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\ 






SCOTTISH PROVERB 



COLLECTED AXD ARRANGED 



BT 



ANDREW HENDERSON 



WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAT, BY W MOTHERWELL 



EDINBURGH:— OLIVER & BOVD 

LONGMAN, IlELS, OR ME, BKOWN, & r.KKEN, LONDON 
DAVID ROBERTSON, GLAmOOW 



MDCCCXXXII. 




BKLL AW BAIN, rRINTBRt, GLASGOW. 



WITH SENTIMENTS OF SINCERE ESTEEM, 



THIS VOLUME OF SCOTTISH PROVERBS 



IS INSCRIBED, 



BY THE COLLECTOR AND EDITOR, 



TO HIS FRIEND, 



DR. WILLIAM YOUNG. 



PREFACE. 



It is SO long since a collection of our national pro- 
verbs, of similar extent to the present, has been given 
to the public of Scotland, that we believe it might 
have been welcomed by our countrymen although 
the formality of a prefieu^e, bespeaking their kind atten- 
tion to its merits, had been dispensed with. Deferring, 
however, to the wishes of the ingenious and laborious 
author, — who, in the matter of books, as well as other 
things, objects to any violent departure from established 
usage, — ^the following preliminary observations have 
been drawn up, which the reader may mr may not 
peruse, just as he has a mind. We are modei^ 
enough to think, that in either case his loss or gui 



Vlll PREFACE. 



will not be much; for in truth our pretensions to 
being 

In wittie riddles, and in wise soothsayes, 

are exceedingly moderate. 

<< The genius, wit, and spirit of a nation," says Lord 
Bacon, << are discovered in their proverbs ;" and this 
profoimd though hacknied observation never received 
a better exemplification than a patient survey of the 
contents of the present volume will afford to the 
student of national characteristics. Few countries can 
lay claim to a more abundant store of these pithy 
sayings than our own ; and no people, at one time, were 
more attached to the use of these significant and 
figurative laconisms than Scotsmen. To a certain 
extent, all seemed to think in proverbs, and to prefer 
the same medium for expression, whether in writing 
or in conversation. Alluding to the esteem in which 
they were held at the beginning of last century, Kelly 
. thus expresses himself: ^< Among others, the Scots 
are wonderfully given to this Way of Speaking ; and 
as the consequence of that, abound with Proverbs, 
many of whom are very expressive, quick, and home to 
the Purpose. And indeed this Humour prevails imiver- 
sally over the whole Nation, especially among the 
better sort of the Community, none of whom will 



PREFACE. IX 

discoQTse yon any considerable time, Imt be wiU 
confinn every asBertion and obserFStum whb a ScoUisk 
Proverb." Leaving oat tbe speciality noticed by our 
learned author, his renuirks in other req>ect8y YuM 
good till the present day. Bat iiishions in literataie 
are as flnctoating as they are in the minor departments 
of taste; and we mach fear that the day of proreibsy 
<< among the better sort of the commanity," has in a 
sense drawn to a close. Within the last centnryy 
Time 8 ploughshare has cut a deep and a long forroWy 
and proverbs, if not torn vap by the roots, have to a 
certain extent been earthed from sight. Their use by 
writers on factitious manners and subjects of taste, 
has been condemned as vulgar and unfiisfaionable, and 
as it is always easier for the multitude to adopt 
opinions, than to form them for themselves, the senti- 
ments of even superficial thinkers find many willing 
followers. Our present system of education, and what, 
for want of a more precise term, we call the spirit of 
the age, are hostile to the oral enimciation of these 
ancient sentences of wisdom and worldly prudence. 
But although the shifting currents of fiishion and taste 
have sought new channels, we do not anticipate a final 
extinction of apothegmatic knowledge. Fortunately, it 
18 indestructible as language itself, and when the 
ptesent changes in the moral and intellectual aspect of 

b 



Bociety have run their appointed conree, the bi 
sawB of antecedent centuries will again stnd with their 
epigrammatic brilliaDCj', written and colloquial dia- 
conrse. One law, which we never should lose aigbt 
of, is well expressed by Sir Walter Raleigh, in his 
book of Political and Polemical Aphorianw. " Whoso 
desireth to know what will be hereafter, let him think 
of that IB past; for the World hath ever been in a 
cironlar Revolution : Whatsoever^ is now, was hereto- 
fore, and things past or present, are no other than each 
as shall be again. Redit orbis in orbem." • 

There is no snrer sign of the oral knowledge of a 
people being on the wane, than the attempt to Kecnre 
it from oblinon by collecting its fragments and printing 
them in books. Whenever either the National songs, 
the popolar tales, or prudential maxims of a country are 
cnrioQBly and diligently gathered, and transferred to 
anotherark of safety than that of the living voice, it may 
be safely inferred, that changes in the character and habits 



• The BTt» of Empire, and Mysteries of Slate DiacBbinaled 
in Political and Polemiral Aphorisms, grounded on authority 
and Example, and IlliutrBtud with choicest Examples and 
Historical Obserraliuns, By the Ever- Renowned Knight, Sir 
Wilter Raleigh, publi^d hy John Milton, Esq., London, 
1692, p. 139. 



