"All that's like Mammy Lison's doings."[136]--[_Louisiana._]
[136] Whenever a thing is badly done, this saying is used;--_commerce_ in the Creole signifying almost the reverse of what it does in French. Who that traditional _Man Lison_ was, I have never been able to find out.
318. Tout ça qui poté zépron pas maquignon. (Tout homme qui porte éperons n'est pas maquignon.)
"Everybody who wears spurs isn't a jockey." All is not gold that glitters.--[_Martinique._]
319. Toutt cabinett tini maringouin. (Tout cabinet contient des maringouins.)
"Every bed-chamber has its mosquitoes in it."--Equivalent to our own proverb: A skeleton in every closet.--[_Martinique._]
320. * Toutt joué c'est joué; mais cassé bois dans bonda macaque--ça pas joué. (Tout [façon de] jouer c'est jouer; mais ce n'est pas jouer que de casser du bois dans le derrière du macaque.)
[137] This ridiculous observation is unsuitable for translation. Nevertheless we have an English, or perhaps an American, proverb equally vulgar, which may have inspired, or been derived from, the Creole one. In the English saying, the words "joking" and "provoking" are used as rhymes. The moral is precisely similar to that of No. 322.
In old days the Creole story-teller would always announce his intention of beginning a tale by the exclamation "_Tim-tim!_" whereupon the audience would shout in reply, "_Bois sec_;" and the story-teller would cry again, "_Cassez-li_," to which the chorus would add ". . . . _dans tchu_ (bonda) _macaque_." Thus the story-teller intimated that he had no intention of merely "_joking_," but intended to tell the whole truth and nothing else--"a real good story"--_tois fois bonne conte!_
321. * Toutt jour c'est pas dimanche. (Tous les jours ne sont pas le dimanche.)
"Every day isn't Sunday."--[_Louisiana._]
322. Tou jwé sa jwé; me bwa là zòrè sa pa jwé. (Tout [façon de] jouer c'est jouer; mais enfoncer du bois dans l'oreille n'est pas jouer.)
"All play is play; but poking a piece of wood into one's ear isn't play."--[_Guyane._]
323. * Tout macaque trouvé so piti joli. (Tout macaque trouve son petit joli.)
"Every monkey thinks its young one pretty."--[_Louisiana._]
324. Toutt milett ni grand zaureilles. (Tout les mulets ont des grandes oreilles.)