French Proverbs from 1611: Food, cooks, cooking, and eating

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[`A celuy qui a sa paste au four on doit donner de son tourteau:] [Prov.] [Be not a niggard vnto him thats able to requite thee.]
[`A celuy qui a son pasté au four on doit donner de son tourteau:] [Prov.] [Giue of thy pie to him that hath a pastie; doe good to him thats able to requite thee.]


[`A chair de loup sauce de chien:] [Prov.] the best sauce for course meat is hunger (or) the fittest intertainment for a knaue, a cudgell.


[`A la faim il n'y a point de mauvais pain:] [Prov.] [Hunger makes any thing tast well.]
[`A la faim il n'y a point de mauvais pain:] [Prov.] To him thats hungrie any bread seemes good; we say, hungrie dogs loue durtie puddings.


[`A morceau restif esperon de vin:] [Prov.] (A cup of sacke agrees with a cold stomacke;) a restiue morsell needs a spurre of wine.
[`A morceau restif esperon de vin:] [Prov.] [Put on a restiue bit with spurres of wine.]


[Amour apprend les asnes à danser:] [Pro.] Loue makes the cokes turne courtier.


[`A panse chaude pied endormy:] [Pro.] [When a man is full, he is fitter to sleepe then to runne.]


[`A peine cognoist on la femme, & le Melon:] [Prov.] [(The meaning is, vntill they be broken, or cut vp; and, the outside is often the best part of them.)]


[Apres grand banquet petit pain:] [Prov.] After feasting fasting.


[Apres la feste & le Ieu, les pois au feu:] [Prov.] After feasting and iollitie, sobrietie.
[Apres la feste & le ieu les pois au feu:] [Prov.] [Those that will make good shift, must after play vse thrift.]
[Apres la feste & le Ieu, les pois au feu:] [Prov.] After feasting and iollitie, sobrietie.


[Apres la feste on grate la teste:] [Prov.] [Repentance begins where feasting ends.]
[Apres la feste on grate la teste:] [Prov.] [(viz: After a feast made.)]


[`A qui chapon mange chapon luy vient:] [Pro.] He that eates good meat shall haue good meat.
[`A qui chapon mange chapon luy vient:] [Pro.] [Spend and God will send.]


[Assez ieune qui povrement vit:] [Pro.] [Enough he fasts that barely feeds.]
[Assez ieune qui povrement vit:] [Prov.] [He that liues poorely fasts sufficiently.]
[Assez ieusne qui pauvrement vit:] [Prov.] He that feeds barely fasts sufficiently.


[Assez y a si trop n'y a:] [Prov.] [Enough there is where too much is not.]
[Assez y a si trop n'y a:] [Prov.] [Inough is as good as a feast; or, too much of any thing is good for nothing.]
[Assez y a si trop n'y a:] [Prov.] There is ynough where there is not too much; [(a difference betweene suffici encie, and superfluitie.]


[Au serviteur le morceau d'honneur:] [Pro.] [The last morsell in the dish is the seruants fee (some holding it but a rude part to leaue a dish emptie.)]


[Belle chere vault bien vn mé s:] [Prov.] [A cheerefull looke fills vp halfe-emptie dishes.]
[Belle chere vault bien vn mets:] [Prov.] A heartie welcome is worth halfe a feast.


[Bon gaignage fait bon potage:] [Prov.] Fruitfull crops yeeld fattening sops; or, good hearbes good pottage yeeld.


[Celuy est bien mon Oncle qui le ventre me comble:] [Prov.] Hee's my best vncle, who fills my bellie most.


[Celuy gouverne bien mal le miel qui n'en taste:] [Prov.] [Hee's but an ill cooke that licks not his owne fingers;] One may say, he is vnwise, who in the managing of publicke businesse addes not somewhat vnto his priuate.
[Celuy gouverne bien mal le miel qui n'en taste, & ses doigts n'en leche:] [Prov.] we say, he is an ill Cooke that lickes not his owne fingers; One may say, he is vnwise, who in the managing of publicke businesse addes not somewhat vnto his priuate.


