The smartest and the strangest Irish proverbs

Let's not forget, "Hunger is good sauce" . No truer words were spoken. C. Pat, you may need to translate that one as well......

Thanks, Canadian Pat, for explaining these for Mr. Haynes. He's obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed!

"A hole is more honorable than a patch." This really quite suggestive, in the way of good poetry. One time you could take it to mean that you want to give the impression that the hole just happened and you will soon put it aside and wear a new jacket. At other times that you will wear the hole as a protest against the unjustness of your poverty rather than put up with patchwork reforms and minor concessions. There are many other ways you mind could turn this one around.

My Gran used to say, "Put a beggar on a horse and he'll ride it to 'death'" which meant 'Don't bother to help him because he won't appreciate it." The 'butter and whiskey' was her confidence in the old wive's cures. The best cure was the hot toddy which had both. You stumped me on the sheepskins! A couple of my family members were fey and could often tell when someone we hadn't seen for a while would call. They'd say, "Speak of the devil."

"Put a beggar on a horse and he'll ride it to hell." Means that absolute powerlessness corrupts as much as absolute power. So when you give the powerless sudden power they will be utterly corrupt. Riding a horse is simply an ancient symbol of power.

Always liked "There's many a ship lost within site of the shore."

Back in Sligo when my mom was young,her mom,my grandma, would admonish her sons when going out to the pub to not come home on the 'back of the ass', which was the mode of transportation back then.

To help you: Beggar on a horse-sudden good fortune is wasted! :Skin of an old sheep-ill fortune strikes both young and old.;A hole is more honorable-take pride in yourself for there is no honor in letting on to be what your are not.Hope you find this helpfull!

If wishes were Donkeys, Beggars would ride! A dog smells his own shite first!

"There never was an old slipper but there was an old stocking to match it." My old Tipperary grandfather would say this - probably about himself and my Roscommon grandmother. He married late in life and she was a widow with five children. He actually would say "shoe" instead of "slipper". To be more specific: "No one needs to stay unmarried:single & alone; a person can find a partner in life." "The most confusing:" really are not that "confusing" if one thinks a moment: use some college (or West Coast of Kerry) Logic & Philosophy. I could give you a meaning soon enough. This was fun to read. It brought back some "Irish" memories.