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         A Paremiological Analysis of Traditional Yoruba 

Proverbs with Sex Metaphor and the New Media 

Postproverbials

Nureni Oyewole Fadare, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Linguistics

Sokoto State University, Sokoto
fadnur982@gmail.com

nureini.fadare@ssu.edu.ng
+2348070885707

Orcid Number: 0000-0002-5652-2188

And
Shuaibu Adamu 

Department of English and Linguistics,
Sokoto State University, Sokoto

Abstract
This study attempts to carry out a comparative analysis of 
traditional Yoruba proverbs with sex metaphors and the New 
Media Postproverbials with focus on their structures, contents 
and context. Through interview, traditional Yoruba proverbs with 
sex metaphors were collated while the new media especially 
Facebook was used to source for the new media postproverbials. 
The proverbs are translated into Standard English and subjected 
to critical and comparative analyses. This research will adopt 
Eclectic Theory in the analysis of the proverbs. Therefore, 
theories such as Remi Raji-Oyelade's Postproverbial Theory, 
alongside other theories such as Postmodernism, Formalism and 
Deconstruction will be employed. The traditional Yoruba 
proverbs with sex metaphors maintain attributes such as 
terseness, brevity, clarity of language and communicate 
meanings. Whereas, the New Media Postproverbials deconstruct 
the structure of the traditional proverbs; they extol vulgarism, 
humour and playfulness. The research will strengthen existing 

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knowledge and build a strong foundation on the potentials of the 
new media in the creation and transmission of traditional proverbs 
with sex metaphors, new proverbs and postproverbials. The 
research is expected to advance the frontier of knowledge in the 
field of paremiological study as it relates to the traditional 
proverbs with sex metaphor and the postproverbials across the 
oral tradition and the new media, especially the social media such 
as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter
. 
Keywords: Traditional Yoruba proverbs, sex metaphors, New 
Media Postproverbials,  Postmodernism, Formalism, 
Deconstruction

Introduction
Several researches have been conducted on traditional 

proverbs such as those conducted by Ruth Finnegan (1970), 
Wolfang Mielder (1985) among others with particular interest in 
the meanings of the proverbs and their socio-cultural influence in 
the society as a mean of warning, moralising, caution, among 
others. Ademowo and Balogun (2015) also worked on the 
traditional Yoruba proverbs with sex images and their 
postproverbial construction. Fadare (2019) researched into the 
Postproverbials construction of Ify-Asia Chiemeziem who 
playfully deconstructed some known traditional proverbs coated 
with sex-related imagery. What is different in Ify-Asia proverbs is 
that most of her proverbs are created out of her own ingenuities 
adding credence to the fact that new proverbs can be created by 
intelligent people and experts in languages. However, what is left 
undone is to see the traditional Yoruba proverbs with sex related 
metaphor as well as their postproverbial construction as they are 
used and received on the social media. Hence, this research is an 
advance version of what Ademowo 2015 and Fadare 2019 have 
achieved. It will also extend further the experimentation of Remi 
Raji-Oyelade Postproverbial Theory to the use of both traditional 
Yoruba proverbs with sex metaphor and their postproverbial 

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mailto:fadnur982@gmail.com


constructions on Social Media especially, Whatsapp, Twitter (now 
X) and Facebook.. .

Wolfang Milder defined proverb as a “short generally 
known sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals 
and traditional views in a metaphorical fixed and memorisable 
form which is handed down from generation to generation” 
(1985:113).  Gbemisola Adeoti in his submission contends that, 
“One attribute of a proverb […] is its economy of words while 
making plenty sense like poetry and riddle.” (2019:85). Proverbs 
are the repository of people's wisdom and belief system. Among 
the Yoruba people, in Nigeria, West Africa, elders are the 
custodians of proverbs which are always used to beautify speech, 
give warning, offer advice, among others.

The traditional Yoruba societies frown at obscenity and 
vulgarism which reflect on their proverbs where words that are 
associated with sex organs are rarely used or referred to. This 
explains why euphemistic words such as “Nkan omokunrin” (the 
thing of manhood) or “Opaabe” (the staff of the underneath) are 
used instead of “oko” the Yoruba word for penis. For the female 
sex organ, the word “obo” is a taboo and is rarely mentioned; 
rather, euphemistic words such as “Odo Abe” (Underneath 
stream) or “Iyamapo” (the mother of Mapo) are used to make 
reference to it, (Ademowo and Balogun, 2015, Fadare, 2019).

