Irish Sayings and Expressions Irish Expression Literal English meaning Meaning Is geal leis an bhfiach dubh a ghearrcach féin To the black crow its offspring is bright All children are wonderful Is fearr rith maith nádrochsheasamh He who runs away lives to fight another day Caution can pay off A rud is annamh is iontach What is strange is wonderful What is strange is wonderful Ni dhéanfaidh an saol caplall ráis d'asal The world cannot make a racehorse out of a donkey Make do with what you've got Ar mhaite leis féin a dheinneann an cat crónán It is for its own good that the cat purrs Selfishness Ritheann uisce doimhin ciúin Deep waters run quietly Still waters run deep Is fearr focal sa chúirt nápunt sa sparán A good word in court is better than a pound in your purse Appreciate the help of others Níor bhris focal maith fiacal riamh A good word never broke anyone's teeth No bad can come of a kind word Ni haon maith a bheith ag caonineadh nuair a imíonn an tsochraid There's no good in keening when the funeral has moved off Don't be late Ní hían áilleacht a chuireann an corcán ag fiuchaidh Beauty does not boil the pot Beauty isn't everything Is deacair ceann críonna a chur ar cholainn óig It is difficult to put a wise head on young shoulders Experience does not come easily Is giorra cabhair Dénáan doras God's help is nearer than the door You're the solution Is cuma le fear na mbróg cá gcuireann sé a chos The man with boots does not have to worry about where to put his feet Being prepared pays off Is minic a bhí fear maith i seanbhríste Good men can often be found wearing worn britches Don't judge the book by the cover Ní hé lá na gaoithe lána scolb The day of the big wind is no time to be doing the thatching There's a right time for everything Chuirfeadh sé cosa faoi chearca duit He would put legs under a chicken Talkative person Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí Praise the young and they will blossom Praise the young and they will blossom Giorraíonn beirt bóthar Two people shorten the road Company makes a journey pass quickly Ní neart go cur le chéile There is not strength without unity There is not strength without unity Ní huasal náíseal ach thuas seal agus thíos seal Is not a matter of upper or lower class, but being up a while and down a while Is gliobach í an chearc go dtógann sí a hál The hen has ruffled feathers until she rears her brood Mothers find it hard to relax Ní heolas go haontíos If you want to know me come live with me If you want to know me come live with me Is fada an bóthar nach mbíonn casadh ann It is a long road that has no turning A long road takes you from home Ólann an cat ciúin bainne leis The quiet cat also drinks milk Bíonn dhá insint ar scéal agus dhá leagan déag ar amhrán There are two sides to every story and twelve versions of a song Is maith an scáthán súil charad A friends eye is a good mirror Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine People live in one another's shadow Éiste le fuaim na habhann agus gheobhaidh tú breac Listen to the sound of the river and you will get a trout Patience pays dividends Bíonn stúalach scéalach The traveller has tales to tell Don't judge the book by the cover Níl aon leigheas ar an ngrá ach pósadh The only cure for love is marriage Some things are obvious An rud a líonas an tsúil líoann sé an croí What fills the eye fills the heart Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder Ní heaspa go díth carad There is no need like the lack of a friend Everyone needs company Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir Time is a great storyteller Time will tell Is minic a rinne bromach gioblach capall cumasach The raggy colt often made a handsome horse Don't judge the book by the cover Muna gcuirir san Earrach ní bhainfir sa bhFómhar If you don't sow in spring you won't reap in autumn What you learn while young will help when old Nuair a chruann an tslat is deacair í a lúbadh When a twig grows it is hard to bend it Its hard for the old to change their ways Níl aon sean stoca nach bhfaigheann sean bhróg There is no old stocking that doesn't find an old boot There is someone for everyone Cas a bheadadh súil agat a fháil ó bhó ach preab What would you expect from a cow but a kick Everything acts according to its nature Is maith an mustard an sliabh The mountain is a good mustard A mountain walk whets the appetite Mar a leagtar an crann is ann a bhíonn na slisneacha Where the tree is felled that's where the chippings are Don't overlook the obvious Scuabann scuab úr go glan, ach tá fios ag an sean scuab ar an ciornéil A new broom sweeps clean, but an old one knows the corners You can't beat experience Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir The weather is a good storyteller Time will tell Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile One beetle recognises another Birds of a feather flock together Ní bhíonn a fhios ag duine cá luíonn an bhróg ar an duine eile No one knows where the boot pinches on another person No one knows another person's troubles Is maith an cúnamh an lá breá A fine day is a help to everyone A sunny day lifts the spirit Níor chuir Dia sceach i méal an chuain riamh God never put a bush in the harbour God never stopped the wheels of progress Nuair atá sneachta ar Néifinn tá sé fuar in Éirinn When there is snow on Nephin it's cold in