I 

J 



PREFACE. XI 



of feeling, and of thinking, of the people themselvet, 
are in prepress deemed inimical to their longer preser- 
vation in a pure, accurate, and authentic form. Betwixt 
man and ohlivion there is a perpetual warfare. Whether 
we look upon him as an isolated individual, or part of 
one great family, still the solitary exertions of the 
individual, or the combined efforts of the whole are 
directed to this one grand object — ^perpetuity of re- 
membrance. Not more assiduously does the patient 
Dutchman fortify himself against the heavy swell 
of the vast Atlantic, than does one age strive to 
transmit to another an unimpaired mental inheri- 
tance. Without any exaggeration of expression, or 
absurdity in philosophical reasoning, this eager, 
active, and undying longing to be remembered, 
may be designated the principle of life itself, as it 
is of all action in life. To the working of this great 
principle, every great invention for the transmission 
of knowledge from age to i^e, may be safely and 
satisfactorily traced. 

For these reasons, much of the regret we feel that 
there have been so few collectors of proverbs amongst 
us, is greatly diminished. It is a sign that their 
oral existence was not deemed to be in a preca- 
rious state, and that to ensure their preservation, it was 
not considered necessary (if we may be allowed the 




mijy tbem into books, tmd to 
L aheete of learned commentaiy and 



expresBion) 
Hwatldie them up ii 
\\\astn!don. 

Onr firat collection, so far aa we Lave been enabled 
to discOTEr, lakes its date only from the era of the R«- 
fonnation. According to Mackenzie — a writer, bowcver, 
whose authority is by uo means of the highest order, 
when uncorroborated by other evidence — Jaraes Beaton, 
Archbishop of Glasgow, made a collection of Scottish 
Proverbs, This statement is given on the report of 
Dempster, a writer whose accuracy is also frequently 
called in qaestion by those veraant in Scottish literature. 
Without presuming to settle a point, regarding which 
we have neither had materials nor leisure to satisfy our 
minds upon, we shall rest contented with simply quot- 
ing our author : " Dempster tells us, that our learned 
prelate left in MS. to be printed after bis death, a 
Commentary upon the Book of Kings ; a Lamentation 
upon the deplorable state of the Kingdom of Scotland; 
a Book of Controversy against the Sectarians ; Obser- 
vations upon Gratian's Decrees ; and a Collection of 
Scots Proverbs, But I very much doubt if any of 
these were ever published, excepting the Collection rf 
ScoU Proverbs, of which there have been several 
editions, with Mr. F^gu^un's additions to them. 
The oldest of which, that I have seen, is printed at 



I 



PREFACE. XUl 



Ediaborgh, 1610, in 12mo."^ To the end of his seyend 
biographies, Mackenzie usually affixes a list of the 
works ascribed to each anthor ; and, in the present 
instance, the fifth article appended to the life of this 
prelate, is ^^ The Scots Proverbs^ in 12mo. 1614, and 
in divers other years." A moment before, he told ns 
that the earliest impression he had seen of the Proverbs 
was in 1610, and here we learn it to be 1614, which 
is no very favomtible specimen of minnte accuracy. 

Assuming for the present, and in the absence of 
direct proof to the contrary, that the first of our parsmi- 
ographers was Archbishop Beaton, the next in order 
of time, as to authorship, though a contemporary, was 
also a churchman, but of the Reformed faith, Mr. David 
Ferguson, minister of Dunfermline. It is worthy of 
remark, that divines have been the most assiduous 
cultivators of this subordinate branch of literature, 
both in England and Scotland. In Scotland, our 
ministers seem to have had a most extraordinary relish 
for these quaint and homely saws. Ferguson was in 
bis day distinguished for his inveterate love of them ; 
and at a subsequent period, Zachary Boyd, Rector 
of Glasgow University, has, in his << Last Battell of 



♦ Mackenzie's Lives, vol. iii. p. 461. 



\ 



the Soule," giren quite a cento of common proTerbist' 
iams. In that libellouB work, ■' Presbyteriai 
DupUyed," there is Bscribed tn many of the " Bcirning 
and Shilling Lights," commemorated in its pages, a 
plentiful me of the BBme mucrones verborunt, and of 
a description which can only find a pamllel in the 
" Comical Wish," which honest Kelly states " was fint 
HpoUen by a Minister to a Person of Quality, whs 
commended liLs Wife's Beauty too lavishly,"' bid 
which we need not repeat, to the discontentment of 
fastidious ears and queasy stomaclis. 

