These are true words of wisdom. Simple phrases, simple words, most of which are in Italian dialects. More than anything else, these are pieces of history. These are small treasures that are to be preserved because for many of us, these are pieces of our childhood. More profoundly, they derive from the experiences of our ancestors, most of whom are no longer with us. Their words, however, remain instilled in our memories and have probably become part of our identities and personalities. Thank you to all of you who have been sharing little pieces of your own history with us. Please keep them coming in!
“’Bon come na fette de pane’ Good like a piece of bread said of someone who has integrity” – Toni Stanfield
“Mia nonna dice, ‘Che puo fa? Fa niente!’ My grandmother would say, ‘What can you do? You can't do nothing!’ That was her motto for anything gone wrong! She'd look right at you, shrug her shoulders, put her hands out...’Eh, che puo fa? Fa niente!’ Loved it! Miss you Fannie!” – Claire Cookie Perri Mielnicki
“’Mangia e statti zitto!’ My grandmother would always yell ‘mangia e statti zitto’ at my grandfather across the dinner table.” – Bob Abbate
“My Mom used to tell us that ‘chi vuole mangiare troppo non mangierà niente’ which she explained meant that: ‘If you are greedy and continue to gamble to get more or spend more than you make, you will end up with nothing to eat at all.’ I can't tell you how many times these words would come true. My sisters and I laugh...” – Anna Gallerizzo Colandreo
These quotes were taken from our Facebook Group Page Italian Proverbs, Phrases, Sayings, and Quotes! Please share!
