Crocodile in the Water, Tiger on the Bank : Common Bengali Proverbs/Matt Yarrington. Dhaka, The University Press Limited, 2008, xvi, 128 p., ISBN 984-05-1796-1.

    Contents: Preface. Guide to pronunciation. 1. He's got a foot in two boats. 2. Milk-flies. 3. They stole the pond. 4. Tiger's milk. 5. Firing a canon at a mosquito. 6. There's the pull of blood. 7. It thunders more than it rains. 8. It's the distance between heaven and hell. 9. What a goat won't eat, a fool won't say. 10. The five fingers are not equal. 11. As the dog, so the stick. 12. Better a blind uncle than no uncle at all. 13. You don't climb a palm tree in one jump. 14. He went from a little finger to a banana trunk. 15. You can't clap with one hand. 16. A Dheki made of hog-plum wood. 17. You'll get a horse's egg. 18. He axed his own foot. 19. Haven't your wisdom teeth come in? 20. The cold doesn't end after one winter. 21. Kill two birds with one stone. 22. Don't jump over the horse to eat the grass. 23. Use a thorn to take out a thorn. 24. Good days go, bad days come. 25. Sand in Molass. 26. The 'save your own skin' type. 27. She has no eye-curtains. 28. You can't throw dust in my eyes. 29. Crocodile in the water, tiger on the bank. 30. You can't your fish with your spinach. 31. In seven lifetime I couldn't have imagined it. 32. Learning by hand and pen. 33. They caught him red-handed. 34. I sit and stand with him. 35. His 12 o'clock has struck. 36. You get smarter after the thief leaves. 37. Might makes right. 38. My thirsty soul got water. 39. I'll show you your fun. 40. Flowers in the sky.

    "Here is a collection of more than 40 commonly used proverbs which you can learn and use in a very short time. This book is for English speakers who would like to learn a few Bengali proverbs or sayings.

    Each proverb takes just a few pages to learn. Besides including a cultural insight, each section also contains 'Bengali Tips' as a guide for those people who happen to be learning the Bengali language.

    These proverbs have been checked with locals not just for meanings, but for usage frequency. The proverbs in this book are not relics of history--they are currently used and understood by Bangladeshis." (jacket)

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