Of Ferguson, the hiBlorian of Kiios speaks with k 
partiality iiot unmerited. He was a native of Dundee, 
and thotigh not a graduate of a college, he was very 
far from being illiterate, and was much admired for 
the quickness of his wit and his good taste, as well ■■ 
for his piety. While other leaders of the Reformatiaa 
were busied cultivating the literature of Greece and 
Rome, Ferguson was equally assiduous in polishing the 
vernacular dialect ; for which service, a tribute, in Latin 
verses, was paid to him by John Davidson, one of the 
regents of Si. Andrews. " Nor was the improvement 
of our native tongue," says M'Crie, " neglected at tltU 



4 



■ KoUy'B Provfrbs, Lond. 1731, p. 399. 






PREFACE. XV 



time. Dayid Ferguson, minister of Dnnfermline, was 
celebrated for his attention to this branch of composi- 
tion. He had not enjoyed the advantages of a miiyer- 
sity education ; but, possessing a good taste and lively 
fimcy, was very successful in refining and enriching the 
Scottish language, by his discourses and writings."* 



* M<Crie*8 Life of Knox, Edin. 1831, 5th ed. toL ii p. 18. 
Fergnson was the author of << Ane sermon prechit before the 
regent and nobilitie, upon a part of the third chapter of Ma- 
lachie, (verses 7 — 12,) in the kirk of Leith, at the tune of the 
Generall Assemblie, on Sunday the 13 of Jannarie, Anno 
Dom. 1571. Be David Fergusone, minister of the evangell 
at Dunfermline. Imprentit at Sanctandrois be Robert Lek- 
preuik. Anno Dom. MDLXXII." The dedication to the 
Regent Mar, is dated 20th August, 1572. 

It does not necessarily concern our present subject, and may, 
therefore, appear somewhat impertinent, to make any obser- 
vations on the word << Evangell," as it is here printed; yet, as 
illustrative of an interesting point in the transmutation of 
languages, we may be allowed, we hope, to make a single re- 
mark upon its origin. The word is pure Greek/— ^utc'yytkla* — 
and means good tidings, or good news. It was in common 
use long before the time of the aposties, and may be found in 
the ^ EpistolfB Familiares** of Cicero, as an ordinary word, 
expressive of an ordinary but agreeable occurrence. In later 
times, it seems to have been applied, and most appropriately, 
to the great body of Christian doctrine which the New Testa- 
ment, or, more properly, covenant, contains. By an easy 
transition, the v of the original, became the v of modem 
tongues, and the force of the double oamma being rendered 
by HO tiie word xvahqxl was formed. 



r 



iing Ferguao^^l 



Below we have given such noticeH r^arding F 

aa this juilidoas and industriooB writer has collected ; 



In reference to this Bennon, Dr. M'Criualates^ " The Inst 
piece of public service which he (Knox) perfonned at their 
request, was to examino and approve of a sermon which had 
been lately preached bj David FerguEon, mioister of Dun- 
fermline. His aubscription to this ecrmon, hke eTery thing 
which proceeded from bia mouth or pea about this time, was 
uncommonly striking. ^ John Knox^ with my dead hand, bat 
glaid heart, piaiaiag God that of his mercy he levia such light 
to his kirk in this desolation, '" M'Crie,Tol. ii. p. 21G. Ban- 
natyne 364—360. 

Besides this sermon, Ferguson was the author of a Collection 
of Scottish Proverbs, and of aa answer to the Bejoinder, 
which the Jesuit Tyrie made 1j) Knox. That abusive writer, 
Jamea Loing, calls this last work " a barbarous and Bietian 
epistle/' and rails ngainst its author as na ignorant sutor and 

glover,wbo knew neither Hebrew, nor Greek, nor Latin 

p. 228. 

Reepecling bia facetioua tnm of mind, we have the following 
anecdotes :- — A number of Ferguson's witty eayings htb re- 
corded by bis son-in-law, Jolm Bow. James VL who resided 
frequently at DunfenuUoe, used to take great delight ia hb 
conversation. " David," said James to him one day, " why m^ 
not I have bishops in Scotlaad as well as they have in Eu^ 
land?" " Yea, Sir," replied Ferguson, "ye may have bishopi 
horo ; but remember ye musC have ua all biabops, else will ye 
never content us. For if ye set np twelve louuB over honest 
men's heads (honest men wilt not have your nnti-diristian 
prelocieg) and give them more thousands to debauch and mia- 
pend, than honest men liave hundreds or scores, we wil never 
al be content. We ar Paul's bisbopia. Sir, Ciu'ist'a biahopis ; 
hii'd ua as wu are." " The deiJ haid niHs J'oii," replied JiimoBt 



i 



PREFACE. XYU 



and our only r^et is, that upon the subject in whieh 
we are at present concerned, these are so scanty. 
Ferguson died upon the 23d August, 1598. Of this 
collection of << Scots Proyerbs," which even in the time 
of Kelly (1721) was esteemed as old and scarce, it has 
not been our good fortune to meet with an early impres- 
sion, or even to ascertain the exact dates of all the earlier 
editions. But in the account given of Fergpison by his 
son-in-law, John Row, minister of Camock, in his MS. 
history, we have the following passage, from which it 
appears that the first edition of the proverbs was 
printed in 1642. << He uttered many quick and wise 
sentences, which wer taken nottice of. He gathered 
the Scottish Proverbs together, and set them down 
ordine cUphabeticOf that same year when he dyed, 1598. 
They were printed in Edinburgh, Anno 1642."* Wod- 