My discussion and intellectual engagement with Prof. 
Remy Oriaku, gave more insights into the nature of sex proverbs 
within the purview of the traditional society, According to Oriaku:

Proverbs give dept/weight to communication. 
Sex is a very useful metaphor being something 
everyone knows and can relate with. More 
s ign ifican t ly,  i t s  be ing  ment ioned  in 
communication triggers the thoughts and 
memories of the audiences thus expanding the 
discourse in traditional African society (pre-
modern age), only adults (especially male) used 

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proverbs in mixed gatherings. Younger people 
could use proverbs or discuss sex only among 
their peers of the same sex. In mixed audiences 
(male and female) it was taboo and seen as 
evidence of bad upbringing. (Remy Oriaku, 
2024,)

 The above submission by Oriaku further adds credence to 
the fact that proverbs with sex metaphors among the Yorubas are 
used covertly and not overtly. Also, women rarely make use of 
proverbs in a mixed gathering except women that are perceived to 
be men due to their advanced age. The focus of this present 
research work is to advance the frontier of research work on 
Yoruba proverbs with sex metaphors beyond the previous efforts 
of Owomoyela, (1972), Ojoade, (1982), Ademowo and Balogun 
(2015) and Fadare, (2019). The nexus of the research is to carry out 
a comparative analysis of traditional Yoruba proverbs with sex 
metaphors and the new media postproverbials as advanced by 
RemiRaji-Oyelade( 2012 and 2013). In traditional Yoruba 
proverbs with sex metaphors, the emphasis is always placed on the 
message not the vulgar words involved.

 However, in postproverbials, the emphasis is shifted to the 
jokes elements and not the didactic import of the proverb. 
Ademowo and Balogun (2015:12) are of the opinion that, 
“proverbs and its use are so enticing to the extent that users with 
gifts of creativity who are familiar with their techniques may 
attempt to create new ones.”  This explains why most new media 
proverbs are new proverbs that are created out of the usher's 
ingenuity. Examples of this abound in Ify Asia Chiemeziem's New 
Media Proverbs. For instance, “A good friend is like a gallant 
penis, it stands up for you in the time of need.” (Chiemeziem's 
Facebook, 2017).  This postproverbial is a deconstruction of the 
proverb, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” From these two 
proverbs it can be deduced that in terms of structure, 
postproverbials share similar structure with the traditional 
proverbs. Ademowo and Balogun observed that the nexus 

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between the traditional Yoruba sex-related proverbsand their 
postproverbials construction is that in traditional proverbs 
emphasis is always given to the core message of the proverbs, 
whereas, in their postproverbial construction, emphasis is shifted 
to the sex images or sex organs mentioned in the proverb resulting 
in what Raji-Oyelade referred as “blashphemy playfulness.” 
Ademowo and Balogun making reference to Nwoga (1979) 
identified three forms of meanings that can be generated from a 
proverb thus: the text or literal meaning; the generalised, moral 
and cultural principles philosophical meaning, and; the meaning 
generated from the proverb when it is being used in context. 
(Ademowo and Balogun, 12)

	 However, while the traditional proverbs deal with serious 
matters, postproverbials dwell on what Raji-Oyelade (2013:8) 
called “blasphemy playfulness.” Raji-Oyelade further stated that 
postproverbials are, “migrant texts in the traditional performance 
moving from people to people and getting transformed in the 
moment of travel” (2013:16).  This research will be interested in 
how Yoruba proverbs with sex metaphors are used compared with 
the new media postproverbials with particular interest on their 
structures, contents and context under which they are used as they 
migrate from one place to the other through the words of mouth 
and the new media.

 The previous efforts on sex proverbs can be traced to a 
symposium organized by The American Folklore Society on 
obscenity in Philadelphia, (USA) on 28 December, 1960. The 
essence of the conference was to collate all forms of Folklore 
including those that contain obscenity and vulgar words. 
Owomoyela's position on sex proverbs is patriarchal as he wants 
women to “…accommodate the men's libertine talks … with 
humour and demuness” (1972:752).  Ojoade works on “African 
Sexual Proverbs: Some Yoruba Examples.” The examples 
provided by Ojoade are relevant to this project e.g. “Bi oloko nla 
ndoni, gbigbin laagbin” (When one is being fucked with big penis, 

