Greek Proverbs

Here are today's Greek proverbs with LOLCats! These are repeats of previous proverbs, but now with illustrations... and with a quiz too! See how you do on the questions up top, and then try them again down below after you've read through the proverbs (the quiz results display only at the blog, not in the email):

Γλαῦκας εἰς ______.

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Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

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______ βέβρωκε.

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Σκορπίους βέβρωκε.

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______ ἐν πιθήκοις.

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Ὄνος ἐν πιθήκοις.

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Λύκος κρέας ______.

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Λύκος κρέας νέμει.

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Λύκος μάτην ______.

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Λύκος μάτην χάνων.

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Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

(Bringing) owls to Athens.

This refers to a foolish effort: there's no need to bring owls to Athens because Athens is full of owls. The owls that lived in the Parthenon were a symbol of Athens, and the coins of Athens were stamped with owls. Compare the English proverbial phrase, "coals to Newcastle."

Σκορπίους βέβρωκε.

He's eaten scorpions.

This refers to someone who gets angry easily. The idea is that they've eaten scorpions and those scorpions are still in there being disagreeable, as scorpions are wont to do.

Ὄνος ἐν πιθήκοις.

A donkey among the monkeys.

The saying appears in a long fragment of Menander quoted by Aulus Gellius. It refers to someone, not very bright, who is being mocked and insulted by those around him, as the donkey is regularly an object of ridicule, while monkeys are proverbially rude. 

Λύκος κρέας νέμει.

A wolf is distributing the meat.

This is something like the proverbial "lion's share." You know that the wolf is going to be constantly taking for himself even while he is "sharing" the meat with others. 

Λύκος μάτην χάνων.

The wolf, gaping like a fool.

This proverb refers to someone whose hopes are disappointed: he is gaping, empty-mouthed, not having gotten what he wanted. The proverb takes on narrative form in an Aesop's fable about a foolish wolf who heard a mother threatening her baby: "If you don't stop crying, I'll throw you to the wolf." Since the baby kept on crying, the wolf stood there outside the window, hoping that the woman would soon throw the baby to him, but he stood there gaping like a fool — the woman was never really going to throw the baby to the wolf.

Γλαῦκας εἰς ______.

reveal/hide answer

Γλαῦκας εἰς Ἀθήνας.

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______ βέβρωκε.

reveal/hide answer

Σκορπίους βέβρωκε.

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______ ἐν πιθήκοις.

reveal/hide answer

Ὄνος ἐν πιθήκοις.

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Λύκος κρέας ______.

reveal/hide answer

Λύκος κρέας νέμει.

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Λύκος μάτην ______.

reveal/hide answer

Λύκος μάτην χάνων.

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And to finish up, here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:

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