« but that ye would all be alike ; ye cannot abide ony to be 
abone you." " Sir !" said the Minister, *< do not ban.** — 
Bow*s Coronis to bis Historie of the Kirk, p. 314. Ferguson 
seems to bave amused bimself witb some of tbose incidents 
which were generally reckoned ominous. Tbe King baying 
once asked bim very seriously wbat be tbougbt was tbe reason 
tbat the master of Gray's bouse sbook during tbe nigbt. He 
answered, " Wby sbould not tbe devil rock his awin bairns ?'* 
p. 801. Beddes being facetious, Ferguson appears to bave 
been strongly tinctured witb tbe superstitions of tbe time. 

* Wodrow, it will be seen, afterwards quotes this date by 




row wrote the life of Fergiuon, which, aloDg with hiB 
other MS. Uvea, is preserved in the Lihrary of Glasgow 
Collie. To this authority we had not tu:> 
enongh to be of much use to us, but the following 
extracts from tlie woik are of interest ; " I know 
nothing of David Ferguson's in print save his eicelleat 
Collection of Scots Proverhs, which, as we have just 
now seen, was the work of liis old age; at least put 
in the alphabeticall order we have, in the same year be 
dyed. And the fiist edition of them that his s( 
kaew of, was printed (it may be hy himself) Edinburgh, 
1643, [1643?] 1 have an old copy of them in a black 
Saxon letter, which wants the title pi^e, and so I know 
not if it be that printed 1643, 1 suppose it b, for this 
reason, that the uext edition which I have seen, 
Edinbui^h 9vo, 1659, perfectly answers it, page for 
page, only its in our ordinary whil« character with 
italic mixed. That in the hlack Saxon letter, belonged 
to Mr. William Gulluy, who, I Icnow was exceedingly 
fond of our old Scots Proverbg, and studyed them ai 
exceeding strong and emphaticall. He was once upon 



mutoke ae 1649; tUe edition wbicb be )md in black letter, 
witbout tlu> title, was (irolably that of 1649. The edition* 
of 1610 and 1614, referred to by Mackenzie, are probably, like 
msny other workit given (ly liim, ficlitioua. 



I 



PREFACE. XIX 



making additions to this collection, but I cannot find 
from his papers that he made any advance in it. Indeed 
Mr. Ferguson's collection is very large. The title of 
the edition 1659, and I doubt not its the same with the 
former, as well as the very pages, runs. ** Nine hundred 
and fourty Scottish Proyerbs, the greatest part of wfaidi 
wer at first gathered together by Darid Feignsoo, 
sometimes minister at Dumfermline, and put to an 
alphabeticall order when he departed this life. An. 
1598. The rest being since added were never printed 
before." The prefece published under the name of the 
Printer, I take to be writt by J. Row, Mr. Ferguson's 
son-in-law, or his grandson, minister at Aberdeen, 
because in more places than one, it contains the very 
words and expressions Mr. Row uses in his history. 
Whoever wrote it is short and very apposit. The 
writter nottices << that every nation have their own 
proverbs, yea, every Shire und part of a nation. That 
many having heard of David Ferguson, his quick 
answers both to great persons and their inferiors, 
and of his proverbs he gathered together in his 
time; and many of all ranks bemg desirous to have 
them are now published." <^ I know," adds he ^' there 
be some which will say, and marvel that a minister 
should have taken pains to gather such proverbs 
together. But they that knew his form of powerfuU 



preaching llie word, aud bia ordinaiy talking, ever 
almost using- proverbial! speecheB, will not &nd ianlt 
with this tliat he hath done." 

" There are many editions since, bat none of them 
correct as these two. [Consider if I shall add app. N. 
fi'om MS. Svo, vol. 3. 4. 6. and vol. 2i. N. 1. because 
our editions of late are not so accurate.] 

" The collecting of these proverbs seems to have 
been diversion to biin tbrougb his life, and no doubt 
helped him mnch to his consise and strong sdle in 
conversation. Mr. Guthry thought the proverbs of 
every tongue shonld be studied, especially by miiiisterB, 
that upon them they may make their address to their 
hearers the more affecting and nervous. And 1 have 
been informed, thtLt the learned and pious John Ray, 
who writes so much oti Natural History, and bath 
made so excellent improvement of it, had a great value 
for Mr. Fei^UBon's Proverbs, He wrote, I think, m 
collection of Proverbs himself. Dec. lO. 1729." 