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one must groan), (1983:4). Ademowo and Balogun (2015) in their 
article entitled “Postproverbial Constructions and Selected Sex-
Related Yoruba Proverbs and Proverbial Expressions” make a 
comparative analysis of sex-related traditional Yoruba proverbs 
and their Postproverbial versions. Ademowo and Balogun paper 
takes into cognizance the Postproverbial trends in relation to the 
deconstruction of the sex-related Yoruba proverbs. Fadare (2019) 
works on the new media postproverbials with focus on Ify Asia 
Chiemeziem's New Media Proverbs. What is left undone is the 
influence of the new media in the projection of proverbs with sex 
metaphors and how they are transformed into postproverbials 
through the new media. Therefore, this research will focus on the 
structure, content and context of proverbs with sex metaphors 
both in the traditional Yoruba setting, the new proverbs and the 
new media postproverbials. This research is important on different 
grounds; it will strengthen the previous works on Yoruba sex 
proverbs, focus on the creation of new proverbs and the 
significance of new media (technology) in the creation and 
transmission of postproverbials.

As earlier indicated, an eclectic approach will be adopted 
as theoretical framework. Therefore, the theories that will be 
employed in analyzing the selected proverbs will range from: 
Postproverbial Theory, Structuralism, Postmodernism and 
Deconstruction. The theories will take care of different aspects of 
the analysis. 

Structuralism is a theory associated with the works of the 
French philosopher, Ferdinand de Saussaure. Other scholars of 
Structuralism are: Levi-Strauss and Roland Barthes. Saussaure in 
his work Courses in General Linguistics (1916) argued that all the 
system of naming is arbitrary and that: 

… a concept is not intrinsically linked to a 
par t icular  s ignifier.  The meaning is 
determined by collective behavior of 
convention and is fixed by rules. Hence, 

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language is a system of signs and meaning 
itself is relational, produced by interaction of 
various signifiers and signified within that 
system. (Habib, 2005: 632)

The implication of the above is that applying structuralism 
in analyzing the proverbs will expand the meanings of the 
proverbs beyond the facial or denotative level since most of the 
selected proverbs are vulgar in outlook but with deep-rooted 
didactic values.

Another theory relevant to this study is deconstruction as 
expounded by Jacque Derrida. Deconstruction is a theory that 
based its thoughts on the concept of logocentrism which is simply 
defined as “…any system of thought which is founded on the 
stability and the authority of the logos, the divine word” (Habib, 
650). The aspect of deconstruction that is relevant to our 
discussion in this study is the position of Derrida which states that 
the meaning of a signifier can only be found in the signified and 
this can continue ad infinitum, therefore, there will be an unending 
and continuous chain of signifiers. Therefore, when we speak, we 
no longer speak ordinary language but speak in metaphor. This 
suggests that all forms of languages are metaphoric in nature 
including the languages of Mathematics and Sciences (Habib, 
651). Since all languages are metaphoric, it suggests that language 
is open to multiple interpretations as we are going to find out in our 
analysis.

In addition, aspects of formalism will be engaged to 
analyse the poetic devices used in the proverbs. Formalism is a 
literary theory that is based on the formal structure of a text. It 
places emphasis on the formal properties that constitute a text than 
the contextual meanings embedded in the text. Formalism places 
emphasis on the literary tropes that are used for literary 
embellishment while downplaying the underlying contents of the 
text. In the words of Habib (2005); Formalism places “…emphasis 
on form parenthesizes concern for the representational imitative 

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and cognitive aspects of Literature.” (602). Formalism focuses 
more on the literary tropes that are used in a text and how the writer 
deviates from the norms and promotes foregrounding. 

The last theory co-opted to analyse the text is 
Postmodernism. According to Peter Barry, Postmodernism is a 
literary theory that deconstructs most of the major tenets of 
modernism. Postmodernism is in “…favour of experimental forms 
of various kinds” (61).  Postmodernism also glorifies vulgarism 
and meaninglessness which are some of the attributes of new 
proverbs and new media postproverbials.

Proverbs that serve as data for this research were collated 
orally and electronically. About seventeen Yoruba proverbs with 
sex symbols and twelve new media postproverbials were collated 
for this research. Traditional Yoruba proverbs with sex symbols 
were collated through interview. The new media (social media), 
especially Facebook was used to collate postproverbials. The 
proverbs were translated into Standard English and subjected to 
critical and comparative analyses. The analyses took cognizance 
of the structure, content and context under which the proverbs 
were used. The focus was placed on how the traditional Yoruba sex 
proverbs are formed and used and how the traditional proverbs are 
deconstructed in their postproverbial versions as it is common on 
the social media today.

Proverbs with sex proverbs were collated through 
interview and interaction with the native Yoruba native speakers. 
Parts of the field work also included internet surfing.

