Right. Just there, in the heart of the Bronx, the proverb reported by
Susanne would sound more or less like this:
"Wiser not to perform little silly criminal acts when you are among real
criminals".
Or better:
" Before you start acting in the style of a small criminal, (especially
towards defenseless people - les Innocents), always remember to check who is
watching over you".
But we all agree that it is just a matter of popular wisdom, valid in (and
for) every group of people. Unless one is looking for troubles.
The usefulness of such proverbs as a prop to sermonizing upon the
unimpeachable lessons of "momento mori" and "vanitas vanitatum",( as
stressed in Issue of Death by Michael Neill ) is clear enough to all of us,
emphasizing the fragility of the boundary separating the world of the legal
citizens from the world of the (equally real and living) criminals.
Well, I myself am caution enough never to cross that line. I hope you do the
same.
But, ehi, guys, I 'm lost...where did it all start?
Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Weiss <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, July 02, 2000 11:15 AM
Subject: Re: Language, ah language is barry
> A wee dialect corrective: it's "Queens," never "the Queens." Only one New
> York borough has an article, and that's "The Bronx," because it was once
> (or a part of it) the Bronck's, they owned it, it was their farm. The last
> of the line, by the way, was William Bronk, who died last year, and is
also
> a good prospect for poet worthy of more attention.
>
> At 12:50 AM 7/2/2000 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >I think the proverb posted by Susanne was slightly wrong, though. The
> >version I know (- I've heard the sentence said to me only a month ago
from a
> >friend living in NY - The Queens) sounds more like a menace: do not try
to
> >play the fool with a real Neapolitan. Now, let me tell you that the
> >allusion here was clearly to the Neapolitan's mafia, (the " Camorra"), a
> >more criminal and less honourable clan than the Sicilian Mafia itself.
> >
> >I had lately some gossip carried to me about my friend, which I think it
is
> >better not to report, since from another quarter a person I know is
involved
> >in it too.
> >Thanks God, I have escaped to involve myself with any Neapolitan
> >"camorrista", so far.
> >Bev
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >On Sat, 01 Jul 2000 22:32:00 -0400, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> >
> >> This reminds me of Wittgenstein's remark (in _Culture & Value_?) that
if
> >a lion
> >> could speak we wouldn't be able to understand him.
> >>
> >> susanne wrote:
> >>
> >> > There is a funny proverb which possibly relates to what you just
said:
> >> > "It is silly to act as a "Neapolitan" when in the company of real
> >> > Neapolitans".
> >> > Anyhow, I never came across one of them...
> >> >
> >> > Susanne
> >> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________________
> >Say Bye to Slow Internet!
> >http://www.home.com/xinbox/signup.html
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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