Create and email a postcard from our collection of "dichos" and vintage photographs. You can also enter your own message into the "message" field to accompany your postcard. Promote the Spanish language, send an y-dicho now.

What is a dicho? The explanation below is excerpted from the foreword to Tidbits of New Mexican Folk Wisdom (1982) collected by Brother Steve Armenta Pacheco. Julia Pacheco Viuda de Martinez is the author of the dichos on this site.

If you have a dicho which you would like to share with us, please send to herencia@herencia.com.

" Clarification on the nature of the DICHO is necessary from the very outset. It must be emphasized that REFRANES, or DICHOS, are segments of COMMON FOLK WISDOM and, as such, are not the same as deeply spiritual adages of divinely inspired scriptures. Perhaps it can be said that the latter have a more sophisticated spiritual depth to them, whereas DICHOS, or REFRANES, contain a more simple folk spirituality - at times approaching a type of attractive spirit of earthiness. Generally speaking, it can be stated that the HISPANO ELDERS of New Mexico used them as practical phraseology just as ordinary vocabulary is daily utilized without giving it much conscious thought.

" Dichos are sometimes strikingly didactic, though their specific goal is not necessarily to teach a lesson. Perhaps it can be said that they are like a 'wise eye' of the culture, reflecting upon life as it unfolds before society.

" If dichos sometimes instruct, they point to a cultural reality in a gentle manner with the awareness of a kind parent who generalizes and suggests wise attitudes - leaving the individual interpretation to the growing cultural son or daughter.

"Dichos are conversational heirlooms stemming from the heart of an oral and rural culture's learning experience over the centuries. The dicho attempts to deal with EXISTENCE 'here and now, this very moment' without necessarily trying to force a hurried and stressful conviction over the recipient.

" The dicho, with a 'take it or leave it' tone, acts unconsciously and at times very consciously with respect to influencing the recipient's manner of thinking. As such, coercion is absent: and yet there is a clearly implied energy behind the dicho. It is as if the wisdom of the culture is saying: 'according to our daily way of living, this particular happening can now be observed taking place before us at this particular time and place. What wisdom can we therefore learn from it?'"

