The Savvy Villa Traveller

Jamaican Saying: Nuh fatten cockroach fi fowl roun’ di corner.

English Translation: (Imagine you are a chicken.) Don’t fatten your cockroach for another chicken around the corner.

Meaning:
Be careful of spending all your energy cultivating or building something that you have no ownership in or that won’t benefit you because someone else who didn’t contribute anything or didn’t invest as much may easily come in and get all the benefits of your hard work … and you will have nothing to show for it. Make sure you get some benefit out of your efforts.

Wow, some of these old Jamaicans who came up with these sayings must have looked into their crystal balls and seen what happens all the time in the corporate world!

Jamaican Saying: When trouble tek yuh, pickney shut fit yuh.

Translation: When you are in trouble, a child’s shirt will fit you.

Meaning: If things get really bad, you will be surprised at the extent to which you can adjust.

Jamaican Expression: Walk too fast,yuh walk two time.

English Translation: If you walk two fast, you will walk twice.

Meaning:
Take your time to do something well. If you go too fast, you may be careless and have to spend time correcting mistakes that could have been avoided in the first place.

Jamaican Saying: Short road draw blood. Long road draw sweat.

Meaning: The short or quick path is usually risky. The long road or path takes more work (but is usually less risky). Be wary of get rich quick schemes.

Jamaican Saying: What sweet nanny goat a go run him belly.

English Translation: What a goat loves and therefore over-indulges in will make him sick.

Meaning: Too much of a good thing is good for nothing.