For the list of the various editions given belowi 
we stand indebted to Mr. Macveau, bookseller in 1 
dty,* Out copy is comparatively recent, and conse- 



PREFACE. XXI 



qnently may not correspond with that of preyions years 
in more things than the date. The title is — ^ A Col- 
lection of Scottish Proverfos. The greatest part of 
which were at first gathered together by Mr. Dayid 
Ferguson, sometime Minister at Donfermline, and pot 
into an alphabetical order after he departed this life, 
anno 1598." From the above, it may be inferred, that 
the sole merit of making this collection was not due to 
Mr. Ferguson. It plainly shows that he had availed 
himself of the labours of some previous collector or 
collectors, and that these, combined with his own addi- 
tions, form the volume which bears his name. As the 
address of " The Printer to the Merry, Judicious, and 
Discreet Reader," contains a few hints respecting the 



catalogue of the Argyle library, an edition appears in 8vo. 
dated 1659. Another in 8to. is in the possession of 
D. Laing, Esq. printed 1675. One in 12mo. dated 1699, 
occurs in Brand's Catalogue. Another bears date 1706. Mr. 
Macrean has an edition printed in 1716, 18mo. ; one in 1777, 
12ino. ; and another in 1799, 18mo. The only edition given by 
Watt, is that of 1 785, 1 2mo. A book so popular, must have run 
through various other impressions, although these have hitherto 
escaped notice. A small collection of Scottish Proverbs, ren- 
dered into their equivalent sentences in Latin, but without 
date, is in our possession. From internal evidence, however, 
it must have been printed in 1689 or 90. The proverbs in it 
amount to about six hundred in number. 



. 1 



author, and ia, in other respects, of tiorae interest, it ia 
thrown into a foot note.* 

The next printed collection to that of the miniater 
of Dunfermline, is the inialnable, and cnriotis, and 
extenaire one made by James Eelly, A. M^^ pablished 



* " The Printer to the Merry, Judicious, and Discreet 
Reader, 

" It ia well known, thsl eierj nation hath their own Pro- 
verbs and Ptoverbial Speechea ; yea, eveiy shire, or part of a 
nation, hath some Proverbial Speeches, which others have 
□oti so that a man can hardly gather together all such 
Speachee; yet gome are more inclined to euch hind of 
SpeecbeB than others. Therefore, many in this realm thai 
have heard of Daviu Febqiibok, some time Minister at Dan. 
fermline, and of fain quick Answers aad Speeches, both to 
great persona and to others hie inferiors, and have beard of 
his ProTerbs, which be gathered together in his thne, which 
are now put down Bccoiding lo the order of the alphabet ; and 
many of all ranks of persons being very desirous to have ths 
said Proverbs, J have thought good to put them lo the Preia 
for their hettor sotis&ction. I know there may be some that 
will say and marrel, that a minister should have taken puns 
to gather such Proverbs togethw ; but they who knew hi» 
form of powerful prescbing the Word, and hie ordinary talk- 
ing, ever almost nsing Proverbial Speeches, will not find fanlt 
with this that he hath done. And, whereas, there are some 
old Scottish words not now iu n»e, they must be liome with, 
became if you alter these words, the Proverbs will have no 
grave. And so recommending these Proverbs to thy good 
use, ! bid thee farewell. Thk PusLisHKa, " 



PREFACE. XXUl 

at London in 1721.* Saving wbat may be ^eaned 
from the Yolnme itself, we know nothing of its learned 
and ingenious antbor. By birth he was a Scotsman, 
and we are inclined to believe that he was educated 
for the church. He appears to have been considerably 
advanced in life when he published the fruit of his 
labours, for in the conclusion of his prefiEu^ he says, 
<< If there be any other objection against this my per- 
formance, I have one Apology for all, and that is, that 
I made this Collection without any Regard either to 
Honour or Profit, but only to give myself a Harmless, 
Innocent, Scholar-like Divertisement in my declining 
years." This is confirmed, and a little more insight 
afforded as to his personal history, when in speaking 
df the common saying, ^^ He that 's not handsome at 



* A complete collection of Scottish Proverbs Explained 
and made Intelligible to the English Reader. By James 
Kelly, A.M. Lond. 1721, 8vo. Reprinted Lond. 1818, 
12mo. A number of obvious misprints in the first edition are 
retained in the second. It is a pity the latter was not con- 
ducted through the press by a person conversant with the 
subject. Kelly affords a capital foundation for a learned, 
philosophical and instructive collection of our national Pro- 
verbs. In his explications and illustrations, he is frequently 
wrong, and his orthography is most barbarous ; but, upon the 
whole, he is the only one who has gone about his business like 
a true craftsman. 



