B

Barn er fattigmanns rikdom.

Children are a poor man's wealth. [Br 16]

Barn gjer barns verk.

Children do child work. [Go 41]

Barneminnet vil lenge vare.

Child memories will last long. [By 179]

Barnesorg er snart sløkt.

Child sorrow is soon put out. [Go 40]

Barnet får krype til det lærer å gå.

The child may crawl till it learns to walk. [Oy 7; Ae 105]

Barnet har somtid berre gråten å ta til (og den er fæl).

Sometimes the child has just crying to resort to (and it's terrible). [Go * 40]

Beinaste vegen er kortast, men ikkje alltid lettast.

The straightest road is the shortest, but not always the easiest one. [ Oy 172; 8]

Beint fram som ei blind merr.

Straight ahead like a blind mare.

Bender du bogen for hardt, så brest han snart.

Bend the bow too much, and it will soon break. [By 167]

Berr er bukselaus bak.

Bare are the buttocks without pants. [By 202]

Berre bok gjer ingen klok.

Book only makes no one wise. [*Oy 12]

Berre den som vandrar, finn nye vegar.

Only those who wander, find new roads and ways. [Ae 154, Br 191]

Best glede varer lengst.

The best pleasure lasts the longest. [Oy 46]

Best å slutte mens det går vel.

It's best to stop while things go well. [Br 193]

Best å vende mens det går vel.

It's best to turn while things go well. [Br 193]

Beste lækjedommen møter sykja før ho kjem i huset.

The best cure meets the illness before it enters the house. Cf. Prevention is better than cure. [Oy 96]

Beste middel mot å bli drukken er å halde seg edru.

The best means agains getting drunk, is staying sober.

Beste svømmaren kan òg søkke.

Even the best swimmer may sink. [By 185]

Betre at ti skuldige slepp fri enn at ein skuldlaus blir dømt.

It's better to let ten guilty ones go than that to sentence someone who is innocent. [Br 41]

Betre berrføtt enn bukselaus.

Better be barefooted than without pants. [Br 29]

Betre ei grå bot enn ei berr side.

A grey patch is better than a bare side. [Go 95]

Betre ein liten del enn lang trette.

Better getting a small part than a long quarrel. [Go 66]

Betre for fullt enn for tidleg tomt (om forrådshus, forsyningslager).

Better too full than too early empty (about rooms and houses of supply). [Oy 38]

Betre føre var enn etter snar.

Better be alert beforehand than quick after the event. [Oy 169]

Betre føre vis enn etter var.

Better wise beforehand than alerted after the event. [Br 197]

Betre føre vis enn etterpå klok.

Better wise beforehand than wise after the event. [Br 197]

Betre grå enn skalla • Betre grått hår enn ikkje hår.

Better grey than bald • It's better to have grey hair than no hair. [Oy 49]

Betre halt enn fotlaus.

Better be limping than footless. [Br 77]

Betre heil båt enn brote skip.

Better have a whole boat than a broken one. [Br 35]

Betre heilt enn aldri så godt bøtt.

Better intact than well repaired. [Br 81]

Betre lite enn ingenting.

A little is better than nothing. [Br 20]

Betre pengelaus enn ærelaus.

Better (be) without money than without honour. [Br 202]

Betre ti hår på hovudet enn eitt i suppa.

Ten hairs on the head are better than one in the soup. [Br 44]

Betre tom pung enn rangt skaffa pengar.

Better have an empty purse than wrongly gained money. [Br 20]

Betre ugift enn ille gift.

Better unmarried than badly wed. [Oy 164]

Betre ulærd og vettig enn lærd og uvettig.

Better be unlearnt and sensible than learnt and foolish. [ Oy 165]

Betre vende enn fare vilt.

Better return than go astray. [Br 193]

Betre å bu i vissa enn i håpet.

Better live with certainty than in hope. [ Oy 181]

Betre å bøye seg enn støyte seg.

Better bend than bruise yourself. [Oy 17]

Betre å bøye seg for døra enn å renne hovudet mot veggen.

Better bow to the door than to run the head against the wall. [Br 35]

Betre å gå på land og kroke enn ligge i vatn og rope (åtvaring mot å gå på veik is - IA).

Better winding one's way on land than to lie in water and yell. (A warning against walking on weak ice - IA). [Oy 41]

Betre å li for sanning enn å få lønn for løgn.

