donne e buoi dei paesi tuoi

English translation: get to know the birds in your own backyard

14:08 Jun 3, 2008

Italian to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / other

Italian term or phrase: donne e buoi dei paesi tuoi

All I have come up with so far is "each to their own kind".
Any suggestions for this "simpaticissimo" saying?
TIA

simona dachille KudoZ activity Questions: 303 (1 open) (5 without valid answers) (19 closed without grading) Answers: 71 United Kingdom
Local time: 13:43

English translation:get to know the birds in your own backyard

Explanation:
This is an idiom as written but, to put it in context, it could be said as:
"choose a bird from your own backyard".

Selected response from:

TrishCivitella
Local time: 14:43

Grading comment

Thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

stick to your own kind

Enza Longo

marry a woman from your own neighbourhood

Shera Lyn Parpia

Choose Women and Oxen from Your Home Village

Olga Buongiorno

get to know the birds in your own backyard

TrishCivitella

3 +1

better the devil you know

Patricia Crotty

birds of a feather flock together

Nadia Ayoub

Keep to your own ways

Pnina

you can't beat your own kith and kin

James (Jim) Davis

why couldn't you find a local girl?

Paul O'Brien

Discussion entries: 16

TrishCivitella

10:38 Jun 4, 2008

A very accurate answer Pauley, but it is not a "saying". Depends whether the person asking for the translation requires a precise meaning in English or another saying to replace the Italian one... which is the way I took it.

TrishCivitella

10:34 Jun 4, 2008

To Jim: Yes, you do have "gardens"... Australian in this case has adopted the American "yard"!

Paul O'Brien

Argentina

10:33 Jun 4, 2008

so as not to be sectarian (i.e. criticising others while not making a suggestion myself) i have proposed an answer below, albeit a by now belated one.

TrishCivitella

10:32 Jun 4, 2008

I personally do not take offence to the term "bird" being used here in this instance... but perhaps that is because in Australia there are far more awful terms used for women... eg. "sheila" (gag!)

James (Jim) Davis

Seychelles

09:35 Jun 4, 2008

In London a "nice bird" is what most adolescent males spend most of their time dreaming about "nice adolescent females". The other variety live in back "gardenS".

Paul O'Brien

Argentina

09:28 Jun 4, 2008

"bird" here refers specifically to women and that its use should, therefore, be avoided.

Paul O'Brien

Argentina

09:26 Jun 4, 2008

of course, yes, but the point is that we can sometimes be unwittingly roped into these things, such as when someone says that we should only get married to people from our own nation, town etc. and stick to non-foreign food. my view is that the term

TrishCivitella

09:21 Jun 4, 2008

You are welcome Simona! Note to Pauley: Please don't think I was suggesting we call women "birds".... I wouldn't like that myself either! The saying is referring to whatever is in discussion... it just happens to be women in this case.

Paul O'Brien

Argentina

09:18 Jun 4, 2008

that's "many" not "may".

Paul O'Brien

Argentina

09:17 Jun 4, 2008

ok simona, but may women quite rightly don't take too kindly being called "birds". it's another of those problems arising out of the original term, which in my view contains some racist undertones.

simona dachille

United Kingdom

ASKER

thanks to everyone!!

09:11 Jun 4, 2008

Milena Bosco (X)

Italy

21:18 Jun 3, 2008

A few months ago a friend told me this. I am half Spanish half Italian married to a Dutch guy. We are very happy, so no reason to come up with the saying anyway.

James (Jim) Davis

Seychelles

15:26 Jun 3, 2008

What period and what place is it set in Italy 20th 21st century?

simona dachille

United Kingdom

ASKER

more context...

14:32 Jun 3, 2008

the mother of a character in the story is displeased that he has chosen to marry a woman from another town.

Paul O'Brien

Argentina

14:17 Jun 3, 2008

simona, i think we all know what it means, but if we could have the context in which it is uttered we might be able to let our imaginations more freely roam.

Y. Peraza

14:10 Jun 3, 2008

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :-D

Answers

16 mins confidence:

marry a woman from your own neighbourhood

Explanation:
actually this is a translation of MOGLI e buoi dei paesi tuoi, the way I remembered it....

see
http://italian.about.com/library/proverbio/blproverbiom.htm

and
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=173356

Shera Lyn Parpia
Italy
Local time: 14:43
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

11 mins confidence:

Choose Women and Oxen from Your Home Village

Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 min (2008-06-03 14:26:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Language variant:Choose a women and oxen from your own town

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 min (2008-06-03 14:28:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.australiadonna.on.net/english/women_oxen_iuliano_...

http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5001865662

http://www.friendsinrome.com/italianproverbs.asp

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 min (2008-06-03 14:30:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

L'ultimo link che ti ho dato traduce una variante del proverbio in italiano: Moglie e buoi dei paesi tuoi
Choose a wife and oxen from your own town

PS: nel mio language variant c'è una "a" davanti a women di troppo!

Olga Buongiorno
Italy
Local time: 14:43
Native speaker of:

Italian,

English

24 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

stick to your own kind

Explanation:
If you want a literal translation then the 2 answers already given are a good option.

Enza Longo
Canada
Local time: 08:43
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

42 mins confidence:

get to know the birds in your own backyard

Explanation:
This is an idiom as written but, to put it in context, it could be said as:
"choose a bird from your own backyard".

TrishCivitella
Local time: 14:43
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thanks

1 hr confidence:

you can't beat your own kith and kin

Explanation:
Or a North country variant "There's nowt like your own kith and kin". It isn't a proverb but sounds as if it ought to be and it expresses the same concept although without the beast and the precise reference to a wife. Might fit the context.

James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Local time: 16:43
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 30

5 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

better the devil you know

Explanation:
...than the devil you don't

just another idea - depending on the context

Patricia Crotty
Local time: 14:43
Native speaker of:

English

6 hrs confidence:

birds of a feather flock together

Explanation:
a classical.

Nadia Ayoub
Egypt
Local time: 14:43
Works in field
Native speaker of: Arabic

18 hrs confidence:

Keep to your own ways

Explanation:
You'd better choose a wife and means of work relevant to your origins.

Pnina
Israel
Local time: 15:43
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Hebrew
PRO pts in category: 8

20 hrs confidence:

why couldn't you find a local girl?

Explanation:
in this way we can avoid having to engage with what i consider to be an unacceptable italian saying.

Paul O'Brien
Argentina
Local time: 09:43
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 34

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donne e buoi dei paesi tuoi

English translation: get to know the birds in your own backyard

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English translation: get to know the birds in your own backyard

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