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Here are some Nigerian food proverbs and their meaning: The hunger that has hope of satisfaction does not kill- The man who will survive his difficult circumstances is the one who looks beyond his predicament to the bright future ahead of him. The hot soup is licked slowly- Difficult problems should be tackled with caution. When the child eats that which has been keeping him awake, he falls asleep- When a man has achieved his goal or solved a worrisome problem, he feels relaxed and at ease. A person who sells eggs should not start a fight in the market- Do not criticize others for faults that you have. One soiled finger sullies the rest- A group can be punished for one man’s offence. You should know what’s being cooked in the kitchen otherwise you may eat a forbidden food- The curious are well informed and rarely misled. The man who has bread to eat does not appreciate the severity of famine- One cannot fully understand a situation that one has not experienced.
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Sandy hands bring oily mouth- The man who works hard will be rewarded. If you know how to pound, pound in the mortar but if you don’t know how to pound, pound on the floor- The choice to either utilize or waste an opportunity is yours. Two pieces of meat confuse the fly- The man who has choices is the one who hesitates. It’s the rat at home that informed the bush rat that there is fish in the wire mesh basket- The people close to you are the ones who will betray you. The child who pounded the pepper deserves a share- A labourer deserves his wage. He who does not eat dog meat should not eat a soup prepared with it- A man must not be fickle but firm in decision making. Instead of a pot of wine to breed animosity between in-laws, it should break along the way- One must avoid doing things that have the potential of ruining relationships. If it’s a matter of consumption and not of sale, then, the hen is better than the horse- Everything is useful in its own way. It is my sincere hope that you not only enjoy reading these proverbs but you also use them to embellish your words. References: Martha Chidimma Egenti and Adaobi Ngozi Okoye, On the Role of Igbo Proverbs in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation. Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (London: Heinneman, 1958). Columbia Education Online Hausa Online Featured Image Source: Cookpad
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