Traditional Yoruba Proverbs with Sex Metaphor
	 In traditional Yoruba society, proverbs that have sex motifs 
are used mostly by male adults and aged women who have passed 
to be men in the community as a result of their age. Apart from the 
male adults and the aged women, the native surgeon known as 
“Oloola” are fond of using the proverbs as they wish. Also, the 
drummers could also use their talking drums to voice-out some of 

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the proverbs at appropriate time. The drummers “Ayan” and the 
native surgeons “Oloola” are known as “asa” (those who cannot 
be ashamed) and as a result, they are not restricted by the society to 
use such sex proverbs. 

	 However, children of all ages (especially those that are not 
married or those that are still under the tutelage of their parents) 
are restricted from using such proverbs. Also, the children are only 
expected to take the lesson of the proverbs which can only be 
realized at the connotative level rather than laughing at the 
vulgarity of the proverbs. In fact, it is uncouth attitude for children 
to laugh when any of these proverbs is being used. It needs to be 
noted that these proverbs are not used for the sake of their 
vulgarity. Far from it, the proverbs when analyzed from the 
perspective of the context within which they could be used, it 
would be realized that they are used to teach, instruct, condemn 
and correct social vices rather than for vulgar purpose.

	 Also, in traditional Yoruba society, children are not 
allowed to mention the real name of the genital organs of both 
male and female. The words are Oko (Penis) and Obo (Vagina). It 
is a taboo especially to mention 'Obo' – the female genital organ. 
Instead euphemistic words such as: 'Opa' (Staff), is being used to 
refer to Oko (Penis) while euphemistic words such as:  'Idi' 
(buttock), 'Odo-abe' (the underneath stream), 'Iyamapo' (the 
mother of mapo), 'gulutu' (dune), etc are used instead to refer to 
“Obo”. The female genital organ has more euphemistic names to 
refer to it because it is a taboo to mention it.

	 The researcher was stunned to discover some of these 
proverbs. At least about eighty – percent of them had never been 
mentioned to his hearing. This shows that the proverbs are 
deliberately hidden in the repertoire of the elders to enhance social 
control and avoid vulgarity.

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Selected Yoruba Proverbs with Sex Metaphor:A Critique 
Proverb 1 
An fotun teni, an fosin tu sokoto, ale	 tun la o se tohun

Translation	
One is spreading the mat with the  left hand and untying the girdle 
of the trouser with the right hand. Yet the lover (sex partner) felt 
unattended to.

Analysis:
	 This proverb can be used to calm someone in haste. The 
proverb is an indication that the usher is attending to the needs of 
the addressee which the later has not recognized nor appreciated. 
It can be used by an elderly person to calm a young person down 
because restlessness is always associated with youth. Among the 
Yoruba patriarchy, a man has the right to engage in extra marital 
affair. It is only the woman that is involved that would be 
persecuted if caught. A man could move around and be boast of his 
infidelity in front of his wives but it is only a woman that is 
“asewo” (prostitute) that will be castigated if caught. This proverb 
is patriarchal inclined.

Proverb 2
Eje ki obo o gbe Atari wo, ko mo ise ti esinsin nse

Translation	
Let the vagina occupy the frontal part of the head to ascertain the 
harshness of the flies.

Analysis:
	 The proverb is used to underscore the significance of the 
privileged position someone is occupying. Nature has created 
everything and put them in their rightful places. It can be used to 
rebuke a child from an affluent family who is misusing his/her 
opportunities. The proverb also suggests that unless you imagine 
yourself being in the position someone is occupying (especially an 
unpalatable position or situation), one would not appreciate the 

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privileged position one is occupying or the opportunities one 
have. There is a reason you are experiencing what you are going 
through now.

Proverb 3
Ijo ajoju tii muni ri oko eegun.

Translation	
It is overzealous dance of the masquerade that reveals its penis to 
the public.

Analysis:
	 This proverb is a warning forbidden a person from being 
over-zealous in whatever he/she is doing. We should have self 
restraint and control in whatever we are doing. The proverb is a 
caution against extremism. The masquerades are regarded as the 
representatives of the ancestral fathers of the clan visiting the 
living. They are to be sacred and adored by the people with awe. 
Therefore, they need to be secretive and maintain their sacredness 
instead of exposing their secret of the underworld to the profane. 
The proverb is therefore calling for caution and self restraints.

Proverb 4
Jolobo o ro, eni a do nikako.

Translation
Let the owner of the vagina complain, it is she that is sexed that 
should be agitated.

