Ἀκόλῳ τὰ χείλη οὐ σύκῳ βῦσαι

to stuff the lips with a crumb (and) not with a fig

Translated by Jennifer Benedict25 Mar 2000Vetting: high6 revisions

7 words

The saying advises dealing with problems vigorously.

Greek original · Adler’s text

Ἀκόλῳ τὰ χείλη, οὐ σύκῳ βῦσαι· παρεγγυᾷ ὁ λόγος ἐρρωμένως χρῆσθαι τοῖς πράγμασιν.

Betacode

*)ako/lw| ta\ xei/lh, ou) su/kw| bu=sai: pareggua=| o( lo/gos e)rrwme/nws xrh=sqai toi=s pra/gmasin.

The 'saying' itself is repeated (out of alphabetical order) at alpha 949. Note, however, that in Appendix Proverbiorum 1.13 it appears with the same gloss but in a substantively different form: a)ko/llhta xei/lh ou) su/kw| bu/seis, "you will not stuff glued-up lips with a fig".