[C'est au four, & au moulin, ou l'on sç ait des nouvelles:] [Pro.] For while the bread bakes, and the corne grinds, people haue some leisure to tell how the world goes.
[C'est au four, & au moulin ou l'on sç ait des nouvelles:] [Prov.] [A common mill, and ouen, affoord much newes.]
[C'est au four, & au moulin ou l'on sç ait des nouvelles:] [Prov.] [An Ouen, and Mill are nurseries of newes.]


[Contre disner appert valet:] [Pro.] [Wer't not for meat I should not see my man (sayes the ill-serued maister.)]
[Contre disner appert vallet:] [Prov.] [When meat is to be had my man appeares (sayes the ill-serued Maister.)]


[De mauvaise viande on ne sç ait faire vn bon potage:] [Pro.] [Ill stuffe will not affoord good worke.]
[De mauvaise viande on ne sç ait faire vn bon potage:] [Pro.] [No man can make of ill acates good cale.]


[Deux pots au feu significent la feste, & deux femmes font la tempeste:] [Prov.] Two pots oth'fire a feast, two women a storme, portend.
[Deux pots au feu signifient feste, & deux femmes font la tempeste:] [Prov.] [Two pots a feast presage, two women mickle rage.]
[Deux pots au feu signifient feste, & deux femmes font la tempeste:] [Prov.] Two pots well fild are signes of a feast; two women ill-wild of a storme.
[Deux pots au feu signifient feste, & deux femmes font la tempeste:] [Prov.] Two pots well fild are signes of a feast; two women ill-wild of a storme.


[Eau, & paid est la viande du chien:] [Pro.] Bread and water is meat good ynough for a dog (though not for a man.)
[Eau & pain c'est la viande du chien:] [Prov.] [Bread and water is but a dogs dinner.]
[Eau & pain c'est la viande du chien:] [Prov.] Bread, and water is diet for dogs.


[En four chaud ne croist herbe:] [Prov.] [Grasse growes not in hot Ouens.]
[En four chaud ne croist herbe:] [Prov.] Hot Ouens breed no hearbes.


[En mangeant l'appetit se perd:] [Prov.] [Eating and drinking will take away any mans stomacke.]
[En mangeant l'appetit se perd:] [Prov.] [Eating, better than any thing, quells appetite, or abates the stomacke.]


[En mangeant l'appetit vient:] [Pro.] [(Sometimes) the more one eats the more he may.]
[En mangeant l'appetit vient:] [Prov.] One shoulder of mutton drawes downe another.


[Es petis sacs sont les fines espiceries:] [Pro.] [The little head a daintie wit containes.]
[Es petis sacs sont les fines espiceries:] [Prov.] The finest Spices are in little bags.


[Fourmage de taupe, & pain d'Argus:] [Pro.] Heauie cheese, and light bread (are, commonly, the best.)


[Fourmage est bon quand il y en a peu:] [Prov.] The lesse cheese the better; or, cheese is good when a miserable hand giues it; according whereunto they say also, Tout fourmage est bien sain qui vient de chiche main.


[Gasteau, & mauvaise coustume se doivent rompre:] [Prov.] [A (good) cake, and an ill custome should be broken.]
[Gasteau, & mauvaise coustume se doivent rompre:] [Prov.] (For the one does no good, the other much hurt, if it be kept.)


[Grasse cuisine maigre testament:] [Prov.] [A fat kitchin a leane Will; great house-keepers often die beggars.]
[Grasse cuisine maigre testament:] [Prov.] Great house-keepers leaue poore executors; The like is; [De grasse cuisine povreté s'avoisine:] [Prov.]


[Hardi gaigneur hardi mangeur:] [Prov.] Good at meat good at worke,
[Hardi gaigneur hardi mangeur:] [Prov.] [The better one falls to his meat, the better he followes his worke.]


[Ieune chair, & vieil poisson:] [Prov.] [Old flesh, and young fish (is fit for the dish.)]
[Ieune chair, & vieil poisson:] [Prov.] Yong flesh, and old fish (are daintiest.)