Analysis:
	 Proverb six is Yoruba version of the saying that: “you 
cannot cry more than the bereaved”. This proverb is a warning 
against hypocrisy. It holds that it is hypocritical to feel more 
concern than someone who is directly affected by an incident. We 
should not fight other people's war for them or feel more 
concerned than someone affected by an incident. In some 
instances people who feel grieved over other people's issues are 
doing so to achieve a personal targeted objective.

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Proverb 5	 	
Asese dobo majesin, to ba de oko, yoo fi oko dan akerengbe wo. 	
A young man who experiences sex for the first time will try his 
penis on a gourd at the farm.

Analysis:
	 The proverb can be used to restrict someone who is green 
in a field to tread gently. The word “majesin” (young person) 
makes it to be specific. It is used to warn young people to be 
mindful of their acts and to be cautious. We should not be too 
thrilled by a new life experience. Experience will tell us more 
about a fresh experience that we so much cherish today including 
their attendant consequences. It is also instructive to take note of 
the words “oko” (penis) and oko (farm). The pun used in the 
original proverb is lost to translation.

Proverb 6
Eeyan re Abebi Oke-Amu, tiwon ndo iyaale re to busekun.

Translation
Abebi, a wayward woman, native of Oke-Amu the one who cries 
because her husband is having sex  with her senior co-wife.

Analysis:
	 This is a patriarchal inclined proverb which is used to 
justify polygamous marriage. Any woman who cries because her 
husband is having sex with another woman is seen as being 
stupidly jealous, jelly-minded and effeminate. The proverb is set 
in Oke-Amu, a town in Itesiwaju Local Government, Oyo State. It 
is about eighteen kilometer from Iseyin and about ninety 
kilometers away from Ibadan, the state capital. The proverb is 
likely to have its variants in other parts of Yoruba land. Proverb of 
this kind is used to justify polygamous and the rights of a man to 
have more than one wife and any woman that refuses to accept this 
is branded as being wayward and an iconoclast detrimental to 
patriarchal hegemony.	

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Proverb 7
Ma domi, mado orogun un mi, obo ara eni la a fowo mu.
	

Translation
Don't sex me, don't sex my co-wife; your power of resistance is 
limited to your vagina.

Analysis:
	 This proverb is equally gender sensitive. It is a proverb that 
looks down on women's resistance to polygamy. It can also be 
used to warn someone not to set his/her own moral standard as a 
cover-all for all other persons. The proverb encourages 
independence of thought by individual. The fact that you do not 
like something does not mean that others should resist it. The 
proverb at a more connotative level is teaching us to respect what 
other people cherish and have mutual respect for them. 

Proverb 8
Oju lando obo were o yato.

Translation	
Sex is in the face of a beholder; otherwise the vagina of a mad 
woman does not taste different.

Analysis:
	 The proverb may be used to persuade someone that what 
he/she has (and think that it is inferior or sub-standard) is normal 
or perfect. It may also be used to persuade someone to see their 
present condition not unusual. It can also be used to suppress the 
arrogance of a proud and beautiful woman to stop being 
unnecessary proud because what she thinks she has, that is special, 
is not any way different from that of the others, in reality. 
Therefore, the proverb can be used to caution, advise or persuade 
someone to accept a particularly condition as it were.

Proverb 9
Oku obo ti o pa Mala to bimoti o soo ni idun.	

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Translation
It is excessive love of vagina (sex) that makes“mala”(a species of 
bush-rat) named its child “clitoris”.

Analysis:
	 The proverb is a justification for the fact that it is what 
someone loves that he/she will give priority. It also warns that 
someone's death is attached to what he/she likes. He who loves sex 
will eventually dies of venereal disease. In sum, the proverb is a 
warning against social vices that someone is known for or closely 
associated with because the person's death will be closely related 
or attached to what he/she likes doing.

Proverb 10
O doboleekan o gbaa labara, eekan ti oo doo mo niyan.

Translation	
You have sex once and slap the vagina your chance of having sex 
again is closed.

Analysis:
This proverb is a caution against discarding something 

that is no longer useful to us at a time because such a thing will be 
useful to us some other time. For instance, the proverb may be 
used for a debtor who after repaying his/her debts started abusing 
the creditor; after all, the money he owes him/her has been paid. If 
such a thing is done, then, the debtor should know that his/her 
chance of borrowing money from such creditor, in future is closed.

                       
Proverb 11
Lati abiya la o timobi irun obo yooti to.
	

Translation
The quantity of vagina hair can be determined by the amount of 
hair on the arm-pit.

