cow neva know di use a 'im tail till 'im lose it
Jamaican Creole
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Literally, "A cow doesn't know what its tail is for until it's lost it."
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /ˈkɔʊ̯ ˈnɛba ˈnʷoː ˈdɪ‿juːs a‿im ˈtʲel ˈtɪl ˈɪm ˈluːz‿i/
- Hyphenation: cow‧ne‧va‧know‧di‧use‧a‧'im‧tail‧till‧'im‧lose‧it
Proverb
[edit]cow neva know di use a 'im tail till 'im lose it
- you never miss the water till the well runs dry
- 2018, “Tell me Pastor - Caught between two men”, in The Jamaica Star[1] (in English), archived from the original on 19 October 2020:
- “In the evening he called me back and told me that "Cow neva know di use ah him tail til' him lose it" […] ”
- In the evening he called me back and told me, "you never miss the water till the well runs dry." […]