[Ieune en sa croissance a vn loup en la panse:] [Pro.] [A youth in growing hath a Wolfe in his guts; viz. eats rauenously, greedily, or verie much.]
[Ieune en sa croissance a vn loup en la panse:] [Pro.] [Young springalls haue Woluish, or great appetites.]


[Il faut que l'herbe soit bien courte quand on ne trouve que repaistre:] [Prov.] [Commons must needs be short where no meat's to be come by.]
[Il faut que l'herbe soit bien courte quand on ne trouve que repaistre:] [Prov.] [The grasse had need be verie short where nothing's to be nibled.]


[Il n'est banquet que d'homme chiche:] [Prov.] Wee say, there is no feast to the misers; [and by a misers feast we meane, a plentifull, though a rare, one.]


[Il n'est horologe plus iuste que le ventre:] [Prov.] [No clocke more iust, or true, then the bellie;] or, the bellie is best dyall, to giue all things their triall.


[Il n'est pas tousiours feste:] [Prov.] Feasts last not alwayes; or, we must not alwayes thinke to feast it; euerie day is not Sunday (say we.)


[Il n'y a rien tel qu'un vieil pot à faire la bonne soupe:] [Pro.] [No pot makes so good pottage as the old one.]


[La geline pond par le bec:] [Prov.] [A Henne layes as she is fed.]


[La sauce ne vaut pas mieux que le poisson:] [Prov.] [(Appliable three wayes) the sauce and fish are bad alike; or, the sauce should not be better then the fish;] or, [the sauce is seldome better then the fish.]


[La viande semond les gens:] [Pro.] [Well-cooked meats inuite the stomacke.]


[Le boeuf salé faict trouver le vin sans chandelle:] [Prov.] [The salt beefe-eater needs no candle to find his liquor withall; or salt beefe is your onely lantorne in a darke sellar.]
[Le boeuf salé fait trouver le vin sans chandelle:] [Prov.] [The salt-beefe eater needs no candle to light his drinke the way to his mouth.]


[Le fol reste apres la feste:] [Prov.] The foole doth rest after a feast; or (more properly) after a feast once made a foole for euer.


[Les folles femmes n'aiment que pour pasture:] [Pro.] Whoores affect your purse, not you; or, loue you not if you feed them not.


[Les graces du Lombard sont trois dez sur table:] [Prov.] [For so much is the Lombard affected vnto that meager, and vnworthie sport, as (by his good will) hee falls to it as soone as his meat is out of his mouth.] {notdef}


[Les grands banqueteurs font rarement de beaux faits d'armes:] [Prov.] Great banketters doe seldome great exploits.


[Les grillons gastent la feste:] [Prov.] [Loud bablers are euer offensiue at feasts; a Prouerbe taxing Buffoones, and Sycophants, who with their idle chat are troublesome to all that heare them.]


[Les viandes nouvelles font rebondir l'estomach:] [Prov.] [The stomacke rises against vncouth meats.]


[Les vivres suivent l'host:] [Prov.] [Victualls follow the Campe; where store of companie is victualls will be.]


[Le Tavernier s'enyvre de sa Taverne:] [Prov.] [Of the same, or like, sence.] [Il s'enyvre de sa propre bouteille.] Hee is drunke by his owne bottle; [(said of one thats too farre in loue with a good part of his owne, or abuses it vnto his ruine.)]


[Leuer matin n'est pas heur; mais desjuner est le plus seur:] [Prov.] There is more safetie in eating, then happinesse in rising, early a mornings.


[Le ventre emporte la teste:] [Prov.] [Said of Apostatoes, who in hope of ease and preferment abandon a knowne truth; said also of those, who aboue all things respect their bellies; or by an excessiue diet ruine, or dull, their vnderstandings.]
[Le ventre emporte la teste:] [Prov.] [Th'appetite often ouerrules the wit;]
[Le ventre emporte la teste:] [Prov.] [The bellie ouerbeares the head;]


[Lever matin n'est pas heur, mais desieuner est le plus seur:] [Prov.] [There is lesse happinesse in earlie rising then safetie in eating after one is risen.]


