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> Like the man of Kayangel, who procured his gifts from Keso The saying refers to a man from the atoll of Kayangel, some twenty miles north of the main islands of Palau, who, on his way south to visit friends, stopped at an intermediate reef, Kesol, to fish for a present for his host. Refers to a person who, en route to a visit, tries to borrow a present from another guest; any person who suddenly wants to borrow money. |
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> Don't be like the man from Ngerchemai who lost both the turtle and the canoe. Don't bite off more than you can chew...don't be selfish. |
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> Like the man of Ngerechemai, who lost his turtle and lost his canoe. Relates to a fisherman who jumped from his canoe to catch a turtle only to find that his canoe had drifted beyond recovery. Applies to any situation where a person fails at a task, or, aptly, to a situation where a man, through his own foolishness, loses both his wife and his mistress. |
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> Like a man circumcised, insufficient skin. Circumcision seems to have been known in Palau prior to contact, perhaps through contact with the Philippines, but was not widely practiced. As in this context, it usually draws attention in the form of ridicule. The idiom applies to any circumstance in which there has been insufficient preparation or planning; a premature decision. |
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> Disposing the group at Ngetkeuang. The saying pertains to a situation that occurred at Ngetkeuang, a hamlet in Peleliu. Some members of a group about to sail north were already at the docks ready to board their canoes and set sail with a good strong wind from the south, slightly at an angle to the course they would follow and ideal for sailing. Impatient, the group at the dock finally left the remainder behind and the wind was so strong that they were soon well on their way. The phrase is applied to a wind that is strong, steady, and from the south, like a steady "tradewind" |
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