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   The Dread Slender Gnome (gnomeshatecheese@spinster.xyz)'s status on Sunday, 31-Aug-2025 19:43:32 JST The Dread Slender Gnome

   Finnish proverbs: Gifts edition.

   Lahja on lainnaa parempi, ilman saatu iki hyvä.

   =A gift is better than a loan, if it's free it's forever good

   NB: This one was recorded at a municipality where the people are reputed to be the stingiest in the country.

   Ei se annak ko luppaa ja se ei luppak ko antaa.

   =The one who promises won't give, and the one who gives won't promise

   This is also an example of Finnish using the inanimate pronoun "se" in reference to people. In this particular case it's a generic reference to a type of person, not a specific individual (which is also allowe btw).

   Sinne kakko kannethan josta toista toivothan.

   = One carries a cake to the house from which one wants another.

   Suattaahan sitä Pielisen laitoo luvatak.

   =I could (just) promise some of the shoreline of [Loch Ness]

   The original name is Pielinen, a large lake in Finland's lake region. The implication -I think- being that the speaker either doesn't own any of the shore, or that it's such a big lake that a promise like this is vacuous because who the heck can know if the person has the right to make such promises or not. Could also be used to doubt someone else's promises.
   The translation of this sentiment into English is difficult, but the original meaning key lies in the verb "suattoo/saattaa", which means capability or potential. The sentiment would be something like "you can promise anything, even the moon from the sky".

   • KeepTakingTheSoma likes this.
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     KeepTakingTheSoma (keeptakingthesoma@spinster.xyz)'s status on Sunday, 31-Aug-2025 19:44:46 JST KeepTakingTheSoma

     in reply to
     @Gnomeshatecheese I love all these almost untranslatable sayings; they are so specific to cultures and nationalities. They tell us so much about a mindset and spirit.
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     The Dread Slender Gnome (gnomeshatecheese@spinster.xyz)'s status on Sunday, 31-Aug-2025 19:59:00 JST The Dread Slender Gnome

     in reply to

     • KeepTakingTheSoma

     @KeepTakingTheSoma I know! And I find that reading them through and properly thinking them actually teaches me a lot about my own culture and traditions.

     Besides, I've kind of always wanted to be someone who drops proverbs in conversations. With this book, I might have a chance of getting there.

     KeepTakingTheSoma likes this.