The Provençal expressions on the theme “Character” gather 172 traditional sayings, with their meaning in English.
A coumo la fusto de Cabassoit's an absurd, unsolvable problem À Gounfaroun, leis ai volonI don't believe a word of it, mere hot air À La Ciéutat/à Carpentras, aimon miés tout que la mitain La Ciotat as in Carpentras, they'd rather have it all than half À la descèndo lei cougourdo li vananyone, even the dullest, can manage an easy task es vièi coume un banche's as old as a bench es vièi coume Erodehe's as old as Herod Agué d'uei bourda d'anchoioto have eyes red-rimmed from tears or fatigue Agué de sang de cougourdoto be weak-willed, spineless Agué la crespinoto be lucky Agué la malautié dóu gabianto have an imaginary or faked illness Agué lou biaisto have the knack, the know-how Agué lou blanc dóu pòrrito be lucky, well off Agué lou pan e lou coutèuto have everything needed to succeed a un caratère d'orhe has a heart of gold Agué un èr de dous èrto have an ambiguous, unreadable expression a la bounta sus la figurokindness is written on his face a lou cor sus la manhe wears his heart on his sleeve es marrit coume la grelohe's as nasty as hail s'es leva dóu pèd gauchehe got up on the wrong side of the bed Aquéu de còup !well I never! fai la bèbohe's sulking, pouting As peta l'armàri ?to be dressed to the nines aquéu a de cascavèu dins sa tèstohe's got some odd ideas, a bit crazy Balin-balan/ Balalin-balalanswaying gently, to and fro saup lou viéure dóu moundehe has good manners, knows how to behave Bèn/mau encapato show up at the right or wrong moment, depending on luck es groussié coume un pan d'òrdihe's as coarse as barley bread Bèu camin caminoon a good road, the walking is easy sucra la baloto manto sugarcoat the pill vougne lou façunto grease someone's palm faire li dos manto keep both sides happy Boulegues pas lou batèu !don't move! es uno fino lamohe's a sharp, cunning fellow Carga coumo uno abiho/un aiheavily loaded vai te faire leva lou soulèugo away, leave me alone Chanja l'aigo eis óulivoto relieve oneself cerco soun ai e l'es dessushe's looking for what's right under his nose Chasque/cade toupin trovo sa cabucelloeveryone finds the partner who suits them es badau coume la lunohe's a gawking, idle onlooker Couioun de la lunoa fool, an idiot a pas inventa la poudrohe's not the sharpest tool in the shed …Coumo d'anchoio…packed like sardines ié farien crèire que li lèbre fan d'iòuyou could make him believe anything …Coumo uno gamatovery badly De longoall the time, constantly De parpello d'agassosmall, insignificant things es bon ni pèr bouli, ni pèr roustihe's good for nothing at all a l'agnèu mort dins lou vèntrehe's nursing a hidden sorrow Dre coumo moun bras quouro mi móuquinot straight in the least E lou chèchou… !and a little more besides sant estève, qu t'a planta que te lèvea formula used to tell someone to get up Es de figo d'une autre paniéthat's a different matter entirely me fariés toumba la pèiro dóu fusiéuyou really surprise me Es lou tambour de Cassishe's a chatterbox, hard to stop once started testard coume Tistetas stubborn as Tistet Es pas bèu ce qu'es bèu, es bèu ce qu'agradobeauty is not what is beautiful, but what pleases Es un cuou-cousuhe's a stiff, affected sort cerco de péu sus un iòuhe's nitpicking, splitting hairs Es un remèdihe's a very ugly person avé coume Sant Toumasto be a doubting Thomas Es uno arrapèdohe's a clingy sort of person se mounta la tèstoto get carried away, work oneself up Es uno pastohe's a really kind, gentle person estre la couioto be a laughing stock bèsti coume un cadèuas silly as a puppy a un brave toupethe has some nerve a passa la regohe went too far Èstre dóu Martegueto be a simpleton Èstre dre coumo uno bigoto stand bolt upright, stiff as a post es faus coume Judashe's as false as Judas ié dounarias lou bon Diéu sènso counfessohe looks as innocent as can be fai l'ase pèr agué de brenhe plays dumb to get what he wants Èstre un pau momòto be a bit foolish, briefly unreasonable es jalous de soun oumbrohe's jealous even of his own shadow Èstre uno brocoto be a worthless, untrustworthy person es embarrassa coume un gàrri entre dos nosehe's as stuck as a rat between two walnuts Facho de ~ !inside of es l'aucèu sus la branco qu'au mendre brut s'en vaihe's ready to flee at the slightest noise me n'enchau coume de mi proumié souliéI couldn't care less Fai tira, Marius !go for it! Fai-ti gras !enjoy yourself, indulge fai coume li cacalaus que canton quand soun oustau se brulohe acts carefree even as danger looms ié fai tant coume la pèsto i catit leaves him completely unmoved Faire d'ouratòrito stop at every step along the way se garça de quaucarèn coume de l'as de picohe couldn't