Dutch proverbs. Dutch proverbs by Pieter Bruegel

In the last room Frans Hals Museum, located in Haarlem, a surprise awaited me: “My Lovely,” a painting that I had been dreaming of seeing for more than 5 years. And in some provincial museum the dream came true. And I, having forgotten everything in the world, plunged into divine world Pieter Bruegel

1. “She would tie the devil to the pillow” - she is not afraid of either God or the devil: this vixen is capable of curbing the most obstinate young man; stubborn as hell.
2. “Gnawing a pillar” - a hypocrite, a pillar of the church, a hypocrite, a saint.
3. “She carries water in one hand and fire in the other” - she is an insincere woman, you should not trust her. The expression has also been used to describe contradictory behavior (serves both ours and yours).
4. “Frying herring to eat caviar” is an expression often used to mean “wasting money.” Another one applies to the same fragment. Dutch proverb: “The herring is not fried there,” i.e. his attempts fail, he does not get what he hopes for.
5. “Sitting in the ashes between two chairs” - showing indecisiveness in some matter, being in a difficult situation, for example, due to a missed moment to make the right decision.
6. “Let the dog into the house, he will climb into the potty or cupboard” - literally: enter the house and find that the dog has emptied the potty or cupboard; hence the figurative expression: come too late, miss your chance, be left with nothing.
7. “The pig is pulling the plug out of the barrel” - the owner does not take care of his goods. Another meaning: his end is near.
8. “Banging his head against the wall” - he wanted to do the impossible, the business was obviously doomed to failure, he received a painful refusal.
9. “One shears a sheep, the other a pig” - one uses the situation to the best of his ability, the other seeks to benefit at any cost; one is in contentment, the other falls into poverty.
10. “Hang a bell around the cat’s neck” - be the first to raise the alarm, start a scandal; take the first step in a delicate matter. Brant also says in Ship of Fools: “He who ties a bell to a cat lets the rats run where they please.”
11. “Be armed to the teeth” - to be well equipped for any task.
12. “This house has a scissors sign” - in a rich house there is something to profit from. Scissors usually served as a sign for tailors, who used to profit from their clients.
13. “Gnawing on bones” - being extremely busy, taking something to heart, thinking about it, chewing on it, solving a difficult problem.
14. “Feel the chicken” - this expression has different meanings: a homebody who does only housework and cooking; a man who resembles a woman.
15. “He speaks with two mouths” - the character is deceitful, hypocritical, two-faced, and cannot be trusted.
16. “Carrying light with baskets” - wasting time; do unnecessary things.
17. “Light candles before the devil” - flatter a bad ruler or unjust power for the sake of obtaining benefits or support.
18. “Go to confession to the devil” - trust your secrets to an enemy or adversary. Also used to mean “to seek protection from someone who is not inclined to give it.”
19. “Whisper something in someone’s ear” - say nasty things, secretly incite someone, open someone’s eyes to what was hidden from him, incite distrust or jealousy.
20. “Spinning yarn from someone else’s spindle” - finishing the work started by others.
21. “She puts a blue cloak on her husband” - she deceives her husband, cuckolds him. In the treatise of the 14th-15th centuries “On Women and Love” we read: “I respect a woman who knows how to confuse her husband to the point that he will be a complete fool; and although she puts a blue cloak on him, he imagines that she idolizes him.”
22. “When the calf drowned, they decided to fill up the hole” - it’s too late to correct the mistake or provide help (like a poultice for a dead person).
23. “You have to bend over backwards to achieve something in this world” - those who want to get what they want must behave helpfully.
24. “Throwing daisies to pigs” - offering someone something that he is not able to appreciate (throwing pearls in front of pigs).
25. “He rips open the belly of a pig” - the matter is settled in advance; pre-prepared combination.
26. “Two dogs are biting over a bone” - they are arguing about what to do; opponents can rarely agree; they are both bitter about the same thing. This is what it says about someone who sows discord.
27. “The Fox and the Crane” - the deceiver will be beaten; pay with the same coin; two of a Kind.
28. “It’s good to urinate on fire” - no satisfactory explanation has been found for this expression; it is possible that this is a hint of superstitious actions.
29. “He makes the world revolve around his thumb” - vanity and false claims; This is a powerful man, he gets what he wants.
30. “Putting a spoke in the wheels” - interfere with the implementation of any business.
31. “He who knocks over his porridge cannot always collect it all” - he who has made a mistake must also bear the consequences; the consequences of his stupidity can never be completely corrected.
32. “He is looking for a hatchet” - he is looking for a loophole, an excuse.
33. “He cannot reach either one or the other bread” - he is unlikely to connect one end to the other; barely make ends meet.
34. “They reach out to grab the longest (piece)” - everyone is looking for their own benefit.
35. “Yawn into the oven” - overestimate your strength, make wasted efforts.
36. “Tie a false beard to the Lord God” - try to act deceitfully, behave hypocritically.
37. “Don’t look for someone else in the stove if you have been there yourself” - anyone who is ready to suspect their neighbor of something bad probably has sins themselves.
38. “She takes the chicken egg and leaves the goose egg lying” - she hides evidence; greed deceives wisdom. Another interpretation: making the wrong choice.