, rich at Fifty,! fl 



Twenty, strong at Thirty, wise at Forty, rich at Fifty, 

will never be han^ome, stroDg, wise, or rich," by way 
of illustration lie adds, " I have passed all these terms, 
and have never yet had any of tbese QualiScations. 
De foe conclamatum est." Again, in commenting upon' S 
the country adage, " A dry summer riever made a dear^ 
peck," he remarltB, " I do not know any obserratioiiri 
of Weather or Season, tliat holds bo true as this, in' 
tbese cations ; for tliough the straw in sud) years bfti 
short, yet the gmin is good and hearty. 1 remembwi 
no remarkable dry Summers but Three, 1676, 1690, 
1713, and all of them very plentiful." It is very 
probable that Kelly may have been bom about thfr 
year 1660. Among other little particulars which ioMt 
ingenuousness makes ns acquaintod with, is a habit of'' 
stammering, to which he thus alludes, while illustrating . 
the saying " Moekijiff is Catching." " This," says 
author, " m spoken to discourage people from mimicking 
any Man's Iraperfections, lest you contract a habit of- 
tliem. A memorable Instance I know of this just now^ * 
in a Boy who got a Habit of Winking, by mimicking 
a Boy that did so; a Habit of Snuffing ungracefully 
with liis nose, by mimicking his Usher; and a Habit 
of Stammering by imitating myself." He seems to 
have been a very independent spirited man, and to 
have poBsessed no small share of a biting 



PREFACE. X3CV 



bumotir, which comes before us in a yery nnobtmsiye 
manner. For instance, the prorerb, << I wiU be your 
servant when yon have least to do and most to spend." 
KeUy adds, ** The tme Meaning of that common Phrase 
Your humble Servant, Sir" Many circumstances 
also induce us to think that he must have been a good- 
hearted, generous man, and not placed in the easiest 
circumstances. He obviously appears to have obliged, 
and, in return, to have been disobliged. Upon the 
Proverb, " Sore cravers are ay ill payers," he remarks, 
" This Proverb and the Reverse, viz, * HI payers are 
sore cravers,' I have never yet seen to fail." It is a 
bitter conclusion which many a kind heart besides 
that of Kelly, has again and again been driven to form. 
Kelly appears to have resided at one period in Ire- 
land, for when speaking of the proverbial phrases — 
He has left the hey in the cat-hole — He has left the 
key under the door — He has taken a moonlight flit- 
ting — He has gone without taking leave — I wat not 
what he has done with his tripes, hut he has taken his 
heels ; and stating that they severally are applied to a 
person who has absconded from his creditors ; he adds, 
^' The last I beard only in Ireland, I suppose it is 
not used in Scotland." Fat men are indebted to Kelly 
for putting into his book a vindication of their heart 
and intellect. Whether the author was himself inclined 



XXVI PREFACE. 



to corpulency we cannot aay ; bat the experience of 
almost every man will, supply a ready confirmation of 
the hcmesty of his observation upon << Fat paimches 
bode lean Fates/' which he distinguishes as ^< a ground- 
less Reflection upon Fat men, of whom I have known 
many ingenious, and but few ill-natured or malicious." 
Of the softer sex, Kelly does not appear to have enter- 
tained the most exalted opinion. Aa he always brings 
forward his own experience in support of the truth of 
ancient saws, his remarks are sometimes very sly and 
amusing. Thus, in the proverbial rhyme- 
He is a good Horse that never stumbled, 
And a better Wife that never grumbled, — 

Kelly laconically adds, << Both so rare that I never met 
with either.'* In his volume there are many more rather 
ascetic obseryations upon human nature ; but still there 
is a great deal of kindly and amiable feeling displayed, 
which turns the balance in his favour. Some interesting 
notices of changes in manners, customs, and fashions, 
are incidentally scattered through his book, which may 
be of use to the student of national characteristics. 
Respecting the literary tastes of the people, he is less 
communicative ; but we are indebted to him for the 
following curious notice of the popularity of Alexander 
Montgomerie's poem of << The Cherrie and the SlaeJ* 



PREFACE. xxrii 



At page 101, he tells us that *^ Foriune Mps (^ 
Hairdy ay, and PuUrons ay repels^ is ont of the 
book called the Cheny and the Slae ; but ev^r tbice 
used as a proverb upon several occasions. And> again, 
lliat << He that speers aU opinions comes ill speed — 
He that forecasts aU Perrels wiU'ivin no Worship — 
and He is hut daft that has to do and Spares for 
every Speech," are ^^ (as several othm« in this h&tk) 
taken ont of an ingenious Scottish Book, called the 
Cherry and the Sloe, a book so commonly known to 
Scottish men, that a great share of it passes for pro- 
verbs. It is written in native geHaine Scotch, and, to 
them who understand it, very fine and taking." In 
conclusion, Kelly boasts, with honest pride, that his 
collection contains 1< above three thousand all entire 
sentences, all of them in present c<»nmon use among 
the Scots, over and above the interspersed English 
and Latin, which will outdo even Erasmus himself: 
and though ^is Number may seem very great to be- 
long to one Nation, yet, I dopibt not, but there are 
many hundreds more which either I have not heard, 
or has not occurred to me." With all its inaccuracies, 
Kelly deserves well of his countrymen, for his labo- 
riously compiled volume. 