care less about it Faire d'uei de sùpito gaze admiringly, a little foolishly a perdu la boussolohe's lost his bearings s'es enana emé la co entre li cambohe left with his tail between his legs es uno galino bagnadohe's a coward, a wet hen Faire figuroto stand out, clash with the rest Faire gambeto/cambetoto trip someone up vèi tout en negrehe sees everything in a negative light fai d'uno mousco un tavanhe makes a mountain out of a molehill Faire la bèboto pout, sulk se fai de mountagno de touthe makes a big deal out of everything Faire la damototo put on the airs of a lady Faire la figoto make a rude insulting gesture, the fig Faire lou clerc e lou capelanto ask the questions and answer them oneself Faire lou gafètouto play the role of apprentice or helper Faire lou mourreto sulk Faire lou pessuto throw in a little extra for free Faire lou rabaio-petoto come last aquèu es franc coum'un ai que reculohe's as honest as a donkey backing up (not honest at all) Faire pacheto strike a deal Faire Sant-Michèu/Sant Miquèuto move house Faire un àrri/un nàrrito place a boule badly, in pétanque Faire un chapleto cause a massacre Faire un estampèuto cause a scandal Faire uno bouano manieroto do someone a good turn, a friendly gesture Faire uno cagadoto make a blunder Faire uno partido de cabanounto spend a day at the cabanon (country cottage) Faire uno sardinoto make a crease or fold badly Faire vèntreto bulge, be swollen or prominent Fan de ~ !a mild oath Festeja Pasco avans Rampauto have sexual relations before marriage Fuma lei mauvoto be dead and buried Gavouot, l'es pas qu vouòone doesn't simply choose to be a highlander Gros coumo un estocafissoextremely thin L'aigo fai veni poulitwater makes you beautiful La castagno tubo/vai petatension is rising, it's about to blow up peta plus aut que soun cuouto be full of oneself, pretentious tranquile coume Batistoas calm and easy-going as can be Lou bèu proumiéthe very first Lou bouon Diéu l'a passa que de nueit's a forsaken, poverty-stricken place Lou mourtié sènt toujou à l'aietyou can never fully shake off where you come from Lou peiròu mascaro la sartanto mock a fault one shares oneself es la cinquiemo rodo dóu càrrihe's a fifth wheel, of no real use Lou se gasto l'aubretdon't count too much on how things will turn out se crèi mai que Mèste Mouchohe thinks he's more important than he is es uno limo douçohe's sly beneath a soft, gentle manner se vèi lou bout dóu nashe can't see past the end of his nose M'as coumprés !you've understood me vòu se mouca pu aut que soun nashe wants to rise above his station M'en fóuti, siéu d'AuruouI don't care, it's none of my concern Marca bèn/mauto look good or bad, cut a fine or poor figure Mena la biassoto take along a picnic jito de poudro is ueihe's putting on a show to impress dounarié sa camisohe'd give you the shirt off his back Mounta l'aiòlito make an aïoli Ni parlo ni siblohe or she says absolutely nothing Parla pounchuto speak French with a northern accent Parti/s'enana en biberinoto fade away, weaken, wither Pèr davala, tóuti lei sant ajudonit's easy, everything falls into place on its own es sarra coume uno pigno verdohe's tight-fisted, stingy Pèr Toussant, l'óulivo à la manolives are harvested around All Saints' Day Peta lou mabreto go mad Péu à cha péu la perruco si falittle by little, great things get done Prene lou camin deis endéutato take the long way round, with many detours Qu pinto vèndea good pitch makes the sale Qu roumpe pago e lei moussèu soun siéuwhoever breaks it, pays for it parla cor sus manto speak openly, from the heart Qu sameno d'espino vague pas descauswho sows thorns should not walk barefoot: wrongdoing comes back on you Qu si lèvo de Touloun/d'Avignoun, si lèvo de la resounwho rushes off from Toulon or Avignon has lost their senses Quand as d'òli fas fregione must make the most of opportunities farci coume uno tóutenostuffed full of lies a plus canta tant authe's toned down his boasting Resta couiounto be left dumbfounded, sheepish aquèu a fouaço nàrrothat one is proud, full of himself se crèis qu'es arribahe thinks he's made it Se fa pas de bèn fa pas de mauit does no harm and no good, so why not do it Sèmblo un Caramentranto be dressed like a scarecrow Si faire cridato get told off Si faire vèireto see a doctor Si leva de davansto clear off, disappear Sian poulit !we're in a real mess Tant que viro fai de touras long as he's at it, he does nothing else Testard coumo un aias stubborn as a mule Tourna-virato do nothing, to dither Trepa sus d'óussinto be in a situation calling for great caution Un còup fa pas putoto err is human, but don't do it twice Acò's ni tu ni vousThis is ambiguous Mounta sus sa figuieroTo climb onto one's high horse