39. “Fall through the basket” - not being able to confirm what was said; the need to recognize what was previously presented completely differently.
40. “Sitting on burning coals” - to be in terrible impatience; anxiously await something.
41. “The World Inside Out” is the complete opposite of what it should have been.
42. “To relieve himself in front of the whole world” - he spits on everyone; he despises everyone.
43. “Fools get it best cards» - fortune favors fools; ignoramuses row by the handful. A similar motive sounds in Godthals: “Fools, as a rule, draw the right card. Better happiness than the mind."
44. “They lead each other by the nose” - they deceive each other, leave each other high and dry.
45. “Pull through the rings of scissors” - act dishonestly within the framework of one’s craft or profession.
46. “Leave the egg in the nest” - do not spend it all at once, save it in case of need.
47. “Look through your fingers” - turning a blind eye is not an inaccuracy or a mistake, since the benefit will be gained one way or another.
48. “Getting married under a broom” - living together without a church blessing.
49. “There’s a broom stuck there” - they’re feasting there.
50. “The roofs there are covered with sweet pies” - there you can see a rooster in the dough; illusory abundance, milk rivers and jelly banks.
51. “Pissing on the moon” means that things will end badly for him. In the painting “Twelve Proverbs” the legend says: “I never manage to achieve what I need, I always pee on the moon.”
52. “Two fools under one cap” - stupidity loves company; two of a Kind.
53. “Shave a fool without soap” - mock someone; laugh, make fun of someone.
54. “Fishing with a net” - arriving too late, missing an opportunity, allowing someone else to run away with the catch.
55. “Itch your butt against the door” - sneeze, spit on everyone; don't pay attention to anything. There is also an opposite interpretation: “Everyone carries his own bundle” - his conscience is unclean; everyone has their own concerns. This fragment can have both interpretations - the joke is quite in the spirit of Bruegel.
56. “Kiss the door lock” - a lover who has been dismissed, or “kiss the lock” - not finding the girl at home. A noteworthy passage is found in the book “The Voyage and Voyage of Panurge”: “After their (young goats) ears are cut off, they become female and are called combed goats. Several times they are so in love that the ground disappears from under their feet, as happens with lovers who often kiss the latch of the door of the one they consider their beloved.”
57. “To fall (jump) from a bull onto a donkey” - in the 16th century the expression had two meanings: to do bad deeds; to be fickle, capricious.
59. “Release arrow after arrow” - find a new means, play a trump card. In sources contemporary with Bruegel, one can also find the following expression: “We shoot only irrevocable arrows.”
60. “Where the gates are open, the pigs run to the crops” - when the house is unattended by the owners, the servants do what they want; The cat is sleeping - the mice are dancing.
61. “Runs around like a scalded person” - to be in great trouble.
62. “Hanging your cloak in the wind” - changing your beliefs depending on the circumstances; sail where the wind blows.
63. “She is looking after the stork” - she is lazy, she is wasting her time, the raven thinks.
64. “Scatter feathers or grain in the wind” - act thoughtlessly, randomly; work without a clearly defined goal.
65. “Big fish devour small ones” - the powerful oppress the weak; eat yourself or be eaten.
66. “Catching cod with smelt” - sacrificing something of little value in order to get a more expensive one; giving an egg in the hope of getting a cow; deftly fish out someone's secret.
67. “Can’t stand the shine of the sun on the water” - envy the wealth or honors that another has earned.
68. “Swim against the tide” - to be of the opposite opinion; act contrary to society; strive for your goal despite obstacles.
69. “Pulling an eel by the tail” is a task that will most likely end in failure; dealing with a slippery person.
70. “It’s easy to cut good belts from someone else’s skin” - be generous at someone else’s expense; take advantage of the property of another.
71. “The jug walks on water until it breaks” - expose yourself to danger; end badly.
72. “Hang your jacket over the fence” - renounce clergy; quit your previous profession.
73. “Throw money into the river” - throw money away; It is unreasonable to waste your goods, to be wasteful.
74. “Relieving need in one hole” - inseparable friends, connected by common interests.
76. “It doesn’t matter to him that someone’s house is on fire, since he can warm himself up” - a complete egoist, he doesn’t care about the troubles of his neighbor; he warms himself by someone else's fire.
77. “Carrying a deck with you” - getting involved with an intractable person; do unnecessary work.
78. “Horse apples are not figs at all” - don’t delude yourself, be realistic, don’t mistake lanterns for stars.
80. “Whatever the reason, but geese walk barefoot” - if things go as they go, then there is a reason for it; or: don't ask questions that don't have answers.
81. “Keep your sail in your eye” - be on your guard; do not miss anything; keep your nose to the wind.
82. “Relieve yourself at the gallows” - to be a naughty person, not to be afraid of anything and not to care about anything.
83. “Necessity makes even old nags gallop” - to force someone to act, no the best remedy than to instill fear in him.
84. “When a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit” - when ignorance leads another ignorance, things will turn out badly.
85. “No one manages to cheat indefinitely (without the sun discovering it)” - everything secret sooner or later becomes apparent.

