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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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> It's like the feast of Ngchesar, postponed till tomorrow, then the next, and forever. You keep saying tomorrow, tomorrow. You're lucky there's a tomorrow. Presumably, in the past the village of Ngchesar in central Palau tried and tried again to schedule a mur, the largest, villagewide feast conducted in Palau. But for various reasons the feast was forever postponed. The saying applies to the risk of procrastination. |
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> You're like a floating log without a resting place. You have no fixed abode. |
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> Like eastern showers from white clouds, still the raincoat is ripped During the months of the east wind, During the months of the east wind, roughly January through June, rain often comes from innocent-looking white cloud and is accompanied by brief gusts of wind strong enough to tear the traditional betel-nut-spathe raincoat; hence, an opponent whose strength is greater than anticipated. |
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> You're just like a cat washing yourself. i.e., you have to do everything yourself because your relatives are neglecting their obligations to you. |
