Don Guillermo often has us rolling around the floor giggling. As he is our accountant, this could be worrying. And those repeated red figures should, I guess, be pretty worrying if it weren’t for Don Guillermo’s dichos, or sayings, that quite take our mind off the trivia of dull financial matters like taxes or paying the next bill. He has an endless supply, the sign of a philosophic approach to the vicissitudes of a rich life. And when we started recording these, he amazed us by bringing a hand-written list of 80+! Here are a few, with our bad literal translations underneath:-
The many faces of Don Guillermo (but the laughing one is normal!)
Viejo, pero no pendejo
Old, but not an idiot
Si quieres saber los defectos de una mujer, adúlala ante su mejor amiga
If you want to know a woman’s defects, talk flatteringly about her to her best friend
Si te ví, no me acuerdo
If I saw you, I don’t remember
Lo que no mata, engorda
What doesn’t kill fattens
El buey se conoce por el cacho y el hombre por las palabras
The ox is recognised by horns and man by words
Lo cortés no quita lo valiente
Courtesy does not stop bravery
El que fía no está, anda cobrando
He who gives a guarantee, is out collecting
En boca cerrada no entran moscas
Flies don’t enter closed mouths
Si tu mal tiene remedio porqué te preocupas, y si no tiene remedio porqué te preocupas?
If there’s a remedy to your problems why worry, and if there’s no remedy, why worry?
El hombre que no trabaja más de lo que le pagan, no vale lo que le pagan
The man who does not work more than he is paid is not worth what he is paid
Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente
Eyes that don’t see, heart that doesn’t feel
El que anda con lobos, a aullar aprende
He who goes with wolves learns to howl
Para hablar y comer pescado, hay que tener mucho cuidado
Be very careful talking and eating fish
A gato viejo, ratón tierno
For an old cat, a young rat
Here are some sayings with counterparts in other languages (some of those above may also, but we’re too thick to realize it) :-
Más vale tarde que nunca
Better late than never
Vale más paloma en mano, que cien volando
A pigeon is worth more in the hand than a hundred flying
Perro que ladra no muerde
Dog that barks does not bite
Trata a la gente, como te gustaría a tí que te tratarán
Do not do unto others what you would not want them do unto you (The Golden Rule)
Dime con quién andas y te diré quien eres
Tell me who you go with and I will tell you who you are
Que tu mano izquierda, no sepa lo que hace la derecha
Your left hand doesn’t know what your right hand is doing
Cuando el gato no está, los ratones se suben a la mesa
When the cat is away, the mice climb onto the table
Yes, some of these, especially the ones at the start, highlight the amusing and realistic attitude of the ticos. Thanks to Don Guillermo those black holes in our accounts can be swept under the carpet. And note: not easy to write these dichos down here without breaking out laughing!