Art of the Netherlands 16th century
Painting " Flemish proverbs" or " Dutch proverbs" Some techniques of Boschian painting - big size canvas and small figures, countless subjects are typical for early paintings Bruegel (“Dutch Proverbs”, “Children’s Games”, “Mad Greta”, “The Battle of Lent and Maslenitsa”), which are paintings-parables on the themes of Flemish folklore. The painting of Dutch proverbs - "an encyclopedia of all human wisdom collected under the clown's cap" - includes more than 100 metaphorical scenes through which popular wit ridiculed the vanity and stupidity of many human endeavors. Great intellectual Northern Renaissance Erasmus of Rotterdam in 1500 published proverbs, as well as aphorisms from ancient philosophers in his first book, with exactly the same title - “Proverbs” (a few years later this edition, supplemented, will be repeated). In 1564, Rabelais depicted the Island of Proverbs in Gargantua and Pantagruel. And between these dates, in 1559, something like the Village of Proverbs was created by the Dutch painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder - Bruegel Muzhitsky. This picture is called “Dutch Proverbs” (the first name was “Flemish Proverbs”). The canvas itself is small, 117 by 164 cm. And in such a small space the artist managed to place more than a hundred miniature scenes!

Let's try to examine at least some of the scenes using a small reproduction. At the top left - you see, there are round cakes on the tiles: the roof is covered with pies - “a fool’s paradise”! Further down the slope, the archer “shoots a second arrow to find the first” (meaningless persistence). Part of the roof is devoid of tiles - “the roof has sheathing” (“the walls have ears”). Below on the left is a man in a blue shirt - a “column biter” (a religious hypocrite). Nearby, a lady is dealing with a horned, slender gentleman: “she can even tie the devil to a pillow” (meaning, a stubborn woman will defeat the devil himself). Above this scene is a woman carrying a bucket in one hand and a smoking brand in the other: “she has fire in one hand, water in the other” (which means she is two-faced and deceitful). Below on the right - a man is trying to use a spoon to collect something pouring out of the cauldron: “the one who spilled the porridge will not collect it all back” (remember from our everyday life - “what is the use of crying over runaway milk”, a mistake cannot be corrected).

In the center of the composition is a confessor in the canopy: “he is confessing to the devil” (which means - he reveals secrets to the enemy). In the same confessional, a man in a red cap “holds a candle for the devil” (makes friends indiscriminately, flatters everyone). Also in the center, even closer to the viewer – a woman in a red dress throws a blue cloak over a man’s shoulders – “she is deceiving him” (equivalent to: “cuckolding her husband”). To the left of this bright couple are two spinners: “one spins yarn, the other twists” (that is, they spread unkind gossip). A man in a white shirt wields a shovel (also in the center, almost at the bottom edge of the canvas): “he buries the well after the calf has already drowned” (he takes action after the misfortune has happened). To the right of this miniature is a man surrounded by pigs. He is doing such a usual thing - he violates the Gospel warning “do not throw pearls before swine” (fruitless efforts). Above, on the tower, a man “throws feathers to the wind” (aimless work). His friend immediately “holds his cloak to the wind” (changes his views in accordance with the circumstances). There is a woman in the tower window - she is “gazing at the stork” (wasting time). The boat in the upper right corner is to remind you of the proverb “it’s easy to sail with the wind” (it’s easy to succeed when good conditions). And the boat with the oarsman is somewhat lower - reminds of the proverb “it’s hard to swim against the current” (does this require explanation about how difficult it is for someone who does not want to put up with the generally accepted!).

The characters in the miniatures that make up the painting hang between heaven and earth; throwing money into the water (in Russian - litter with money); banging their head against the wall; bite the iron (babblers!); block their own light; sit between two chairs or on hot coals; leading each other by the nose... A dandy in a pink raincoat (in the foreground) rotates the globe on his finger - “the world rotates on his thumb"(everyone dances to his tune)! And at his feet - a ragamuffin on all fours is trying to get into a similar ball - “you have to bow down in order to succeed” (if you want to achieve a lot, you have to be unscrupulous in your means). Please note that at the left edge of the picture we again see this same ball, only upside down: “the world is upside down” (everything is topsy-turvy).

And above this symbol globe the ass of a character in a red shirt hangs over: “he relieves himself on the world” (he despises everyone)... This is how, by the way, the composition of the whole picture is built: individual miniatures are not connected purely mechanically, but one plot turns out to be meaningfully continued and developed by another. Looking at the characters, solving the code, you suddenly understand the meaning of this complex picture. It turns out that Bruegel in “Dutch Proverbs” is not a banal collector of proverbs. And his work is not entertainment for a bored slacker. And edification. It is not difficult to notice that most proverbs, even those included in my review, are tendentious; they condemn stupid, immoral behavior. This is where the meaning of pairing in the picture of the globe – in normal and inverted form – becomes clear. The world of the picture is an inverted world, in which a terrible reality has become something that should not be a reality.