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Analysis:
Someone's appearance or the manner of relating with 

people determined the kind of family background the person 
comes from. Also, someone's personality can be determined 
through his/her speech or behaviour. Also, the way someone 
behaves while in state of penury can be used to determine the way 
the person will behave when he/she becomes wealthy. The 
proverb can be used to tell someone off that the promise he/she is 
making is empty going by his/her present attitude.

Proverb 12
Iku oko tii muni ri adikala epon.
	

Translation
It is the death of one's husband that exposes one to a saggy crotch.

Analysis:
	 Among the Yorubas, a woman is seen as part of the 
property owned by her husband to be shared after death. 
Therefore, a widow is not allowed to be left alone after the death of 
her husband. After the death of a woman's husband, she will be 
exposed to another form of crotch different from the one she is 
used to. In most cases, it will be a saggy one. The words “adikala 
epon”. Saggy crotch is used in a derogatory manner to describe the 
idea of wife inheritance as unpalatable experience to women. This 
proverb speaks in favour of women; therefore it is commonly used 
by aged women to describe an unacceptable and unfavourable 
situation that happens to them due to the demise of their husband. 
The proverb can be used to suggest that someone's predicament is 
brought about because of certain predestined or natural 
occurrence that happened before. For instance, someone's 
inability to pay house-rent, children's school fees, may expose the 
person to insult from landlord, school management or creditors.

Proverb 13
Ai soro yanro to mu Babalowo do obo aaro.

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Translation	
It is lack of clarification of statement which makes the diviner 
have early morning sex.

Analysis:
	 Without explaining the root or source of this proverb, its 
contextual meaning will be meaningless. The diviners 
(Babalawos) have an instrument of divination called “ibo”. This 
object will be given to the client who has come to find out what the 
future holds for him/her. It should be noted that it is women that 
mostly patronize these diviners or Babalawo. So, one day, a 
woman who consults a diviner is asked to open the “ibo” and 
because of the lack of clarification, the woman thinks the diviner 
mentions obo (vagina) therefore; she open her legs and the diviner 
has sex with her. Hence, lack of clarification between “Ibo” and 
“obo” leads to the early morning sex between the diviner and the 
female client. It needs to be noted that the confusion is caused by 
the fact that Yoruba language is a tonal language and the two 
words sound alike. The proverb is also a warning that we should be 
clear while making a statement in order not to mislead or confuse 
people.

Proverb 14
Obo gba oko oni ko gba aye; se o teni sun sibe ni?
	

Translation
The vagina occupies the penis, yet you complain of inadequate 
space; do you want to spread mat and sleep there? 
Analysis:
	 This proverb is a warning against excess. It kicks against 
being wasteful. It also has moral value. One should be satisfied 
with the little one has and one should avoid stupendous or 
extravagant life. Anything that is in excess is a waste and one 
should guide against it. We should strive to have what will satisfy 
our immediate need or be enough for our needs and not striving 
towards acquiring what we do not need thereby subjecting 
ourselves to undeserved stress.

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Proverb 15
Loju oloko lobo joju, patako ni folobo.	
It is the owner of penis that cherishes vagina, for its owner, it is a 
mere stool (chair).

Analysis:
	 This proverb can be used to show that what someone has 
but not cherish is a valuable object to someone else's. For instance, 
cow dung is a waste material for a shepherd but it can be used by 
crop farmers as fertilizer. If one is not cherished by him/herself or 
people around him or her definitely, some other people will 
cherish him. On the other way round, what some people cherish 
mean nothing for those who have it in abundance.

Proverb 16
Obinrin pantete ogoji oke wolu o loun o lowo lowo, tabe re yinko?
	

Translation
A woman enters the town with eight hundred thousand (naira) yet, 
she complains of not having money, what of the one she keeps 
underneath her genital?

Analysis:
	 This proverb should not be linked with prostitution. 
However, it should be examined from a more connotative 
perspective. The proverb holds that everybody is endowed by 
nature and until you begin to appreciate what you are endowed 
with you will continue complaining of lacking what is within the 
grip of your possession. It is instructive to note the word “naira” in 
parenthesis is used to appeal to the modern sense. Originally it 
could be cowries but the exact money is not mentioned. What is 
important is that “Oke” in Yoruba is twenty thousand and “Ogoji” 
is forty. Hence, “OgojiOke” will be twenty thousand multiply by 
forty which is eight thousand. Therefore, someone cannot be in 
possession of such a huge amount of wealth and still complains of 
being poor.

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Proverb 17
Eyi a niki apon o bo kobo, o ni oun n lee bo ile oba Moro.	
What we ask the bachelor to fix, he has failed to fix it, and instead, 
he is concerned with the fixing of king Moro's palace.

