Building the Inner Persona: Galactic Proverbs

In this installment of the Inner Persona miniseries, we’ll continue to expand our mental ‘word-hoard’ by adding some proverbs from the Star Wars galaxy- phrases that express a basic truth which may be applied to common situations.
We may take such phrases for granted in our everyday life, but they can really help sell the illusion when speaking in-character!

“If one guy calls you a Hutt, ignore him. If a second calls you a Hutt, begin to wonder. If a third calls you a Hutt, buy a drool bucket and start stockpiling spice.” – CorSec saying (I, Jedi, ch26)

“If the wind no longer calls to you, it is time to see if you have forgotten your name.” – Caamasi saying (I, Jedi, chapter 40)

“What matters isn’t the size of the nek in the fight, but the size of the fight in the nek.” – Cyborrean proverb (EGW) – a nek being a notoriously ferocious dog-like critter.

“Get there first with more” – old adage on winning battles.
“Getting there is the first problem” – old response to that adage – (Rules of Engagement)

“Those who wish to rid themselves of fleegs must clean the hair of their neighbors.” – Askajian saying (Tatooine Ghost)

“To escape a rancor, one is wise to ignore the bite of a flea.” (Rogue Squadron #2)

“A sliver is as good as a parsec, the old pilots’ saying went…” (Death Star, p148)

“‘Give a Wookiee a knife and send him into a forest in the morning, and by evening he would have carved you a table to eat dinner on—and a house to put it in’” (ibid, p224)

“…the old Mrlssi saying: Evil compounds exponentially.” (ibid, p296)

“May your spirits fly to the zenith and your bodies rest peacefully in the depths.” ―Old Dornean sailors’ blessing for the dead (Black Fleet Crisis I: Before the Storm)

“War will teach your soldiers to be sensible and your generals to be fools.” – Balmorran proverb (Essential Guide to Warfare)

“The best way to have many opportunities is to seize a few.” – traditional Corellian proverb (EGW).

“One mynock does not an infestation make” (Clone Wars: Wild Space)

“A jizz band without a Bith has its work cut out for them. A jizz band without a kloo horn should find a new gig.” (Slugthrowers: An Overview of Popular Music and Musicians in a Galaxy Far, Far Away)

As we would expect, Mon Calamari sayings are decidedly hydrophilic:
“If you assume bitter water, you’ll not taste the sweet.” (Rogue Squadron #2)
“Frolic in the surf and get drowned by the undertow.” (ibid.)
“Even the most simple voyage can be ended by an unanticipated wave” (Rogue Squadron #3)
“From the black depths all manner of beasts can swim.” (ibid) This seems to have a meaning of ‘expect the unexpected’, possibly in a eucatastrophic sense.

We still have another category of in-universe language for a future post, and I’m always going back and adding in new examples as I uncover them …were there any good phrases I’ve missed in this installment? Leave them in a comment below!

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