Flemish Proverbs, 1559 The Topsy-Turvy World is a 1559 painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder that depicts the literal meanings of Dutch proverbs. Dutch proverbs - "an encyclopedia of all human wisdom collected under the clown's cap" - includes more than 100 scenes-metaphors, through which popular wit ridiculed the vanity and stupidity of many human endeavors. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, also known as “Peasant” (Pieter Bruegel de Oude>,: ca. 1525 - 1569) is a South Dutch painter and graphic artist, the most famous and significant of the artists who bore this surname. With great artistic power, Bruegel presents a picture of the absurdity, weakness, and stupidity of man.

Painting exhibited at the Berlin art gallery, is filled with symbols related to Dutch proverbs and sayings, however, not all of them have been deciphered by modern researchers, as some expressions have evolved over time. His son made about 20 copies of his father’s work, and not all copies exactly reproduce the original, differing from it in a number of details. The painting depicts about a hundred famous proverbs, although it is likely that Bruegel actually painted even more that have not been deciphered today. Some proverbs are still common, while others are gradually losing their meaning. Crowd scenes are one of Bruegel’s favorite subjects. This picture, perhaps the strangest of all, is adjacent to Bruegel’s “extras.” Collecting proverbs is one of the many expressions of the encyclopedic spirit of the 16th century. This hobby was started in 1500 by the great humanist of the Northern Renaissance, Erasmus of Rotterdam. His publication of proverbs and famous sayings of Latin authors was followed by Flemish and German collections. Published in 1564 satirical novel Rabelais' "Gargantua and Pantagruel", which describes the island of proverbs. By 1558, Bruegel had already written the Twelve Proverbs cycle, which consisted of separate small panels. And his “village of proverbs” had no precedent in the past; This is not just a set of proverbs somehow forcibly brought together, but a carefully crafted picture. The canvas itself is small, 117 by 164 cm. And in such a small space the artist managed to place more than a hundred miniature scenes! Let's try to look at at least some of the plots in a small reproduction. The composition of the whole picture is built like this: individual miniatures are not connected purely mechanically, but one plot turns out to be meaningfully continued and developed by another. Looking at the characters, solving the code, you suddenly understand the meaning of this complex picture. It turns out that Bruegel in “Dutch Proverbs” is not a banal collector of proverbs. And his work is not entertainment for a bored slacker, but edification. It is easy to notice that most proverbs, even those included in the review, are tendentious; they condemn stupid, immoral behavior. This is where the meaning of pairing in the picture of the globe – in normal and inverted form – becomes clear. The world of the picture is an inverted world, in which a terrible reality has become something that should not be a reality. It’s so everyday, it’s so ordinary that not only stupidity is happening in it - it’s happening Evil goes hand in hand with stupidity. An overturned world. Changeling. Destroyed world. 1. “She would tie the devil to the pillow” - she is not afraid of either God or the devil: this vixen is capable of curbing the most obstinate young man; stubborn as hell. 2. “Gnawing a pillar” - a hypocrite, a pillar of the church, a hypocrite, a saint. 3. “She carries water in one hand and fire in the other” - she is an insincere woman, you should not trust her. The expression has also been used to describe contradictory behavior (serves both ours and yours). 4. “Frying herring to eat caviar” is an expression often used to mean “wasting money.” Another Dutch proverb applies to the same fragment: “The herring is not fried there,” i.e. his attempts fail, he does not get what he hopes for. 5. “Sitting in the ashes between two chairs” - showing indecisiveness in some matter, being in a difficult situation, for example, due to a missed moment to make the right decision. 6. “Let the dog into the house, he will climb into the potty or cupboard” - literally: enter the house and find that the dog has emptied the potty or cupboard; hence the figurative expression: come too late, miss your chance, be left with nothing. 7. “The pig is pulling the plug out of the barrel” - the owner does not take care of his goods. Another meaning: his end is near. 8. “Banging his head against the wall” - he wanted to do the impossible, the business was obviously doomed to failure, he received a painful refusal. 9. “One shears a sheep, the other a pig” - one uses the situation to the best of his ability, the other seeks to benefit at any cost; one is in contentment, the other falls into poverty. 10. “Hang a bell around the cat’s neck” - be the first to raise the alarm, start a scandal; take the first step in a delicate matter. Brant also says in Ship of Fools: “He who ties a bell to a cat lets the rats run where they please.” 11. “Be armed to the teeth” - to be well equipped for any task. 12. “This house has a scissors sign” - in a rich house there is something to profit from. Scissors usually served as a sign for tailors, who used to profit from their clients. 13. “Gnawing on bones” - being extremely busy, taking something to heart, thinking about it, chewing on it, solving a difficult problem. 14. “Feel the chicken” - this expression has different meanings: a homebody who only deals with housework and the kitchen; a man who resembles a woman. 15. “He speaks with two mouths” - the character is deceitful, hypocritical, two-faced, and cannot be trusted. 16. “Carrying light with baskets” is a waste of time; do unnecessary things. 17. “Lighting candles before the devil” - flattering a bad ruler or unjust power in order to gain benefit or support. 18. “Go to confession to the devil” - trust your secrets to an enemy or adversary. Also used to mean “to seek protection from someone who is not inclined to give it.” 19. “Whisper something in someone’s ear” - say nasty things, secretly incite someone, open someone’s eyes to what was hidden from him, incite distrust or jealousy. 20. “Spinning yarn from someone else’s spindle” - finishing the work started by others. 21. “She puts a blue cloak on her husband” - she deceives her husband, cuckolds him. In the treatise of the 14th-15th centuries “On Women and Love” we read: “I respect a woman who knows how to confuse her husband to the point that he will be a complete fool; and although she puts a blue cloak on him, he imagines that she idolizes him.” 22. “When the calf drowned, they decided to fill up the hole” - it’s too late to correct the mistake or provide help (like a poultice for a dead person). 23. “You have to bend to achieve something in this world” - those who want to get what they want must behave helpfully. 24. “Throwing daisies to swine” Do not throw your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6) offer someone something that he is not able to appreciate (throw pearls before swine). 25. “He rips open the belly of a pig” - the matter is settled in advance; pre-prepared combination. 