Analysis:
	 This proverb is making allusion to an impotent person. 
Among the Yorubas, an impotent person is looked down upon and 
they are always ostracized except in some few cases when the 
person concerned leads successful life through hard-working, 
creativity or personal ingenuity. Therefore, the proverb holds the 
view that one cannot be concerned about fixing a king's house 
without giving priority to his own needs. What they ask the spouse 
to 'fix' here is a euphemistic word for copulation. A man is asked to 
'fix' (copulate) with his wife, instead he is busy 'fixing' 
(renovating) someone else's house. The proverb can also be used 
to suggest misplacement of priority.

The New (Media) Proverbs with Sex Imagery and 
Postproverbials.
 The new media especially the social media has created a 
fertile ground for the creation and dissemination of proverbs with 
sex imageries both traditional proverbs and the new proverbs or 
postproverbials. Let us take a look at some of the proverbs:

Proverb 18:
Ido kudo laado iyawo oku orun, bi koba wo fun un, ko lo ree ba oko 
re lorun
(Ropo Ewenla Facebook page, January 27, 2024)

Translation
 A widow that is subjected to an excruciating sexual abuse cannot 
complain of sexual abuse; the worst she can do as a protest is to 
commit suicide and join her husband in the world beyond.

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Analysis
 This is a misogynist patriarchal proverb which 
composition demeans the reputation of a widow and humanity 
generally. This proverb sees widows as common public property 
that can be abused and maltreated. At the deeper level, what the 
proverb is stating is that people will respect you and your 
properties when you are alive but will abuse and put them into a 
wrong use when you are late.

Proverb 19
Arewa tiko mo oko o ko, bope boya, ara re a ko oko
(Ropo Ewenla Facebook page, January 25, 2024)

Translation
A beautiful damsel that has not learnt how to reject penis, sooner 
than later, her body will reject it (penis)

Analysis
  This proverb is stating that no matter how enjoyable 
something is, we should engage in it with moderation. Such things 
as sex, drinking, smoking, etc should not be abused because, if 
abused, they will cause bodily harms in the future especially at the 
old age.

Proverb 20
“Ara Aye o tii ri obo do, ara orun n yo oko”
(Ropo Ewenla Facebook page, January 17, 2024)

Translation
The livings have not got a taste of having sex; it's the dead people 
that are bringing out their penis.

Analysis
This proverb is about issue of scarcity and needs. In Economics, it 
is argued that human wants/needs are insatiable but the means to 
satisfy them are scarce. This proverb is stating the obvious that in 
case of scarcity, preference should be given to a class of people 

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that are in utmost need first before considering others that can do 
without it.

Proverb 21
“No matter how big the backside of a fat woman is, does not scare 
away the clothes that cover it”
(Facebook  page, Mallam Yusuf Amoke, July 6, 2023)

Analysis
 This proverb that was harvested from Facebook can be 
likened to the Yoruba proverb: “Ara kii tobi, ki alara o ma lee gbe” 
(Someone's body cannot be too big so much that the owner of the 
body will not be able to lift it.). This proverb can be used to state 
that our problem cannot be bigger than us. We should always 
summon courage to confront life challenges with courage and 
strength.

Proverb 22
“The size of a breast does not determine the quantity of the milk”
(Facebook page, Mallam Yusuf Amoke, July 4, 2023).

Analysis	
 This is a proverb that further justifies appearance and 
reality. Things do not usually turn out exactly the way they appear 
to us. We should also note that not all that shines is gold. It is a 
proverb that warns us against raising high hope on an issue 
because things may not turn out exactly the way we perceive them 
to be eventually. Therefore, we should not raise high hope on an 
anticipated matter in order not to be disappointed.

Proverb 23:
“The private part of an old man is not children's playing ground”
(Facebooke page, Mallam Yusuf Amoke, July 8, 2023)

Analysis
 This proverb is a proverb of caution teaching us about the 
limit to the exercise of our freedom and rights. Old men are known 
to be calm, gentle and friendly but that does not mean that a child 

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should exceed its limit by playing with the old man private parts.

Proverb 24
“A penis that fear the inside of the vagina cannot father a child”

Analysis
 This proverb is related to a Yoruba proverb: “Eni ti yoo je 
oyin, kii woe nu aake” (He who wants to enjoy the sweetness of 
honey, won't stare at the mouth of his axe.). The meaning of this 
proverb is that someone who wants to be successful would not 
hesitate to summon courage to face challenges. Nothing in life 
comes with ease. Life is full of difficulties and only those that are 
brave can weather it and become successful in life.
Going further, proverbs 18-24 can be regarded as traditional 
proverbs with sex metaphors propagated via the new media/social 
media especially Facebook. They satisfy all the attributes of 
traditional proverbs. However, we need to study the below 
proverbs and see the differences.