[L'hoste, & le poisson passé trois iours puent:] [Pro.] [A guest, and fish at three dayes end grow mustie.]
[L'hoste & le poisson, passé trois iours, puent:] [Prov.] [A guest and fish after three dayes are fustie.]


[Mal de teste veut repaistre:] [Prov.] [(The head smarts for the stomackes emptinesse;) headach refection craues.]


[Mal soupe qui tout disne:] [Pro.] [Of a young spender comes an old beggar; of a riotous youth a ruinous age.]
[Mal soupe qui tout disne:] [Prov.] Hee suppes ill that dines all; after a gluttonous, and disordinat youth followes a needie, and hungrie age.


[Mestier n'avons de pastissier roigneux:] [Prov.] [Better no pies then pies made with scabd hands.]


[Mieux vaut vn pied nud que nul:] [Pro.] [A bare foot is better then none.]
[Mieux vaut vn pied nud que nul:] [Pro.] [Better a naked, then no, foot.]
[Mieux vaut vn pied nud que nul:] [Prov.] [Better halfe a loafe then no bread.]


[Moustarde apres disner:] [Prov.] [After meat mustard; helpe when danger, supply when want, hath left vs.]


[Nul ne pele son fromage qui n'y ait honte, ou dommage:] [Prov.] [No man pares his cheese without shame, or losse.]


[Nul pain sans peine:] [Prov.] [Toyle hath a part in each thing we enioy;] or, without some toyle no bread, no benefit.


[On ne fait de rien grasse porré e:] [Prov.] [Fat broth cannot without some stuffe be made.]
[On ne fait pas de rien grasse poré e:] [Prov.] [Fat broth cannot be made of nothing.]


[On se saoule bien de manger tartes:] [Prov.] [A man may take too much of a good thing.]
[On se saoule bien de manger tartes:] [Prov.] [Sweets quickly breed sacietie.]


[Ou pain faut tout est à vendre:] [Prov.] [A man will sell all rather then be starued.]
[Ou pain faut tout est à vendre:] [Prov.] [Where bread is wanting all is to be sold.]


[Pain tant qu'il dure, vin à mesure:] [Prov.] [Eat at pleasure, drinke by measure.]
[Pain tant qu'il dure, vin à mesure:] [Prov.] [Eat bread at pleasure, drinke wine by measure; A Precept which the French obserue in the first (howsoeuer in the second) part; for no people eat more bread, nor haue better bread to eat, then they.]


[Petit disner longuement attendu, n'est pas donné, mais cherement vendu:] [Pro.] We buy too deerely meat we stay long for; or, a little meat long stayed for's deerely bought; (The like may be said of any benefit, or fauor.)


[Poisson, gorret, & cochin, vie en l'eau & mort en vin:] [Prov.] [(Such flegmaticke meates requiring much wine to be drunke with them.)]
[Poisson, gorret, & cochin, vie en l'eau, & mort en vin:] [Pro.] we say, fish must euer swimme twice.


[Qui a fourmage pour tous mé s il le doit couper bien espez:] [Prov.] [He that hath nought but Cheese at noone and night, must banish the Phisitions pennyweight.]
[Qui a fourmage pour tous mets, il le doit couper bien espez:] [Prov.] He must not scant his cheese that hath nought else to feed on.


[Qui a honte de manger a honte de vivre:] [Pro.] [He thats ashamed to eat is ashamed to liue.]
[Qui a honte de manger a honte de vivre:] [Prov.] [He that's ashamed to eat's ashamed to liue.]
[Qui a honte de manger a honte de vivre:] [Prov.] [Shame to eat, and cease to liue; A taxation of vnseaso nable bashfullnesse, and not much vnlike our, Spare to speake and spare to speed.]


[Qui a la pance pleine il luy semble que tous les autres sont saouls:] [Prov.] [He thats full-bellied thinkes all others full.]


[Qui a mal aux dents a mauvais parents:] [Prov.] [He that is famished hath but ill friends.]
[Qui a mal aux dents a mauvais parents:] [Prov.] [Mauvaise dent.]