Ireland Nephin, a mountain in Ireland, as an indicator of the weather Ní breac é go mbíonn sé ar an bport It isn't a trout until it's on the bank Don't count your chickens until they are hatched Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin There is no hearth like your own There is no place like home Is ins an adhmad is boige a bhíonn an crann is cruaidhe Its in the softest wood you find the hardest knot A soft exterior hides a hard interior Ni dhéanfadh an saol capall rása d'asal The world cannot make a racehorse from a donkey You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear Is faide do chuid féasóig ná do chuid intleachta mar a dúirt an sionnach leis an ngabhar More beard than brains as the fox said of the goat Strength is no guarantee of intellect Bailíonn brobh beart Wisps gather a bundle Take care of the cents and the €uros will take care of themselves Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile One beetle recognises another Birds of a feather flock together I ndiaidh a chéile is ea tógtar na caisleáin Castles are built one by one Be patient with important tasks Maireann an crann ach ní mhaireann an lámh a chuir é The tree remains but not the hand that planted it Trees outlive the generations Is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn Far away hills are green Distance lends enchancement Dá fhaid é an lá tiocfaidh an tráthnóna No matter how long the day, the evening will come Nothing lasts forever Má tá céad gnó againn tá céad ló againn If we had a hundred things to do we have a hundred days to do them There's no point trying to rush things Caitheann síor-shileadh an chlioch Continuous weathering wears the rock Persevering leads to success Tá eirbeall an chait sa ghríosach The cat's tail is in the hot ashes There's bad weather coming Is é sruthán éadoimhin a labhrann go dána Its the shallow stream that speaks boldly Empty vessels make the most noise Ná déan dánaíocht ar an bhfarraige Don't make bold with the sea Respect the sea Is minic a bhíonn an t-úll go holc ina chroí Many a red apple is rotten to the core Appearance can be deceptive An truas is faide tosnaíonn sé le coiscéim bheag amháin The longest journey begins with the first step Everything has a beginning Is maith é an bád a dhéanann amach an caladh a d'fhág sé It's a good boat that finds the harbour it left Its good to remember our origins Fál maith a dhéanas comharsana maithe A good hedge makes for good neighbours Clear boundaries make for good relations La millte na móna lá fómhar an chabáiste The rain that destroys the turn makes the cabbage grow What's bad for something can be good for something else Is caol mar a ritheann sruth an ádha ach is ina thuillte móra a thagann an mí-ádh The stream of good fortune flows narrowly but misfortune comes in floods Troubles never come singly Go n-éirí an bóthar leat May the road rise with you Have a good journey D'fheannfadh sé dreancaid ar a craiceann He'd flay a flea for its shin Meanness Ni féidir fear gan ceann a chrochadh You cannot hang a headless man Futile exercise Bainne cíche circe a bhleán, in adhairc mhuice agus a mheascadh le cleite cait Breast milk from a hen in a pig's horn, stirred with a cat's feather A cure for everything Tá cluasa fada ar mhuca beaga Little pigs have big ears Children hear more than you think Ni sheasann sac folamh An empty sack won't stand You can't work when hungry Nuair a chacann gé cacann siad go léir When one goose sits, they are all at it Dedicated followers of fashion Is maith an chearc nach mbeireann amuigh A good hen lays within A warning not to be ostentatious Is mór orlach de shrón duine An inch is a lot on a nose Everything is relative An té a luíonn le gagharaibh éireoidh le dearnaithibh If you lie down with dogs you'll rise with fleas You can deserve what you get As the old cock crows, the younger cock learns Experience come with age A narrow neck keeps the bottle from being emptied in one swig Its good not to rush things He'd offer an egg if you promise not to break the shell Useless promises A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse You can't judge what you can't see There'll be white blackbirds before an unwilling woman ties the knot Hell freezing over! There's no need to fear the wind if your haystacks are tied down Be prepared Do not mistake a goats beard for a fine stallion's tail Be prepared A wild goose never reared a tame gosling Everything acts according to its nature Firelight will not let you read stories, but it is warm and you will not see the dust on the floor Everything has a use The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune You can't beat experience It is no use boiling your cabbage twice Repetition can be futile The old pipe gives the sweetest smoke You can't beat experience A buckle is a great addition to an old shoe You'll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind There are finer fish in the sea than have ever been caught The Irish forgive their great men when they are safely buried Show the fatted calf but not the thing that fattened him Every patient is a doctor after the cure A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea If the knitter is weary, the baby will have no new bonnet What is good for the goose, is good for the gander O'Byrne Files © World

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