African Proverbs in Pidgin

I have been meaning to do this for a while now but each time I get distracted and laggard. I want us to have an avenue of sharing some of our indigenous proverbs while still learning the crypto stuff.

— E don tey wey I be dey plan to do this thing here but each time too much distractions dey carry my mind comot from am. I go like make our area people share some of our local proverbs here with their explanations. I go put the proverbs in bold.

Share a proverb, and then put up its meaning. It will be best if the proverb is written in pidgin English.

Make I kick start am with some Warri flavour. Area!

Nor be today wey yansh don dey back.
Meaning: We are used to such a situation.

Dem nor dey tell blind man sey salt nor dey soup, you fit tell am sey oil nor dey.
Meaning: Obvious things don't need explanations.

This is going to remind us of our proverbs across Africa both good ones and bad too.

Proverbs are good, they help convey message succinctly.

I remember Chinue Achebe in his Award winning novel: Things Fall Apart, he said proverbs are like "Oil in which the Ibos eat yam with".
Meaning: That Ibos and indeed African societies can't do without proverbs, they bring glamour and spice up discussions.

Goat wey get mind follow lion go catch fish, make e know sey weda dem catch fish or not, lion food don set.
Meaning: Always keep away from someone who is treacherous and has an advantage over you for you can never please such a person, no matter how hard you try.

Cockroach wey think sey im smart go enter where fowl dey do general meeting don sign im obituary.
Meaning: Never play into the hands of your enemy.

Say lion dey sick, nor mean say him with cat na mate.
Meaning: The lion in its vulnerability is still a stronger animal than the cat.

Lizard wey fall from High Iroko tree land for ground, if nobody salute am him go congratulate himself.

Even nobody blows your trumpet, make it aloud yourself.

Your cruse dey always gimme joy, @Mpamaegbu, na man you be.

Because say lizard the always nod Im head no mean say things de alright

Meaning: You can't judge someone by his/her appearance, everyone's got a disturbance in their mind.

Quote from: Josefjix on July 14, 2020, 07:43:11 AM

Una cruise too follow dey give me correct joy. One love my people.

Na true with that your Alangba proverb. But the problem sometimes go be sey those wey nor understand fit come begin talk sey we dey boast like that.

Quote from: Alobo Realer on July 14, 2020, 10:39:59 AM

Because say lizard the always nod Im head no mean say things de alright

Meaning: You can't judge someone by his/her appearance, everyone's got a disturbance in their mind.

Chai! This one na very good lesson wey e suppose teach us. I gbadu am because na so me I dey always take look at life o. Nothing complete for everybody side. That man wey you dey envy also get im own wahala.

It was hilarious reading through all the pidgin proverbs. LOL
Here is mine

Cow wey dey in a hurry to go America go come back as corn beef
Meaning:Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don’t rush

Akara and moin moin get the same parent na wetin dey pass tru make dem diffrent
Meaning:How you start doesn’t matter, what matters is how you finish

NO matter how dark room wan be, man go still locate woman breast.
Meaning: There is always a way when something matters much

If life dey show you pepper my guy make pepper soup
Meaning: Make something good out of a bad experience

I hope these doesnt only make you laugh but gives some words of wisdom.

Quote from: smilex12 on July 15, 2020, 09:28:52 AM

It was hilarious reading through all the pidgin proverbs. LOL
Here is mine

<snip>

You be bad guy! Kai, your proverbs enter brain well well. You deserve 2 gun salutes. Wait, I must do am once I get loaded with merit. Bad boy, oya quickly enter that African forum thread go introduce yourself to other Nigerian peeps there.

Another proverb wey resemble 👇

Quote from: Mpamaegbu on July 10, 2020, 04:50:19 AM

Dem nor dey tell blind man sey salt nor dey soup, you fit tell am sey oil nor dey.
Meaning: Obvious things don't need explanations.

na "Dem nor dey take mirror look wrist watch.

Make I throw this ones enter here:

Na cooperation dey make rice full pot
Meaning: To achieve something great we need unity of purpose and cooperation.

Sun too hot, sun too hot no mean say fowl go lay boiled egg.
Meaning: Certain difficult situations of life have limit to how helpless they can make us.

@Maestro, I greet you. Your proverbs make sense too.

Who naked nor dey chook hand for pocket.
Meaning: Someone with no means already knows his limitations.

Na lack of trust make tortoise dey carry im house waka anywhere wey im dey go.
Meaning: No one should put their trust on another for their safety.

One person nor dey eat a whole snake otherwise the thing go tie up for im belle
Meaning: It's good to share good times together so as to avoid the repercussions of a bad time.

You fit carry horse reach water but you no fit force am to drink the water

Meaning; you can advice someone to change, but you can't force them.

Park there, where you dey go, na so road block become tollgate.
Meaning: When an abnormal situation is allowed to linger, it becomes a norm.

This one good, this one good na em mad man take dey gather plenty load.
Meaning: The inability to be decisive leads to confusion and unnecessary indulgence.

Rat wey die on top bag of rice no be hunger kill am na over excitement.

Meaning
Patience is virtue.

I no be your mate na e make slippers get size.
Meaning; We should recognise those who are superior to us and treat them with respect at all time.

E nor dey hard before e begin hard
Meaning: It doesn't take long before it begins to get rough and difficult.

The same thing wey make egg strong for pot na im make yam also soft for pot.
Meaning: Different strokes for different folks.

Do you know who I am? Do you know who I am? Na so hold up dey take start.
Meaning: The inability to compromise on little things often complicates it.

No matter how lizard do press up reach, e nor fit get muscle reach crocodile.
Meaning: You can't really change the nature of things. It's better to accept them the way they are.

Persin wey dey owe landlord rent no dey fry stew wey curry dey.
Meaning: Indebtedness should limit one's comfort, especially around those one owes.

Feel at home, feel at home na im dey make visitor spoil remote control.
Meaning: It's commonsense not to over step one's bounds when given a free hand.

Pikin wey wan chop party rice, e nor dey fear dance.
Meaning: To succeed in life you really don't have to care about negative comments from people.

Onye amu ri nma amaghi ihe onye ibi na-ahu.
Meaning: Those who have good fortune thrown at them don't have any idea of what those without it are faced with.