Proverb 25
“When a woman stops singing while bathing, just know that she's 
washing her centre of gravity”
(Facebook, Ghana Proverb, African Proverb page, Ichie Innocent, 
December 5, 2020)

Analysis
 Although this proverb is tagged Ghana proverb just to 
achieve authenticity, it is more of a new proverb created for its 
humorous intent. Proverbs of this kind are used to generate traffic 
and are used for their entertainment value rather than didactic 
value. Centre of gravity as used in the proverb is a new creation 
borrowed from the knowledge of Physics.

Proverb 26
“A man that cannot suck his wife's vagina cannot lead an army.”
(Abriba proverb: Ify Asia Chiemeziem, November 23, 2020, 
Facebook.)

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Analysis
 The above proverb by Chiemeziem is a new proverb with 
sex metaphor. The Facebook usher is the creator of the proverb 
itself and the proverb is a not a deconstruction of any existing 
proverb that can make it to be categorized as postproverbial. This 
adds up to the fact that new proverbs can be created as previously 
argued. This proverb just like proverb 25 is a new proverb used for 
entertainment purpose and not for their didactic values.

Proverb 27:
“Big breast na blessing for papa and pikin”
 (Ondo proverb, Ify Asia Chiemeziem Facebook Page, September 
25, 2020 )

Standard English
Having a big breast by a woman is a blessing for both the father 
and the child

Analysis
 This proverb by Chiemeziem is another example of new 
media proverb. This proverb is created new to entertain the 
netizens. By making reference to Ondo as the owner of the 
proverb, the writer is aimed at adding authenticity to the proverb. 
The proverb is most appreciated by its hilarity.

Proverb 28:
“A man that says his wife's will not rest, his penis will not rest too”
(Edo proverb, Ify Asia Chiemeziem Facebook Page, September 
25, 2020 )

Analysis
 This proverb is a perfect example of new media 
postproverbial. This proverb tries to deconstruct a popular 
proverb in Yoruba that says that: “Omo ti oni Iya oun konii sun, 
oun naa koni fi oju le oorun” (A child that says his mother will not 
sleep, he will remain awake too till dawn.) This traditional proverb 
was deconstructed by Chiemeziem by adding sexual metaphor to 
the proverb in order to attract audience to her page. The netizens 

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prefer to read posts that have sexual motif and that is exactly what 
Chiemeziem tries to achieve in the above deconstruction of the 
traditional proverb.

Proverb 29
“It is with caution that hot vagina is licked”
(Igbo proverb, Ify Asia Chiemeziem Facebook Page, September 
25, 2020 )

Analysis
 This proverb is a distortion of the Yoruba proverb: “Obe 
gbigbona nfe suuru” (It is with caution that we lick hot soup) or 
“Pele pele lan pa ankuuru pele.” (It is with caution that one 
eliminates the delicate sting of Amukuru- a kind of bug or insect 
that when it stings leaves blood on the skin.) Chiemeziem 
intentionally replaces the hot soup with hot vagina in order to 
infuse the sex metaphor into the proverb.

 In summary, in this sub-section, three categories of 
proverbs are discussed. Proverbs 18 to 23 are pure traditional 
proverbs that are used via the social media. The second sets of 
proverb used in this section are examples of new proverbs used on 
the social media while proverbs 28 and 29 are examples of 
deconstructed proverbs also known as postproverbials used on 
social media.

Conclusion
	 The focus of the paper is the analysis of selected Yoruba 
proverbs that have sex motifs. In the course of compiling these 
proverbs, it is discovered that some of the proverb are capable of 
losing their “sexual” images if the proverbs are to be translated 
figuratively. The paper carries out a critique of the context within 
which the proverbs could be used. Some of the proverbs instruct 
the young ones while some of them are sexist proverbs that are 
used to uphold patriarchal hegemony and dominance. The central 
thematic thrust of the proverbs include: the proverbs can be used 
as caution, it can be used to admonish someone to have self-

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restraint and encourage hardworking. The proverbs also project 
the world views of the Yorubas on their ethical codes and the moral 
standards that are expected from a member of the society. In 
conclusion, the proverbs are not meant for vulgarity of sheer 
entertainment but they are used to maintain socio-control in the 
community.

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