DATABASE of Jamaican Proverbs The following research material has been collected on the basis of Beckwith’s (1925) collection of proverbs and Cleary’s (1975) collection of Jamaican proverbs. 1. A bald head soon shave. [GKm] [A bald head is soon shaven.] 2. A choose burden nebba felt. [GKm] [A burthen of one’s own choice is not felt.] 3. A hint to an old horse is as good as a lick. [GKa] [A hint is as good as a nod.] 4. A stitch in time saves nine. [GKa] [In the following forms a is not the independent article but an abbreviated particle used as an introductory particle or for into, on, etc., and pronounced like a very weak open a.] 5. A de quiet cow de butcher kill. [GKm] [It’s the quiet cow the butcher kills.] 6. A de willing horse dem saddle the most. [GKm] [It’s the willing horse they saddle the most.] 7. A fast mek Anansi deh a house-top. [LW, AS] [Impertinence caused Spider to live in the house-top.] 8. A greedy mek fly follow coffin go a hole. [LW] [Greed causes a fly to follow a coffin into the grave.] 9. A me come ti dis a me beg fe it. [GKb] [I have got what I begged for.] 10. A no all bush hate rabbit. [GKb] [Not all green growth is poisonous to rabbits.] 11. A no because cow no hab tongue mek cow no talk. [GKm] [It’s not because cow has no tongue that she can’t talk, Implying that one is silent from prudence rather than ignorance. The cow is really a wise animal, but its voice is so loud every-
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