[Qui a mangé le lard ronge l'os:] [Prov.] [Let him that hath eaten the Bakon picke the bones.]
[Qui a mangé le lard ronge l'os:] [Prov.] [Let him that hath eaten the best feed on the worst;] or, he that hath fondly wasted his best flesh, will be faine, at length, to picke the bones.


[Qui avec son seigneur mange poires il ne choisist pas des meilleures:] [Pro.] [He that eates peares with his Lord either cannot, or should not, pick such as he likes.]
[Qui avec son seigneur mange poires il ne choisit pas des meilleures:] [Pro.] [He that eates Peares with his Lord picks none of the best; (Therefore let him that will eat well eat with his equall.)]


[Qui bons lopins mange bons lopins le suivent:] [Prov.] [Prouision followes them that loue to fare well.]
[Qui bons lopins mange bons lopins le suyvent:] [Prov.] [Prouision followes them that vse to fare well; where best meat's eaten markets are best serued.]


[Quiers tu meilleur pain que de froument?] [Prov.] [(A taxation of ouer-much curiositie, or daintinesse)] would you haue better bread then's made of wheat.


[Qui faict nopç es, & maison; il met le sien en abandon;] [Prov.] The building of houses and making of feasts, are vnlimitted wasters of a mans substance.


[Qui garde son disner il a mieux à souper:] [Pro.] [He that keepes his dinner hath the more to his supper; he that spares while he's young may the better spend when hee's old.]
[Qui garde son disner, il a mieux à souper:] [Pro.] He that keepes his dinner hath the more to sup withall; youth preserued breeds an able old-age.]
[Qui garde son disner il a mieux à souper:] [Prov.] He that keepes his dinner hath the better supper.


[Qui mieux aime autruy que soy au moulin il meurt de soif:] [Pro.] [He that hurts himselfe to helpe others, will dye of thirst at the Mill-tayle.]
[Qui mieux aime autruy que soy, au moulin il meurt de soif:] [Pro.] He that loues another better than himselfe, starues in a Cookes Shop.
[Qui mieux aime autruy que soy au moulin il meurt de soif:] [Prov.] [Hee that loues others better then himselfe dies athirst on a Mill-damme.]


[Qui s'attend aà l'escuelle d'autruy il disne souvent bien tard:] [Prov.] He that waits on another mans trencher, makes many a late dinner.
[Qui s'attend à l'escuelle d'autruy il disne souvent bien tard:] [Prov.] Tis long before hee bee serued that waits for another mans leauings.


[Qui tost vient à son hostel mieux luy en est à son souper:] [Prov.] [He fares the better that comes earlie home.]
[Qui tost vient à son hostel mieux luy en est à son souper:] [Prov.] [He that comes earlie to his Inne hath much the better supper.]


[Qui va il leche, qui repose il seiche:] [Prov.] [The stirrer thriues, the lazie house-Doue pines.]
[Qui va il lesche, qui repose il seiche:] [Prov.] He that bestirres him gets somewhat, whereas he that lyes still doth starue.


[Qui vin ne boit apres salade est en danger d'estre malade:] [Pro.] [He that wine drinkes not after a (cold) sallate, his health indangers (and does wrong to his pallate.)]


[Sasse bonne farine sans trompe ne buccine:] [Prov.] [Boult thy fine meale, and eat good past, without report, or Trumpets blast.]
[Sasse bonne farine sans trompe, ne bucine:] [Prov.] [Enioy thine owne good things without much talking of them.]
[Sasse bonne farine sans trompe ny buccine:] [Prov.] Fare well, and hold thy peace.


[Selon ta bourse gouverne ta bouche:] [Prov.] Gouerne thy mouth by thy meanes.
[Selon ta bourse gouverne ta bouche:] [Prov.] [Measure thy appetite by thy abilitie.]


[Si tu te trouves sans chapon, sois content de pain & d'oignon:] [Pro.] [If thou want a Capon, fall to bread and an Onyon;] or, let not the want of dainties discontent thee.
[Si tu te trouves sans chapon sois content de pain & d'oignon:] [Prov.] If thou hast not a Capon, feed on an Onyon.


