The most common Mexican sayings (and what they mean)
The top 3 according to 16 votes from people: A tiger's son comes out spotted · People only go near the cactus when it has prickly pears · He who is born to be a tamale gets the leaves falling from the sky. (Updated Jul 11, 2024.)
The proverbs and sayings you hear most in Mexico, from the Mexican Academy of Language's proverb collection and press round-ups, with their meaning. Which one does your grandma always say?
Automatically translated (original in Español). See the original
Top 15
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1
A tiger's son comes out spotted
Children take after their parents; like «a chip off the old block».
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2
People only go near the cactus when it has prickly pears
People only come around when there's something in it for them.
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3
He who is born to be a tamale gets the leaves falling from the sky
What is meant to be will be: life hands everyone what's meant for them.
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4
Better a pace that lasts than a trot that tires
Better to move slowly and steadily than to rush and run out of steam.
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5
A parrot is green wherever it goes
Someone who's good at something is good anywhere.
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6
What wasn't in your year can't hurt you
Don't worry about what wasn't yours to live or isn't your business.
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7
He's like the dog with the two sandwiches
Wanting two things at once, he ends up with neither.
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8
Hurry through the bad step
Get unpleasant things done quickly and out of the way.
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9
With money, even the dog dances
Money gets you almost anything.
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10
He who's meant to be a charro gets the hat falling from the sky
A variant of the tamale saying: what's meant for you will come to you.
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11
Better bad for being known than good for knowing
Better to stay with what is already known, even if it is not perfect, than to take risks.
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12
The lazy and the stingy walk the road twice
Doing things badly or halfway means doing them twice.
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13
Not so close that it burns the saint, nor so far it doesn't light him
Don't overdo it and don't fall short: the middle ground.
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14
Let's get to it, it's mole de olla
Let's get to work, there's a job to do.
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15
His paste got lumpy
Everything got tangled up and he didn't know how to get out of it.
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16
A tree born crooked never straightens its trunk
Lifelong bad habits are hard to fix.
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17
Everyone talks about the fair depending on how it went for them
Everyone's opinion depends on their own experience.
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18
I know you, mosquito
I know very well what your intentions are, you are not deceiving me.
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19
Each monkey to its own rope
Each one to his own and in his place, without interfering in the affairs of others.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (4)
El del perro de las dos tortas lo dice mi mamá cada que no me decido jajaja
Más vale malo por conocido que bueno por conocer, mi abuelo siempre.
Falta «cada chango a su mecate»!
«Te conozco, mosco» también es muy mexicano.