26. “Two dogs are biting over a bone” - they are arguing about what to do; opponents can rarely agree; they are both bitter about the same thing. This is what it says about someone who sows discord. 27. “The Fox and the Crane” - they will beat the deceiver; pay with the same coin; two of a Kind. 28. “It’s good to urinate on fire” - no satisfactory explanation has been found for this expression; it is possible that this is a hint of superstitious actions. 29. “He makes the world revolve around his thumb” – vanity and false pretensions; This is a powerful man, he gets what he wants. 30. “Putting a spoke in the wheels” - interfere with the implementation of any business. 31. “He who knocks over his porridge cannot always collect it all” - he who has made a mistake must also bear the consequences; the consequences of his stupidity can never be completely corrected. 32. “He is looking for a hatchet” - he is looking for a loophole, an excuse. 33. “He cannot reach either one or the other bread” - he is unlikely to connect one end to the other; barely make ends meet. 34. “They reach out to grab the longest (piece)” - everyone is looking for their own benefit. 35. “Yawn into the oven” - overestimate your strength, make wasted efforts. 36. “Tie a false beard to the Lord God” - try to act deceptively, behave hypocritically. 37. “Don’t look for someone else in the stove if you have been there yourself” - anyone who is ready to suspect their neighbor of something bad probably has sins themselves. 38. “She takes the chicken egg and leaves the goose egg lying” - she hides evidence; greed deceives wisdom. Another interpretation: making the wrong choice. 39. “Fall through the basket” - not being able to confirm what was said; the need to recognize what was previously presented completely differently. 40. “Sitting on burning coals” - to be in terrible impatience; anxiously await something. 41. “The World Inside Out” is the exact opposite of what it should have been. 42. “To relieve himself in front of the whole world” - he spits on everyone; he despises everyone. 43. “Fools get the best cards” - fortune favors fools; ignoramuses row by the handful. A similar motive sounds in Godthals: “Fools, as a rule, draw the right card. Better happiness than intelligence." 44. “They lead each other by the nose” - they deceive each other, leave each other high and dry. 45. “Pull through the rings of scissors” - act dishonestly within the framework of one’s craft or profession. 46. “Leave the egg in the nest” - do not spend it all at once, save it in case of need. 47. “Look through your fingers” - turning a blind eye is not an inaccuracy or mistake, since the benefit will be gained one way or another. 48. “Getting married under a broom” - living together without a church blessing. 49. “There’s a broom stuck there” - they’re feasting there. 50. “The roofs there are covered with sweet pies” - there you can see a rooster in the dough; illusory abundance, milk rivers and jelly banks. 51. “Pissing on the moon” means that things will end badly for him. In the painting “Twelve Proverbs” the legend says: “I never manage to achieve what I need, I always pee on the moon.” 52. “Two fools under one cap” - stupidity loves company; two of a Kind. 53. “Shave a fool without soap” - mock someone; laugh, make fun of someone. 54. “Fishing with a net” - arriving too late, missing an opportunity, allowing someone else to run away with the catch. 55. “Itch your butt against the door” - sneeze, spit on everyone; don't pay attention to anything. There is also an opposite interpretation: “Everyone carries his own bundle” - his conscience is unclean; everyone has their own concerns. This fragment can have both interpretations - the joke is quite in the spirit of Bruegel. 56. “Kiss the door lock” - a lover who has been dismissed, or “kiss the lock” - not finding the girl at home. A noteworthy passage is found in the book “The Voyage and Voyage of Panurge”: “After their (young goats) ears are cut off, they become female and are called combed goats. Several times they are so in love that the ground disappears from under their feet, as happens with lovers who often kiss the latch of the door of the one they consider their beloved.” 57. “To fall (jump) from a bull onto a donkey” - in the 16th century the expression had two meanings: to do bad deeds; to be fickle, capricious. 59. “Release arrow after arrow” - find a new means, play a trump card. In sources contemporary with Bruegel, one can also find the following expression: “We shoot only irrevocable arrows.” 60. “Where the gates are open, the pigs run to the crops” - when the house is unattended by the owners, the servants do what they want; The cat is sleeping - the mice are dancing. 61. “Runs around like a scalded person” - to be in great trouble. 62. “Hanging your cloak in the wind” - changing your beliefs depending on the circumstances; sail where the wind blows. 63. “She is looking after the stork” - she is lazy, she is wasting her time, the raven thinks. 64. “Scatter feathers or grain in the wind” - act thoughtlessly, randomly; work without a clearly defined goal. 65. “Big fish devour small fish” – the powerful oppress the weak; eat yourself or be eaten. 66. “Catching cod with smelt” - sacrificing something of little value in order to get a more expensive one; giving an egg in the hope of getting a cow; deftly fish out someone's secret. 67. “Can’t stand the shine of the sun on the water” - envy the wealth or honors that another has earned. 68. “Swim against the tide” – to be of the opposite opinion; act contrary to society; strive for your goal despite obstacles. 69. “Pulling an eel by the tail” is a task that will most likely end in failure; dealing with a slippery person. 70. “It’s easy to cut good belts from someone else’s skin” - be generous at someone else’s expense; take advantage of the property of another. 71. “The jug walks on water until it breaks” - expose yourself to danger; end badly. 72. “Hang your jacket over the fence” - renounce clergy; quit your previous profession. 73. “Throw money into the river” - throw money away; It is unreasonable to waste your goods, to be wasteful. 74. “Relieve themselves in the same hole” – inseparable friends connected by common interests. 76. “It doesn’t matter to him that someone’s house is on fire, as long as he can warm himself up” - a complete egoist, he doesn’t care about the troubles of his neighbor; he warms himself by someone else's fire. 77. “Carrying a deck with you” - getting involved with an intractable person; do unnecessary work. 78. “Horse apples are not figs at all” - don’t delude yourself, be realistic, don’t mistake lanterns for stars. 80. “Whatever the reason, but geese walk barefoot” - if things are going as they are, then there is a reason for it; or: don't ask questions that don't have answers. 81. “Keep your sail in sight” - be on your guard; do not miss anything; keep your nose to the wind. 82. “Relieve yourself at the gallows” - to be a naughty person, not to be afraid of anything and not to care about anything. 83. “Necessity makes even old nags gallop” - to force someone to act, there is no better way than to instill fear in him. 84. “When a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit” – when ignorance leads another ignorance, things will turn out badly. 85. “No one manages to cheat indefinitely (without the sun discovering it)” - everything secret sooner or later becomes clear.