Better to suffer for truth than to get paid for lying. [Oy 88]

Betre å ligge ilt enn å breie over seg ei fille.

Better to lie poorly than to put a mat over one's body. [Go 65]

Betre å lære av éin skade enn av mange.

Better learn from one harm than from many.

Betre å sitte med vissa enn å gå med håpet.

Better sit with certainty than walk in hope. [ Oy 181]

Betre å vende i bekken enn i fossen.

Better turn in the brook than in the waterfall. [ *Oy 174]

Betre å vere føre var enn etter snar.

Better precaution than hurrying after the event. [Oy 39]

Betre å vite litt for mykje enn altfor lite.

Better know a little too much than much too little.

Betre å vite rett enn å håpe feil.

Better know rightly than hope wrongly. [ Oy 182]

Betre å vite visst enn berre å gjette.

Better know for sure than just guess. [ Oy 181]

Bjørnen og bjørnemannen (bjørnejegeren) har ikkje same meining.

The bear and the bear hunter are not of the same opinion. [Go 34]

Blind høne finn også eit korn.

The blind hen may find a grain too. [Ae 174]

Blindast er den som ikkje orkar å sjå.

The most blind is the one who doesn't stand seeing.

Blindast er den som ikkje vil sjå.

The most blind is the one who doesn't want to see. [By 161]

Boklaus mann er blind.

Bookless man is blind. [Br 24]

Boklaus mann kan ille stride.

Bookless man may stride badly.

Bonde trivst mellom bønder best.

The farmer thrives best among farmers.. [Go 83]

Bonden er ikkje gås fordi han er grå.

The farmer is no goose just because he is grey. [Go 83]

Bonden kan ikkje alle by.

The farmer cannot invite all. [By 202]

Bonden kan så, men ikkje sette akset på.

The farmer may sow, but not put on the ear. [cf Oy 125]

Bonden sjølv det beste, og kona hans det neste.

The best for the farmer, and next his wife. [Br 26]

Bordet fangar.

The table catches. [Br 26]

Bortanfor berget bur òg folk.

Beyond the mountain, people live too. [By 178]

Borte er ikkje å vere heime.

To be away is not to be at home. [Go 60]

Bot er betre enn berr bak.

A patch is better than a bare rear. [By 202]

Bota er stundom verre enn hòlet.

The patch is sometimes worse than the hole. [Br 27]

Bota lyt alltid vere større enn hòlet.

The patch must always be larger than the hole. [Go 80]

Bra kjærleik glir lett og sikkert og ber seg sidan.

Good love glides smoothly and safely on, and pays in time as well. [cf Oy 73]

Bra vind i ryggen er best.

A good tailwind is best. [Oy 17]

Brennande lys kan slokne, seglande mann kan drukne.

A burning candle may be put out, and a sailing man may drown. [Noo 135]

Brent barn er redd elden.

The burnt child fears the fire. [By 203]

Brev [og dokument] gløymer ikkje.

Letters [and documents] don't forget. [Go 23]

Bukken veit om at han har horn.

The billy-goat know that he has horns. [Br 32]

Bunden mann er sorgbunden.

A bound man is sorrowful. [ Oy 134]

Butten hund bykser ikkje lenger enn bandet rekk.

A tied dog does not bounce farther than the reach of his leach. [Br 14]

Bygger ein hus etter kvar manns råd, kjem det aldri til å stå beint.

If you build a house on every man's advice, it will never stand erect. [Go 80]

Byte er gjort for lyte.

Barter comes from some blemish. [Go 69]

Byte skal vere til bate [fordel] for to og ikkje for ein.

A barter is to be to the advantage of two and not one. [Noo 173]

Bønner flest går trass alt utan svar.

After all, most common prayers go unanswered.

Børen blæs like godt om den seglande søv eller vaker.

The wind for sailing blows equally well whether the sailor sleeps or is awake. [Oy 17]

Børen blæs om ikkje seglaren ser det.

The wind for sailing blows even if the sailor doesn't see it. [By 171]

Bøyer ein retten, vil han breste.

If you bend the right, it will break. [Br 142]

Både herrar og narrar har frispråk.

Gentlemen and fools may both say what they like. [Oy 59]

Båtlaus mann er bunden til land.

A boatless man is bound to the land. [Oy 8]