- English translation
The month still has thirty days, and folks have known each other for ages.
- Literal wording
The month is thirty days, and people have known one another since long ago.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb deflates someone who has grown arrogant or puts on grand airs while coming from modest or lowly roots. It reminds them that their background is common knowledge among those around them, so any attempt to appear better than they are will not succeed.
The first half figuratively points to the steady order of things: months keep their usual length, and nothing in the world has shifted to rewrite the facts. Since reality is unchanged and people's long memories stay intact, a new show of status cannot overwrite who someone has always been.
- When it is used
Said about or to someone who has started acting superior and seems to have forgotten humble beginnings. It is a sharp rebuke between people who share a history; because it targets social background, it can sound insulting or class-based.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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