And here is another interpretation of the proverbs and sayings that take place in this picture: - “Fools always get the best cards” or “Fools are lucky” (this is symbolized by the figure of a jester with cards) - “It all depends on the card” or “How the card falls” ( cards falling on the roof - The world spins on his thumb (everyone dances to his tune); - Put spokes in other people's wheels (create obstacles); - You have to bow if you want to succeed (whoever wants to achieve a lot must be cunning and unscrupulous in his means); ); - He ties a flaxen beard to the face of Christ (often a deception is hidden behind the mask of piety); - the one who wants to yawn over the mouth of the oven must yawn for a very long time (he tries to open his mouth wider than the mouth of the oven, that is, he overestimates his abilities; - the one who spilled the porridge will not put it all back together (once you have made a mistake, you can’t fix it; “What’s the use of crying over runaway milk”) - The roof is covered with pies (the country of abundance; the paradise of fools; “The Country of Cockayne”). broomstick (to get married around a broom bush, a marriage ceremony that does not have legal force; living in sin under one roof is convenient, but shameful). -Put out the broom (the owners are not at home; “The cat is visiting, it’s a holiday for the mice”). - He turns a blind eye (you can show him off, since he has sufficient income). - There is a knife hanging (challenge). -The clogs are standing (waiting in vain). -The dice are thrown (it's decided). -He poops on the world (he despises everyone). - The world is upside down (everything is topsy-turvy; the world is the other way around). - Pull through a hole in scissors (to make an unfair profit; or “An eye for an eye”). - Leave at least one egg in the nest (keep the lining, “Keep for a rainy day”). - He has a toothache behind his ears (possibly feigning illness). - a) He pees on the moon (trying to do the impossible; Bark at the moon) or Pee against the wind)). -b) He peed on the moon (failed). - He has a hole in the roof. - The old roof has to be patched often. - The roof has lathing (“The walls have ears”). - Hanging pot (in the world upside down in a tavern there is a chamber pot hanging upside down, not a jug). - Shave a fool without foam (to fool someone; to deceive). - Grow out of the window (you can’t hide it; “The secret always becomes clear”) - Two fools under one hood; a fool sees a fool from afar)). -a) Shoot a second arrow to find the first (meaningless persistence). -b) Release all arrows (it is unwise to spend all the funds at once, leaving nothing for emergencies). -a) Fry a whole herring for caviar; throw in sprat to catch the herring), that is, risk a little for the sake of a big). -b) His herring is not fried here (everything is not going according to plan). -c) Receive a cap on your head (obliged to compensate for damage; forced to hold a bag); he had to unwind). -There will be more in it than in an empty herring (many things have a deeper meaning than it seems at first glance; “Everything is not as simple as it seems”). -Sitting in the ashes between two stools (missing an opportunity; failing due to indecision; “Sitting between two stools”). - What can smoke do to the gland? (there is no point in trying to change the existing order). -The spindle falls into ashes (the case is not burned out). -Find the dog in the potty. If you let a dog into the house, it will crawl into the pantry (trouble for no reason, for nothing; it’s too late to realize it; “Let the goat into the garden”). -The pig pulls out the plug (mistake; negligence must be punished). -Banging your head on next hand (persist in achieving the impossible). - Drive into armor (get angry, become enraged; “Ready to rush into battle”). - Hang a bell on the cat (if your plans become known to everyone, expect failure). - Armed to the teeth. - Iron biter (chatterbox). -Chicken Groping (Counting chickens before they hatch). -He is always gnawing on one bone (endless tedious work; or constant repetition of the same thing; “Pull the same song”). - Hang out the scissors (symbolizes pickpocketing; a den where they are deceived and robbed; robbed). - He speaks with two mouths (duplicity, deceit; speak with two sides of the mouth). -One shears sheep, the other shears pigs (one has everything, and the other nothing; or one lives in luxury, and the other in need; the rich man and the poor man). -Loud scream, but little fur (“Much ado about nothing”). - Cut haircuts, but don’t rip them off (don’t pursue your own profit at any cost). -Meek as a lamb. - a) One is spinning on a spinning wheel, while the other is weaving (spreading unkind gossip). -) Make sure that a black dog doesn’t run between you (everything can go wrong; or, where there are two women, a barking dog is not needed). - He carries out the day in baskets (waste time; “Decorate the sun with a candle”). - hold a candle for the devil (make friends indiscriminately and flatter everyone around you; make friends with everyone). -He confesses to the devil (give a secret to the enemy). -Blowing in the ears (talker or gossip; “Spread rumors”). - The fox and the crane entertain each other (Bruegel uses a motif familiar from Aesop’s Fables: two deceivers never forget about their own benefit; the deceived deceiver). - What good is a beautiful plate if it is empty? (“You can’t fill your belly with a golden dish”). - He is a slotted spoon or a beater (a drunkard, a parasite). - Take note (it will not be forgotten; the debt will have to be paid; “Put on account”). - He digs in the well after the calf has already drowned (take action after the accident has happened). - The world revolves on his thumb (everyone dances to his tune; “Keeps everyone on a short leash”). - Put spokes into other people's wheels (repair obstacles). - You have to bow down if you want to succeed (whoever wants to achieve a lot must be cunning and unscrupulous in his means). - He ties a flaxen beard to the face of Christ (often deception is hidden behind the mask of piety). - Do not throw your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6) (fruitless efforts or something not worth the effort). - She puts a blue robe on her husband (she deceives him; “Cuckolds him”). 