches no mice. English

They turn the cat in the pan.
(i.e. change sides.) English

268. After eating nine hundred rats, the cat is now going on a pilgrimage. (i.e. pretending to turn over a new leaf.) Italian

269. The cat loves fish but is loath to wet her feet. Italian

270. The cat that licks the spit is not to be trusted with roast meat. Italian

271. Honest is the cat when the meat is out of reach.

Who will not feed the cats, must feed the mice and rats. German

273. If you do not rear cats, you will raise mice. Bulgarian

274. There are no cattle without a dung-heap. Bantu

275. The cause finds arms.

276. The most cautious passes for the most chaste. Spanish

There are many crosses upon a cemetery, but no cares. Russian

A centipede doesn't stop for a game leg. Burmese

Hit one ring and the whole chain will resound. Bantu

Old chains gall less than new. English

Something must be left to chance. English

To change and to better are two different things. German

Change yourself and fortune will change with you. Portuguese

When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends. Japanese

He who chastises one threatens a hundred. Italian

It's like the chastity of an ugly woman. Singhalese

He is never likely to have a good thing cheap that is afraid to ask a price. English

If you buy meat cheap, when it boils you will smell what you have saved. Arabic

It is well worth while letting oneself be cheated sometime. Latin

The chemist's shop is an expensive kitchen.
(i.e. ill health is costly.) Czech

Take the chestnuts out of the fire with the cat's paw. English

First chew and then spit. Czech

The chief has no relative. Bantu

A chief's weights are not the same as a poor man's weights. Sudanic

If the child does not cry, the mother does not understand it. Russian

Many kiss the child for the nurse's sake. English

Even a child may beat a man that's bound. English

It is easier to bear a child once a year than to shave every day. (Said by soldiers to their wives.) Russian

A child regards his father's guest as a slave. Sudanic

The sucking child says, "Mother is the best cook." (i.e. don't express preference without trying an alternative.) Bantu

A child that asks questions is not stupid. Sudanic

The illegitimate child was hidden in a bottle, and he put forth a finger. (i.e. the secret could not be suppressed.) Bantu

If with the right hand you flog the child, with the left draw him unto your breast. Sudanic

With one child you may walk; with two you may ride; when you have three, at home you must bide. Cornish

The judgment of children – what they hear at home. Basque

Bells call each other to church, but go not themselves. English

You're in the right church, but in the wrong pew. (i.e. partly right and partly wrong.) Negro

A rich church – poor peasants. German

Let the church stand in the church-yard.

The nearer to church, the farther from God. French

The poorer the church, the purer the church. English

In the visible church, the true Christians are invisible. German

In the primitive church there were chalices of wood and priests of gold; in the modern church there are chalices of gold and priests of wood. German

In the city where you wish to sell flowers, do not kick up the dust. Oriental

Where you cannot climb over you must creep under. Danish

He that never climbed never fell. English

The worst clothed are still put to the windward. French

He who clothes himself with bad cloth clothes himself twice in the year. Brazilian

Many come to bring their clothes to church rather than themselves. English

It isn't in a coal sack that one finds white flour. Walloon

A thread-bare coat is armor proof against highwaymen. English

Cobbler, do not judge above the shoe. Latin

Day can dawn even without the cock. Serbian

A cockroach is always wrong when arguing with a chicken.

A cockroach stands no chance in a fowl country. Negro

A bad coin knows many people. Slovenian

Let them that be cold blow at the coal. English

Cold teaches to steal coal. Arabic

It is poor comfort for one who has broken his leg that another has broken his neck. Danish

It is a fine thing to command, though it is but a herd of cattle. Spanish

If you command wisely, you'll be obeyed cheerfully. English

He who commences many things, finishes but few. English

When you have no companion, consult your walking-stick. Albanian

If your companion is a good one, Bagdad becomes quite near. Turkish

A good companion makes a heaven out of hell. German

A merry companion on the road is as good as a nag. English

A company of men is as good as a miracle.
(i.e. in unity there is strength.) Indian

Company in distress makes trouble less. French

The world is Allah's, the land is the Pasha's, but the company rules. (i.e. the British Indies company.) Indian

Pleasant company shortens the miles. German

The shortest road's where the company's good. Scottish

Comparison is no proof. French

He that complies against his will, is of his own opinion still. English

Confession is as medicine to him who goes astray. Latin

Confidence is a plant of slow growth. English

Confidence is the companion of success. English

He hath conquered that hath made his enemies fly.

