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> Like the man who made coconut syrup in Ngesebei, dipping from half-filled containers to keep one overflowing. Pertains to a situation which may have occurred in Ngesebei, a small hamlet in Ngardmau (northern Palau): a coconutsyrup specialist always kept one coconutshell container full and in sight of guests, who, thus, would think that all of his containers were full. The idiom applies to any pointed display of opulence. It's a deceptive display of wealth. |
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> Like the green tree snake with a forked tongue (or simply, "Forked"). One who reverses himself, has two tongues, or whose tongue is forked like a snake. |
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> You're like the Ngcheangel banana (meduch a ngerel). You're all talk and no action). |
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> Like one who has eaten the thorny puffer fish, full of many things. The thorny puffer fish is sometimes gulped by the wide-mouthed grouper fish. The puffer, expanding and extending its thorns in the grouper's mouth, renders the latter rather "full of things" and completely helpless. Groupers in this predicament are occasionally caught by fishermen. The idiom is applied to anyone who faces more problems, more work, or more sweethearts than he can cope with. |
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> You're like the bisech plant in the backyard which has no purpose. A person who isn't trusted so he/she is not needed. |