Kelly's work appears to have excited Allan Ram- 
say to undertake a similar task. In his dedicatory 



letter, Jaud October Idtb. nSS, eAiiveeeed " to 
Tenantry of Scotland, Farmera of the Dales, and 
Sloremaaters of the HUls," KamBay refers to that 
cuUection of ProTerbs in rather coblemptuoiu tei 
as " a laie large book of them, fou of errorB, in a stylfti 
neither Seota nor English.'' If the somewhat bi 
bastic dedication of Kamsay is to be received b 
epecinen of either ScotH or EoglUh, we must coni 
we have never }%t been able to form a just eatjmale of ' 
the idiomatic pecnliarities of the two <iialecla. Ramsay 
boastH tliat liis collection has been made with great care, 
and that he has restored theae Wise sai/inffs to their 
propel' sense. The first assertion may be true, but the 
latter is Bomewhat questionable, at least we, slight aa 
is our knowledge in these matters, have, in two or 
three instances, detected obvious errors. From his 
acquajntaiii-e with pastoral life, Bamsay lias been able 
to enrich his collection with many proverbs peculiar to 
the sheep districts of Scotland, which are not to be 
found either in Feipison or Kelly. In his dedicatory^ 
letter, be alludes to what appears to have been a cuatoin< I 
among shepherds, of exercising their memories, by I 
keeping up a conversation with ■' these guid auldsat/i,. I 
that shine with wail'd aenBe, and will as iang as 
warld wags ;" when, after recommending them to make 
themselres maeters of the contents of his volumes, 



PREFACE. XXIX 



adds — << How usefou will it proye to yon (who has 
few opportnnities of common clattering) when yon 
foregather with yonr friends at kirk or market, banquet 
or bridal ? By yonr proficiency yonll be able, in the 
proverbial way, to keep up the soul of a conversation 
that is baith blyth and usefou." Among old and young 
in Scotland, not many years ago, it was a comm<m 
country pastime of a winter's night to while time away 
by repeating proverbs, telling tales, and reciting songs 
and ballads ; but these good old fiE»hions are fast dis- 
appearing since the ** schoolmaster" and politics were 
let loose upon the country. 

Altogether Ramsa/s collection comprises about two 
thousand two hundred proverbs, arranged alphabeti- 
cally. It has been frequently reprinted, and a very 
mean abridgment of it is a common penny stall book. 
The editions we have seen, .are dated 1737, 1750, 
1776, 12mo. The proverbs do not appear in the 
edition of Ramsay's works, dated 1800, though that 
professes to be a complete collection of all his prodni>- 
tioiiB. 

From the preceding list, it will be seen how very 
limited the number of our printed collections of 
proveibs is, and the list of those preserved in 
manuscript is still more scanty. Accordmg to Mr. 
Pinkerton, article 45 of the Maitland folio MS. 



XXX PREFACE. 



consists of ^^ A collectioi^ pf proverbs, in two pages^ 
beginning, — 

' Mony man maids ryme and lukis to na ressoun.* " 

<< They are each comprised," says the same writer, ^^ in 
one line, running as the above, without rime, and might 
be useful in a Collection of Scotish Proverbs, though 
indeed they are rather maxims than proverbs." * Article 
118 of the same MS., Pinkerton informs us, con- 
sists of << Seventeen proverbial lines worth no notice." 
The collection in the Maitland MS. we have not seen, 
but as the same, or something similar, occurs in the 
Bannatyne MS. which was compiled in the year 1568, 
and presented by John, third Earl of Hyndford, to the 
Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, in 1772, we present 
the curious with a transcript, f Hnkerton says, that the 



* Ancient Scottish poems, never before in print. Lond. 
1786. Appendix, vol. iL p. 451. 

f George Bannatyne compiled bis volome wben be was 23 
years of age, to form employment for bimself « during the tidie 
of pestilence, in the year 1568, wben the dread of infection 
compelled men to forsake their usual employments, which 
could not be conducted without admitting tbe ordinary pro- 
miscuous intercourse between man and -bis kindred men." 
George Bamnaiyn^s life^ prefixed to Baamat^ memoriaU 
hjf Sir W, Scott. While alluding to this enunent collector of 



PREFACE. XXXI 



proYerbs registered in the Maitland MS. ran << without 
rime/* but it will be observed, that those preserved by 
Bannatyne, though in a like predicament, are combined 
in such a way, as that each line rhymes generally with 
itself. 