He who considers everything decides nothing. Chinese

Be constant; if you say "one," do not say "two." Arabic

To contradict sometimes means to knock at the door to know whether there is anyone in the house. French

Although there exist three hundred and forty-six subjects for elegant conversation, there are persons who cannot meet a cripple without talking about feet. Chinese

When the cook and steward fall out, we hear who stole the butter. Dutch

The cook should have his master's palate. Latin

He is a poor cook that cannot lick his own fingers. English

Cooks are not to be taught in their own kitchen. English

All are not cooks who carry long knives. Dutch

Copper produces a copper mass.
(i.e. you get what you pay for.) Italian

A lame man copulates best. Greek

The cord breaketh at the last by the weakest pull. Spanish

The cork is always bigger than the mouth of the bottle. Estonian

He measures another's corn by his own bushel. English

To correct Magnificat before one has learnt Te Deum. English

None goes to the gallows for giving ill counsel. English

If the counsel be good, no matter who gave it. English

Good counsel is better than a great army. German

Wheresoever we live well, that is our country. English

Every man loves his country, even if it be hell. Persian

When you go to a country where they all dance with one foot, then dance with one foot too. Negro

Fine or not, it is my country's wine. Chinese

He that counts all costs, will never put plough in the earth. English

Courage ought to have eyes as well as arms. English

The steps at court are slippery. Danish

The soup at court is very good, but you have to jump high for it. Czech

Whoso will dwell in court must needs curry favor. English

That which covers thee discovers thee. English

You cannot strip two skins off one cow. Chinese

One can stand being kicked by both hind legs at once if the cow be a good milker. Indian

Milk the cow, but don't pull off the udder. Dutch

A cow does not calve in the herd.
(i.e. a secret is not told in a crowd.) Bantu

A cow is not called dappled unless she has a spot. Danish

One who does what he says is not a coward. Sudanic

Reasoning is the shackle of the coward. Hamitic

A coward calls himself cautious and a miser thrifty.

One coward makes ten. German

In the house of the coward there is no weeping.
(i.e. because he always turns up safe.) Bantu

Between two cowards, he has the advantage who first detects the other. Italian

Many would be cowards if they had courage enough. English

Cowards run the greatest danger of any men in a battle. English

Cowards' weapons neither cut nor pierce. Italian

If the crab is small it associates with a smaller kind of crab. Sudanic

He who is of the craft can discourse about it. Italian

Craftsmen are brothers. Welsh

Creditors have better memories than debtors. English

A crime in which many are implicated goes unpunished.

Successful crime is called a virtue.

He does the crime who profits by it. French

A crocodile in water can destroy an elephant; out of the stream it is overcome by a dog. Burmese

The strength of the crocodile is in the water. Bantu

Cross in a crowd, the crocodile won't eat you. Malay

Don't think there are no crocodiles because the water's calm. Malayan

Don't curse the crocodile's mother before you cross the river. Bantu

If the staff be crooked, the shadow cannot be straight. English

The crow does not louse the buffalo to clean him, but to feed itself. Bulgarian

When the crow is your guide he will lead you to the corpses of dogs. Arabic

A whitewashed crow will not remain white long. Chinese

Call out a name in a crowd and someone is sure to answer. Chinese

A crowd is not company.

He who does not mix with the crowd knows nothing. Spanish

The greatest cunning is to have none at all. French

Where there is no hope of a cure, one saves the medicine. German

It is part of the cure to wish to be cured.

Idle curiosity sometimes fills the mousetrap. Dutch

Curses, like processions, come back to their starting-point. Italian

A thousand curses never tore a shirt. Syriac

Once is no custom. Italian

Be a custom good or bad a peasant will have it continue in force. Spanish

Custom is the guide of the ignorant. English

Custom is the plague of wise men, and the idol of fools. English

A cake and a bad custom ought to be broken. French

Men do more from custom than from reason. Latin

Custom without reason is but an ancient error. English

Where it is customary the cow is put to bed. Swiss

Bad customs are better broke then kept up. English

Huck ("Michael") Hudson

The End