64 A pig is stabbed in the stomach (inevitable result; irreversibility; “You can’t undo what’s done”). - Two dogs rarely agree about the same bone (arguing fiercely over the same thing; “Bone of Discord”; an image of greed and jealousy; envy). -Sitting on hot coals (being anxious and impatient; “Sitting on pins and needles”). - a) The meat on the spit should be poured with gravy. -b) Pissing on a fire is good for your health. -c) Pee on the fire (his fire has gone out; he has completely turned sour) - You can’t turn the spit with him (you can’t cooperate with him). -a) He catches fish with his bare hands (this smart guy benefits from someone else's work, dragging fish from a net cast by others). -b) Throw in smelt to catch cod (same as saying 28a). - He falls through the basket (rejected suitor; be rejected; fail). - Hanging between heaven and earth (getting into an awkward situation and not knowing what to do). - He takes stone wall and misses the goose (making bad choices due to greed). - He opens his mouth in front of the stove; or the one who wants to yawn over the mouth of the oven must yawn for a very long time (he tries to open his mouth wider than the mouth of the oven, that is, he overestimates his abilities; “Bites off more than he can chew”; or it is pointless to oppose those who are obviously stronger). - He can barely make it from one loaf to the other (it’s hard to make ends meet). -a) He is looking for a hatchet (he is trying to find a reason). -b) And finally, he is with a flashlight (he has the opportunity to demonstrate his strengths). - He holds on tight (perhaps love is where there is money). - a) He blocks the light to himself. -b) No one will look for another in the oven if they have not been in it themselves (only the spoiled think badly of others; “Do not judge others by yourself”). - He plays pillory (you should not put your shame on public display; “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones”); also: don't be prejudiced). - He fell from the ox onto the donkey (make a bad deal; go through bad times). - One beggar takes pity on another standing in front of the door. - Anyone can see through an oak board if there is a hole in it. - a) Rub your butt against the door (don’t take anything to heart). -b) He walks with a burden on his shoulders. - He kisses the (door) ring (insincere, exaggerated respect). - He fishes below the net (to miss an opportunity is wasted work). - Big fish eat small fish. - He cannot stand the glare of the sun on the water (I am haunted by my neighbor’s property and irritated by the glare of the sun on the surface of the water; envy, jealousy). - He throws his money into the water (wastefulness; “Throwing money away”; “Blowing away money”). - They poop in the same hole (inseparable friends). - Hangs like a toilet in a sewer (of course). - He wants to kill two flies at once (but he won’t catch a single one; excessive ambition is punishable). - She is staring at the stork (she is wasting her time). - Recognize a bird by its feathers. - Keep the cloak in the wind (changes his views in accordance with the circumstances; “Cut the sails with the wind”; “Go with the flow”). - He throws feathers to the wind (his efforts lead to nothing; unsystematic work). - The best belts are made from someone else's skin (it's easy to dispose of someone else's property). - The jug will go for water (to the well) until it breaks (there is a limit to everything). 101 Hold a slippery eel by the tail (a bad job, doomed to failure). - It’s hard to swim against the tide (it’s hard for someone who rebels and doesn’t want to put up with generally accepted norms). - He throws his cassock over the fence (he throws away the familiar, not knowing whether he can cope in a new field). - This proverb has not been identified. The following meanings are possible: a) He sees the bears dancing (he is dying of hunger). b) wild bears prefer each other’s company (it’s a shame not to be able to get along with your peers). - a) He runs as if his ass is on fire (he is in trouble). b) He who eats fire poops sparks (when undertaking a dangerous business, one should not be surprised at the consequences). -a) If the gate is open, the pigs will run to eat the grain (without supervision everything goes topsy-turvy). b) When there is less grain, the pigs become larger (by weight); “One will lose, another will gain”). - He doesn’t care whose house is on fire as long as he warms himself by the flame (he doesn’t shun anything for his own benefit). - The wall with cracks will collapse soon. - Easy to sail with the wind (if conditions are good, easy to succeed). - He follows the sail (“Knowing which way the wind blows”). - a) Who knows why geese walk barefoot (everything has its own reason). b) If the geese are not mine, then let the geese be geese. - Horse manure is no big deal (don’t let yourself be fooled). - To drag a blank (deceived gentleman; give all your best in a meaningless task). - Even an old woman will run out of fear (unexpected abilities are revealed in need). - Poop under the gallows (punishment does not frighten him; a bad end awaits the hanged man). -Where the carcass lies, crows fly there. - If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a ditch (when an ignoramus leads others, disaster cannot be avoided). -The sight of a church and bell tower in the distance does not mean the end of the journey (the goal can be considered achieved only after completely completing the task ahead). Another proverb refers to the sun in the sky: “No matter how cleverly you pull, everything will come to light” (in the end there will be nothing secret and unavenged). Sources

