Introverted; anti-social

Ko͘-ta̍k-sèng ê

—————–

Hit ê lâng chiok ko͘-ta̍k-sèng ê, lí iā biàn siūⁿ-kóng i ē kā lí tàu-saⁿ-kāng sím-mi̍h8.

He’s pretty antisocial, so you shouldn’t fool yourself into thinking that he’s going to help you with anything.

Some people like that sort of thing; different strokes for different folks

Súi bái bô teh pí, kah-ì khah chhám-sí

Literally: Don’t compare beauty and ugliness, (as long as it) suits somebody, it’s a more terrible death (!).

Used almost always in reference to personal appearance, such as when responding to an “I-don’t-see-what-he-sees-in-her” kind of observation. And no, I have no idea what that has to do with ‘an even more terrible death.’

———————————————-

While we’re on the subject:

Súi hoe chhah tī gû-sái

Literally: a pretty flower stuck in a cow-pie.

Used to describe a beautiful woman in a relationship with an ugly man.

(Cf. hotchickswithdouchebags.com)

Good fences make good neighbors

Keh-piah chhin-ke, lé-sò͘ goân-chāi

Literally: (Even if) your next-door neighbors are close relatives, you should still maintain politeness.

None of your business

Kap lí bô tī-tāi

[ = Kap lí bô koan-hē]

———————-

Chit hāng tāi-chì kap lí siáⁿ tī-tāi?!

What does this matter have to do with you?!

Some interesting sayings about marriage

These are a series of rhymes related to marriage. I’ve never heard anyone recite the following list before, but I found them listed in a book of Taiwanese sayings from Maryknoll, and I thought they were interesting:

Kè-tio̍h be-chhài ang, saⁿ tǹg m̄ sī chhài, chiū sī chhang.

Kè-tio̍h chiú-kúi ang, chiú-chùi sio-phah giú thâu-chang.

Kè-tio̍h choh-chhân ang, bô-êng thang hó sé thâu chang.

Kè-tio̍h chò-tê ang, cha̍p mê, káu mê khang.

Kè-tio̍h é-á ang, sio-hiuⁿ, tiám-hoé chhiáⁿ pa̍t-lâng.

Kè-tio̍h chhàu-thâu-á ang, liàm mī-phoē lâi that phīⁿ-khang.

Kè-tio̍h chheⁿ-mê ang, se-thâu, boah-hún bô chhái-kang.

Kè-tio̍h hong-liû ang, sam-tin hái-bī iā chia̍h bē phang.

Kè-tio̍h ian-tâu-á, saⁿ ji̍t bô chia̍h mā khin-sang.

Kè-tio̍h pīn-toāⁿ ang, khiām-tn̂g neh-tō͘ iā bô-chhái kang.

Kè-tio̍h poah-kiáu ang, chi̍t chhiú koāⁿ bah, chi̍t chhiú koāⁿ chhang.

Kè-tio̍h thâi-ti-á ang, bô iû chú-chhài mā ē phang.

Kè-tio̍h tha̍k-chheh ang, chhn̂g-thâu khùn, chhn̂g-boé phang.

Kè-tio̍h thó-hái ang, saⁿ-keⁿ poàⁿ-mê la̍h chàu-khang.

Kè-tio̍h ún-ku ang, khùn tio̍h mî-phoā ē kek khang.

Reminds me a little of the English rhyme my mother used to recite about children born on different days of the week:

Monday’s child is fair of face,

Tuesday’s child is full of grace,

Wednesday’s child is full of woe,

Thursday’s child has far to go;

Friday’s child is loving and giving,

Saturday’s child works hard for a living;

But the child that is born on the Sabbath day,

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

Pretty girls have hard lives

Hông gân po̍k bēng

Literally: Red face thin fate

Fair-weather friend

Chiú bah pêng-iú

Literally: Wine (and) meat friend

Extramarital affair; have an affair

Goā-gū

———

Í-keng kiat-hun ê lú-chú kap chi̍t-ūi  iù-tī-hn̂g hū-chek-jîn goā-gū hoâi-īn, khì hō͘ sian-siⁿ iau-kiû poê-siông Tâi-phiò 400-bān kho͘.

A married woman had an affair with the head of a pre-school and got pregnant, and was sued by her husband for four million NTD in compensation.

Take petty revenge

Pò niáu-chhí-á oan

Literally: Revenge a mouse wrong

Through thick and thin; in sickness and in health

Iú hok tông hióng, iú lān tông tng

Literally: (When) have fortune, enjoy together; (when) have hardship, face together