He who opens the door to bad luck, finds it sitting there — misfortune, once invited or allowed in, is not easy to remove. Careless actions, reckless invitations to danger, ignoring warning signs — these are the opened doors through which bad luck enters and settles.
The image of bad luck as a guest who, once let in, installs himself comfortably and refuses to leave is particularly Sicilian in its domestic specificity. 'Assittatu' means 'seduto' (seated) — the misfortune is not just in the house but has found the armchair. This transforms abstract bad luck into a concrete, almost comical figure: a stubborn uninvited guest. The proverb was used to explain why apparently small mistakes or careless invitations to danger had large consequences — the drunk driver who 'opened the door' to an accident, the farmer who ignored early signs of disease in the crops, the businessman who let a dishonest partner in. Once bad luck is comfortably seated in your home, it does not leave easily.
A Sicilian proverb about the danger of carelessly inviting misfortune. 'Rapi' = apre (opens), 'uscio' = uscio/porta (door), 'assittatu' = seduto (seated). The personification of bad luck as a stubborn seated guest is characteristic of Sicilian folk imagery.
Warning against an obviously risky business arrangement
Non firmare quell'accordo senza un avvocato. Cu rapi l'uscio a la sfortuna, u trova assittatu — certi guai entrano facile e escono difficile.
Do not sign that agreement without a lawyer. He who opens the door to bad luck, finds it sitting there — some troubles enter easily and leave with difficulty.
After ignoring a warning and suffering the predicted consequences
Me l'avevano detto di stare attento. Cu rapi l'uscio a la sfortuna, u trova assittatu — e adesso che faccio?
They had told me to be careful. He who opens the door to bad luck, finds it sitting there — and now what do I do?
A parent warning a child about a dangerous situation
Non andare con quelli. Cu rapi l'uscio a la sfortuna, u trova assittatu — e poi è difficile cacciarlo.
Do not go with those people. He who opens the door to bad luck, finds it sitting there — and then it is difficult to drive it out.
Explaining why precaution matters more than optimism
Non essere fatalista. Cu rapi l'uscio a la sfortuna, u trova assittatu — ci sono cose che possiamo controllare, evitiamo di non controllare quelle.
Do not be fatalistic. He who opens the door to bad luck, finds it sitting there — there are things we can control, let us avoid not controlling those.