In the Latino culture, Dichos are proverbs and sayings, offering rules to live by for generation after generation. In just a few words, each delivers a message, value or belief. They are utilized to help make a point, and teach a life lesson. Did your parents, grandparents, elders ever share sayings/dichos with you, your children, or parents? Please share. Let’s talk about it…
Juan Serda: “Para tonto no se estudia; one needn’t study to become a fool. Here is one my madrina shared with me when she was 88 years young- La memoria es como un tapete-En el curso de la vida tejemos en él diversos colores. Cada cosa agradable es un colore brillante. Cosas tristes son colores obscuros y asi se forma el tapete. Diferente en cada persona; The memory is like a tapestry. In the course of a lifetime we weave it with diverse colors. Wonderful experiences are brilliant colors. Sad experiences are drab colors. And so the tapestry is weaved. A different tapestry for every person.”
Sandra Luna Perez: “Las acciones hablan más que las palabras; Action speaks louder than words.”
Pedro Saenz: “Con dinero baila el perro; With money anything is possible.
Dime con quien tu andas y te digo quien tu eres; Tell me who you’re with and I’ll tell you who you are.”
Cindy Lopez: “El barato te cuesta caro; Being cheap can cost you alot/ El borracho no miente.”
Cesar Cruz: “Hoy comemos el pollo y mañana comemos plumas;today we eat the chicken and tomorrow we eat feathers.”
Richard Rodriguez: “Te mordiste la lengua; you bit your tongue and got caught lying.”
Martha Sonora: “Al mal tiempo, buena cara; with a smile, everything looks better.”
Raul Bentacourt: “Más vale pájaro en mano, que ciento volando; it is more important to have little but to have it really (and of good quality!), rather than to have a lot and it is unsure.”
Lisa Flores: “Más vale tarde que nunca; better late than never.”
Ernesto Felix: “Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente – what is not seen with our eyes, cannot harm our heart.”
Norberto Lalos: “Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda; God helps he who rises early.”
Michelle Reyna: “A caballo regalado, no le mires el diente; when someone gives you something, you should be grateful for the gesture.”
Carlos Casteneda: “En boca cerrada no entran moscas; silence is golden and Hablando del Rey de Roma…el Rey se soma.”
Jaime Hernandez: “Creerse la última coca-cola en el desierto; Believing the last coke in the desert. Lavar cerdos con jabón es perder tiempo y jabón; washing pigs with soap is wasting time and soap.”
Lalo Mendez: “Ponerse las pilas; To look alive.”
Ray Torres: “Corto de luces; Not the smartest person.”
Michael Benavidez: “Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda; Even if the female monkey dresses in silk, she will remain a female monkey.”
Barry G: “Un Clavo saca otro clavo; one problem replaces another.”
Joaquin Nunez: “Amor con amor se paga;you love someone in return you will be loved.”
Alicia Espinoza: “If we are not ashamed to think it, we should not be ashamed to say it; Si no nos avergonzamos de pensarlo, no deberíamos avergonzarnos de decirlo.”
Patricia Estrada: “Muerdete la lengua; bite your tongue/ sana sana colita de rana.”
Corina Davila: “Buena, buena de tonta good; good at being dumb.”
Melissa Cortinas: “Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo; the devil knows more because of experience than being the devil so embrace the wisdom of our elders.”
Veronica Castro: “Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente; Stay one step ahead and seize every opportunity. Keep your eyes open and stay alert.”
Jenifer Perez: “Al que buen árbol se arrima, buena sombra le cobija; For those who are blessed enough to find a stable situation, a bright future lies ahead. Embrace moments that bring you peace and growth, and they’ll bring even better things your way.”
Franny: “Oídos sordos a corazones ciegos; Deaf ears to blind hearts; Don’t pay attention to those who speak maliciously and with bad intentions. Only acknowledge what those who have your best interest at heart have to say.”
Nancy Pena: “Quien siembra vientos, cosecha tempestades; Remember, anything you do today has consequences for tomorrow.”
Alberto Reyna: “Del dicho al hecho, hay mucho trecho; Talk is cheap. There’s a huge difference between saying you’ll do something and actually getting it done.”
Laura Montes: “En las malas se conoce a los amigos; In bad situations, you’ll know your friends.”
Jenny V: “Haz el bien y no mires a quien; Do good, and don’t look at whom you are helping;Be good to others no matter who they are or what they’ve done. Kindness is key in becoming a better person, and love can be expressed through the tiniest acts.”
Angel Rodriguez:“El que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho; He who reads a lot and walks a lot, sees a lot and knows a lot.”
Roxanne Saucedo: “Cosa mala no muere; Bad things do not die.”
Rebecca Gayton: “Después de cierta edad solo estás robando oxígeno ; after a certain age you are just stealing oxygen.”
Frances Bautista: “Arriba abajo al centro para dentro; up, down, center and DRINK!”
Ricardo Perez: “El que no pito, se chingo; he that does not speak up will lose their opportunity.”
Loretta Bautista: “¿Cómo puedes volar con águilas cuando te rodeas de pájaros dodo? How can you fly with eagles when you surround yourself with dodo birds.”
Jorge Rivera: “A que vas a la escuela a estudiar o a que te estudien; Do you go to school to study or to be studied?”
