Proverbs Paper

By
Carmen Rejn Gmez

SPA 435-01
Dr. Domnguez
May 9, 2016

A definition of a proverb is a brief popular saying (such as Too many cooks spoil
the broth) that gives advice about how people should live or that expresses a belief that
is generally thought to be true (Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary, 2016). Proverbs
are very much found in the communication style of Spanish speakers. Los Angeles
houses a very large number of Spanish speakers. This paper will present 20 of the many
proverbs that are found in the Spanish speaking community. These proverbs were the
result of interviewing one informant. The following people were informants who gave me
the proverbs.
Walter G.F. Rejn, my father, was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in 1945. He
came to the United States in 1969 and has lived here ever since. He speaks Spanish with
his family and English for business purposes. He estimates that he currently speaks
Spanish 50% of the time and English the other 50%.
The following lists the proverbs given by the informant. After doing this assignment I
have come to the conclusion that the longer a person lives in Mexico, the more they tend
to use proverbs in their everyday lives.
1. Al ojo de el amo, engorda el caballo.
2. Nunca es tarde para comenzar.
3.Haz el bien, sin mirar a quien.
4.No hay mal, que por bien no venga.
5.Al que madruga Dios lo ayuda.
6.No por mucho madrugar, amanece ms temprano.
7. Como te ves me vi y cmo me ves te vers.
8. Las palabras se las lleva el viento y a las personas l tiempo.
9. Ms vale paso qu dure y no trote que canse.
10. De el dicho a l echo, hay mucho trecho.
11. En boca cerrada no entran moscas.
12. S quieres seguir juzgando mis pasos, te presto mis zapatos.
13. No hay peor sordo que el que no quiere or.
14. Al buen entendedor, pocas palabras.

15. No hay feo sin gracia, ni galn sin defecto.

16. No hay gorrn, que no alabe al anfitrin.
17. Sabe ms el diablo por viejo, que por diablo.
18. El que re al ltimo re mejor.
19. El que roba a un ladrn tiene cien aos de perdn.
20. D golosos y tragones estn llenos los panteones.
Work Cited
Rejn, Walter G.F. Personal interview. 11 March 2016.
Proverb. Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary. 4th ed. 2001. Web

Extra:
1.A buen entendedor pocas palabras.
2.Mejor solo que mal acompaado.
3.Dime con quin andas y te dir quin eres.
4.Poco a poco se llega lejos.
5.El qu se fue a la villa, perdi su silla.
6.El que mucho abarca, poco aprieta.
7.El que mucho se despide, pocas ganas tiene de irse.
8. El muerto y el arrimado a los tres das apesta.
9. Dios mo, si con mis borracheras t ofendo, con las crudas me sales debiendo.

VIII. Format of work.

All work must have a cover page with the title of the assignment, name of student,
name of professor spelled correctly, course and section and due date. Centered, of course.
Title page and subsequent work should have margins of 1, 1, 1, and 1 (left). _Dont
paginate. Dont put your name on each page. Indent five spaces when starting a
paragraph. Skip two spaces after the period and before the start of the next sentence. Use
Times New Roman, font size 12. Double space all work except the title pages.