MANX SAYINGS

From 'Manx Idioms and Phrases' by the eminent Manx scholar John Joseph Kneen (1873-1938), author of 'Grammar of the Manx Language' and 'Place Names of the Isle of Man'.

Un eam gys bee as jees gys obbyr
One call to food and two to work.

Sooree ghiare yn tooree share
Short courting is the best courting

Cha row rieau cooid chebbit mie
Offered wares were never very good

Ta fys cc dy-chooiley'ghooinney raad ta'n vraag gortagh eh
Every man knows where the shoe pinches him

Tra big yn laa big yn choyrle lesh
When the day comes its counsel will come with it

Ta dooinney creeney mennick jannoo carrey jeh e noid
A wise man often makes a friend of his enemy.

Ta chengey ny host ny share na olk y ghra
A silent tongue is better than saying evil

Cha bee breagerey creidit ga dy n'insh eh yn irriney
A liar is not believed though he speaks the truth

Ta un cheyrrey screbbagh milley yn clane shioltane.
One scabby sheep spoils the whole flock

Baase y derrey voddey bioys y voddey elley
The death of one dog is the life of another

Ta lane eddyr raa as jannoo
There is much between saying and doing.

Cha nee yn wooa s'moo eieys s'moo vlieaunys
It's not the cow that lows the most gives the most milk.

Tra ta'n derrey voght cooney lesh voght elley ía Jee hene garaghtee.
When one poor man helps the other poor man, God himself smiles

Cha nee eshyn ta red beg echey ía boght agh eshyn ta geearree ny smoo.
It is not he who has little that's poor but he who desires more.

Ta fooillagh neareydagh ny s'messey na ee scammyltagh.
Shameful leavings are worse than scandalous eating.

Share goll by lhie fègooish shibber na g'irree ayns Ihiastynys
'tis better to go to bed without supper than to rise in debt

Lhig da dy-chooilley ushag guirr e hoohyn hene
Let every bird hatch its own eggs

Mannagh vow cliaghtey cliaghtey nee cliaghtey coe
If custom beget not custom, custom will weep

Ny poose eirey-inneen ny slooid ny ta'n ayr eck er ny ve croghit.
Don't marry an heiress unless her father has been hanged.

Cha jeeragh as craue-drommey yn skeddan.
As straight as the backbone of a herring.

Palchey phuddase as skeddan dy liooar
Potatoes in plenty and herring enough. (Traditional greeting)

Kys ta shiu?
How are you?

Te traa goll thie
It's time to go home.

Moghrey mie
Good morning!