“Like your head against the wall,” “swim against the tide,” “lead each other by the nose” - we all know these proverbs, and, interestingly, they can be found almost unchanged in other languages. Moreover, they have existed for several centuries: back in the 16th century (1559) Dutch artist Pieter Bruegel painted the painting “Flemish Proverbs,” in which he encrypted more than 100 proverbs of his time.

1. Banging your head against the wall

2. One foot is shod, the other is bare

3. Arm yourself to the teeth

4. Shear (sheep), but do not remove the skins

5. How the card will fall

Painting " Flemish proverbs"(Dutch. Nederlandse Spreekwoorden) also has a second title: “The world is upside down” and depicts the literal meanings of Dutch proverbs. Itself Pieter Bruegel(Pieter Bruegel) did not leave a transcript of all his ideas, so we can only rely on later transcripts of what is depicted. Yes, on this moment art connoisseurs have found about a hundred proverbs encrypted in the painting, but most likely there are even more, some of the proverbs are simply outdated and have lost their meaning.

6. The world has turned upside down

7. Lead each other by the nose

8. The die is cast

9. Look past your fingers

10. Run like your butt is on fire.

Almost simultaneously with Bruegel, he described the diverse world of proverbs in his novel Pantagruel. French writer Francois Rabelais. This work helped to decipher some proverbs that have been completely forgotten today. Almost every detail in the picture corresponds to one proverb or another, and some characters even depict several at once. For example, a man in armor tying a bell on a cat has three meanings at once: 1. “Hanging a bell on a cat” (commit a dangerous and unreasonable act); 2. Arm yourself to the teeth (be well prepared); 3. Bite the iron (lie, don’t be modest).
Today the painting "Flemish Proverbs" is exhibited at the Berlin Art Gallery.