[Table sans sel, bouche sans salive:] [Prov.] [A table without salt, and a mouth without sap;]
[Table sans sel bouche sans salive:] [Prov.] [An vnlear ned discourse is (commonly) as vaine, as meate without salt's vnsauorie.]
[Table sans sel bouche sans salive:] [Prov.] [Appliable to any dull, or vnsauorie thing, which hath no power to excite th'appetite.]


[Tel grain tel pain:] [Prov.] [Such as the corne such is the bread.]


[Tenez chaud le pied, & la teste, au demeurant vivez en beste:] [Pro.] [Keepe head and feet warme for the rest, thou must resolue to liue a beast; (viz, to eat, and drinke no more then will doe thee good.)]
[Tenez chaud le pied & la teste, au demeurant vivez en beste:] [Pro.] [The feet and head kept warme, the rest will take lesse harme.]


[Toute chair n'est pas venaison:] [Prov.] [All dishes are not dainties;]
[Toute chair n'est pas venaison:] [Prov.] All flesh is not venison; euery man is not to be affected, esteemed, trusted, or vsed; euery saying is not sooth, euery worke not of worth.


[Tripe pleine ne combat bien, ny ne fuit bien:] [Prov.] [He thats full bellied neither fights, nor flyes, well.]


[Truye ne songe qu'ordure;] &, [Tousiours truye songe bran:] [Pro.] [Base minds haue alwayes base, and beastlie thoughts; their wishes, proiects, dreames, are like themselues.]
[Tousiours truye songe bran:] [Pro.] The filthie glutton still dreames of his belly.


[Veau mal cuict, & poulets cruds font les cimitieres bossus:] [Prov.] [Young meat raw-drest makes churchyards grow hulch-backt.]
[Veau mal cuict, & poules creuds font les cemetieres bossus:] [Prov.] Raw veale, and chickens make fat churchyards.
[Veau mal cuict, & poules cruds font les cimitieres bossus:] [Pro.] Raw Veale, and Chickens make fat churchyards.
[Veau mal cuict, & poulets cruds, font les cimitieres bossus:] [Prov.] [Raw veale, and chickens, make swelling Churchyards.]
[Veau mal cuit, & poulets cruds font les cimitieres bossus:] [Prov.] [Raw veale, and chickens fill churchyards.]


[Ventre affamé n'a point d'oreilles:] [Prov.] [Hunger no eare to reason yeeldeth.]
[Ventre affamé n'a point d'oreilles:] [Prov.] [The hungrie bellie hath no eares.]


[Ventre de velours, robbe de bureau:] [Prov.] [A veluet belly clads the backe in rug.]
[Ventre de velours robbe de bureau:] [Prov.] [Choyce food, and costlie fare, doe make the backe goe bare.]
[Ventre de velours robbe de bureau:] [Prov.] [Much bellie-cheere, & daintie fare, doth make the garments poore and bare.]


[Viande d'ami est bien tost preste:] [Pro.] A friends meat is soone readie; (for giuing it willingly, he prouides it quickly; or, one thinkes it not, or must not seeme to thinke it, long in comming.)
[Viande d'ami est bien tost preste:] [Prov.] [A friends repast is in a trice prepared.]
[Viande d'ami est bien tost preste:] [Prov.] [Meat in a friends house is (or is thought) soone readie;]


[Vilain affamé demi enragé:] [Pro.] [A starued clowne is halfe a mad man; when victualls faile, all temper failes, him.]
[Vilain affamé, demy enragé:] [Prov.] Barre a clowne of his victualls, you halfe madde him.


[Vn Espagnol sans Iesuite est vne perdris sans orange:] [Prov.] A Spaniard without a Jesuite is (wee may say) cheese without mustard.


[Vn mesme cousteau me coupe le pain, & le doigt:] [Pro.] One knife both cuts me bread, and my finger; [(said of any thing that one while helpes, and another while hurts.)]
[Vn mesme cousteau me coupe le pain, & le doigt:] [Prov.] [From one thing I receiue both good, and hurt.]


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