Here are Turkish proverbs to spice up your day—with some of our reactions in parentheses:
If you spit downward, it hits the beard, if you spit upward, it hits the mustache. (Both ways, it’s bad!)
A fish only comes to its senses after it’s caught by the net. (Learning through experience doesn’t put you in the best situation.)
The father donated a vineyard to his son; the son didn’t give a bunch of grapes to the father. (Ungrateful people are also selfish.)
He who does evil to another has done it to himself. (Your actions will bring reactions that you need to go through.)
No matter how far you’ve gone on the wrong road, turn back. (Don’t continue doing what’s wrong.)
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Whoever gossips with you will gossip about you.
A tree won’t fall with a single blow. (It takes several moves to fulfill big tasks, so persevere.)
Every man is the smith of his own fortune. (We lay out our own future.)
He who enters the Turkish bath will sweat. (If you enter a complicated situation, you have to face the heat.)
A person who has burnt his tongue once while drinking milk will blow to yoghurt before eating it. (One who has experienced pain will be cautious, even in the least dangerous situation.)
Order the lazybones a task; he will give you advice. (Lazy people prefer to talk than walk!)