κάνθαρος ~ κανθάρου (noun m.): beetle
τέττιξ ~ τέττιγος (noun m.): grasshopper, cicada
ὗς ~ ὑός (noun c.): pig
κύων ~ κυνός (noun c.): dog
μυρμηκιά ~ μυρμηκιᾶς (noun f.): anthill
These are the proverbs (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):
Κανθάρου σκιά.
Τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι φίλος.
Ὗς ὑπὸ ῥόπαλον δραμεῖται.
Κυνὶ δίδως ἄχυρα ὄνῳ ὀστέα.
Ὁ πτύσας εἰς μυρμηκιὰν οἰδεῖ τὰ χείλη.
And now, some commentary:
Κανθάρου σκιά.
A beetle's shadow.
The idea is that a beetle is nothing to be scared of, much less so a beetle's shadow... but this proverb is about somebody who is terrified by a mere beetle's shadow.
Τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι φίλος.
One grasshopper is dear to another.
The words come from one of the idylls of Theocritus: τέττιξ μὲν τέττιγι φίλος, μύρμακι δὲ μύρμαξ, / ἴρηκες δ᾿ ἴρηξιν, with the τέττιξ, grasshopper or cicada, the μύρμαξ, ant, and the hawks, ἴρηκες.
Ὗς ὑπὸ ῥόπαλον δραμεῖται.
The pig will run to the cudgel.
The saying refers to someone who foolishly rushes headlong into their own doom instead of running away from it.
Κυνὶ δίδως ἄχυρα ὄνῳ ὀστέα.
Giving bran to the dog and bones to the donkey.
This refers to someone who does things backwards and ends up displeasing everyone: the bones do the donkey no good, and the dog cannot eat the donkey's bran.
Ὁ πτύσας εἰς μυρμηκιὰν οἰδεῖ τὰ χείλη.
Someone who spits at an anthill ends up with swollen lips.
So, in other words, don't spit at an anthill, literally or metaphorically! If you end up with swollen lips, it's your own fault — don't blame the ants.
And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:
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