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Enter a Title: Enter a Message: Select a Dicho: ABRIL LLUVIOSOHACE A MAYO HERMOSO. (Rainy April makes May beautiful). April showers bring May flowers. A BUENA HAMBRE NO HAY PAN DURO. (No bread is hard when one is really hungry.) Hunger is the best sauce. A CADA TIERRA, SU USO. (To each land, its customs.) When you’re in Rome, do as the Romans do. A DONDE VA LA GENTE, VA VICENTE. (Wherever the people go, Vincent goes.) Monkey see, monkey do. A LA MEJOR COCINERA SE LE AJUMA LA OLLA. (Even the best cook blackens her pot.) We all make mistakes. AL AMIGO Y AL CABALLO, NO CANSARLOS. (Tire out neither your friend nor your horse). Friendship is not to be abused. AL PERRO MAS FLACO SE LE CARGAN LAS PULGAS. (The scrawniest dog gets the most fleas.) When it rains, it pours. A MAL TIEMPO, BUENO CARA. (Face adversity with a good countenance.) Recommends facing adversity cheerfully. ARROZ QUE NO SE MENEA SE QUEMA. (The rice that is not stirred will burn.) Don’t let the grass grow under your feet. AUNQUE LA MONA SE VISTA DE SEDA, MONA SE QUEDA. (Even though the monkey dresses in silk, it’s still a monkey.) Dress a monkey as you will, it remains a monkey still. AL QUE MADRUGA, DIOS LE AYUDA. (God helps an early riser.) The early bird catches the worm. BIEN CANTA MARTA, DESPUES DE HARTA. (Martha sings well on a full stomach.) A person is happy after achieving some particular end. BUEN ARRIERO, LA CAMA TIENDE PRIMERO. (The good muleteer makes his bed first.) Forewarned is forearmed. BUENAS SON MIS VECINAS, PERO ME FALTAN TRES GALLINAS. (My neighbors are nice but I’m missing three chickens.) You can’t judge a book by its cover. CADA CABEZA ES UN MUNDO. (Each head is a world.) So many heads, so many worlds. CADA OVEJA CON SU PAREJA. (Every sheep with its kind.) Birds of a feather flock together. CADA QUIEN SIENTE SU MAL. (Each one feels his own misfortune.) Each one knows where his shoe pinches.  CADA SEMANA TIENE SU DIA SANTO. (Each week has its holiday.) All things have their good and bad qualities. CARA DE SANTO, UNAS DE GATO. (Face of a saint and claws of a cat.) Said of people who pretend to be righteous. COMO SIEMBRAS, SEGARAS. (As you plant, you will harvest.) As you sow, so shall you reap. CON LO MIO ME AYUDE DIOS. (With my things, may God help me.) Live and let live. CON VIRTUD Y BONDAD SE ADQUIERE AUTORIDAD.(With virtue and goodness one acquires authority.) Authority is gained through virtue and kindness.  COSAS A DIOS DEJADAS SON BIEN VENGADAS. (Things left to God are well avenged.) Leave revenge to God. EL TIEMPO DA CONSEJOS. (Time gives advice.) Experience is the best teacher. EL TIEMPO DESENGANA. (Time removes doubt.) Time will tell. EL TIEMPO ES GRAN MEDICO. (Time is a great physician.) Time is the best healer. EN TIEMPOS DE HIGOS, NO HAY AMIGOS. (When figs are ready to pick there are no friends.) Friends are tested in adversity. EN TODAS PARTES SE CUECEN HABAS. (Horse beans are cooked in every home.) Everyone has his/her faults, and we should look first at our own. ENTRE COL Y COL, LECHUGAS. (Heads of lettuce among the cabbage.) Advice in favor of taking the bad with the good. ENTRE MAS AMISTAD, MAS CLARIDAD. (The greater the friendship, the more need for frankness.) Stronger friendship, more clarity. DE LA ABUNDANCIA DEL CORAZON HABLA LA BOCA. (The mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart.) The kind and noble of heart judge others kindly. DESPACIO SE LLEGA A TIEMPO. (Slowly, one arrives on time.) Easy does it. NO ME DEFIENDAS, COMPADRE. (Don’t defend me, old friend.) With friends like you, who needs enemies? NO SE HIZO LA MIEL PARA LA BOCA DEL BURRO. (Honey was not meant for the mouth of the donkey). Cast no pearls before swine. POCO A POCO SE ANDA LEJOS. (Little by little one goes far.) Perseverance wins the race. POR DINERO BAILA EL PERRO. (The dog will dance for money.) Money talks. PREDICAS, PERO NO APLICAS. (You preach, but do not practice.) Practice what you preach. QUIEN BIEN AMA NUNCA OLVIDA. (He who truly loves never forgets). A true love never forgets. QUIEN CALLA, OTORGA. (He who keeps silent, consents.) Silence gives consent. QUERER ES PODER. (Desire is power.) Where there’s a will, there’s a way. SE LLEVA EL ASNO AL AGUA PERO NO LO HACEN BEBER. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. SE LE CAYO EL PAN EN LA MIEL. (His bread fell in his honey.) A reference to someone’s getting a lucky break or a windfall. UN MAL CON UN BIEN SE PAGA. (A wrong is repaid with a good turn.) To err is human, to forgive, divine. VALE MAS CABEZA DE RATON QUE COLA DE LEON. (Better the head of a mouse than the tail of a lion.) Better a big frog in a little pond than a little frog in a large pond. VALE MAS CALLAR QUE LOCAMENTE HABLAR. (Better to keep silent than to babble.) Silence is golden. VALE MAS HOY QUE MANANA. (Better today than tomorrow.) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. VALE MAS PERRO VIVO QUE LEON MUERTO. (Better a dog alive than a lion dead.) Better a live coward than a dead hero. VER ES CREER. (To see is to believe.) Seeing is believing. Y QUE LA CASA SE QUEMA, VAMOS A CALENTARNOS. (Since the house is burning, let us warm ourselves.) Suggests making the best of a bad situation. Dichos from REFRANES – SOUTHWESTERN SPANISH PROVERBS – collected and translated by Ruben Cobos – Museum of New Mexico Press, 1985

Photos on this page are through the courtesy of Anthony R. Salazar, Dulcinea Sanchez, Joe Ruiz and Alicia Romero.