Bannatyne Manuscript^ vol, i.f, 134. C 

Mony man makis ryme and lukis to no ressoun 

ane king sekand tresoun* 

he may fynd land ; trest no^ in the band 

That is oft brokin ; a fule quhen he hes spokkin 

He is all done ; he suld weir ym schone 

Suld byd a manis deid ; quhen the fait is in the heid 

The membaris ar seik ; a woman thocht scho be meik 

Scho is ill to knaw; men glo^is the law 

oft against the pure ; quha spendis his gud on a hure 

he hes bayth skayth and schame; he that can nocht gang 

hame 
Is a pure man; men or thay began 



Scottish poesy, who compiled his book in << time of pest," it 
may not be amiss to state, tbat this volume was in progress 
through tbe press mider a like calamitous visitation — the 
Indian Cholera. The three great manuscript treasuries of 
ancient Scottish poetry, are the Asloan MS. preserved in the 
Auchinleck Library, written about the year 1515 ; the Ban- 
natyne and the Maitland MSS., the first of which is in the 
Advocates* Library, Edinburgh, and the latter in the Pepysian 
Library, Magdalene College, Cambridge. 

* This line seems imperfect. 



XXXll PREFACE. 



Suld think on the end ; preis nocht to spend 

Bot gife thow think to win; ' commounly auld syn 

makis new schome ; bettir is gud name 

nor evill win geir; he that Ysis maist to sweir 

Is nocht best trowd; a tre is best bowd 

quhen that it is zoung; quha rewlis weill his toung 

he may be comptit wyiss; Gud win at the dyis 

riches nocht the air; and a woman that is Mr 

Is nocht happin gade; ane colt of a gud stude 

happ3mis to be best; gud ma nocht lang lest 

that is evill win; a work weiU begon 

hes the bettir end; preis nocht to spend 

our mekle on a fide; it is eith to cry zule 

on ane vder manis coist; he sail hounger in frost 

In heit that will nocht wirk; Obey weill to the kirk 

and thow sail fiur the better; a woman keipit in fetter 

Is ane ill tressour; Bit and diynk with mesour 

and defy the leich; a man mekle of speiche 

quhylomis mon lie; think ay that thow mon de 

and thow sail nocht glaijdly syn; a man may be of grit kin 

and richt littill worth; a fiile bidis Job fiirth 

and hes baith spur and wand; bettir is a man but land 

nor land but man; he that cumis of eyill clan 

wyis men suspeckis; a skabbit scheip infeckis 

all the hail flok; quhairof serwis the lok 

and the theif in the houss; It makis a perte mows 

ane ynhardy catt; a swyne that is rycht fiatt 

Causis hir awin deid; pairte nevir at feid 

fra hame with thy wife; ffle ay fra stryfe 

a sweet thing is peis; all may nocht be leis 

That every man sayis; Thow ma mend twa nayis 

M'ith anis said ze; he is nocht sa waik a fae 

bot he may quhylome noy; It is esiar to distroy 



PR£FACE. XXXlll 



befer, nor till big; he that is vsd to thig 
Is laith to leave the craft; ane awld man is few daft 
That weddis a zoung woman; Thow mon trow in summar 
or thow hes ill Ijfe; be thou jelous of thy wjfe 
Bcho will do ye war; quha handillis pik or tar 
he is nocht hasty dene; a wound quhen it is grene 
Is the soner heilit; a byle that is lang beilit 
Brekis at the last; auld kyndness past. 
Sold nocht be forsett; be blyth at thi meat 
Devoit in distres; ffor littill mair or less 
mak thow na debait; Bettir is the hie gait 
nor the by rod; he that douttis nocht god 
Sail nooht fiiill to £bl11; he that cuvatis all 
Is abiU to tyne; about myne and thyne 
ryris mekle 8tryfe; he hes a gratius lyfe 
That can be content; a bow that is lang bent 
It win wax dull; he that wattis quhen he is ftill 
he is na fiile; put mony to the scule 
all will nocht be clerkis; at every dowg that berkis 
men sold nocht be sic movit; a man weill luvit 
he is nocht pure; grit lawbor and cure 
makis a man auld; a gud taill evill tald 
Is spilt in the telling; In hying and selling 
Ib mony £Eds aith; conmiounly gud cleth 
Ib best cheip; Quha cuvattis farrest to leip 
mon qnhy lumis gang abak 
Thus schortnes of wit movit me to mak 

Explicit 



With the exception of the following, which were 
written in 1586, by John Maxwell Younger of Southbar, 



XXXIV PREFACE. 



a Renfrewshire gentleman, we are not acquainted with 
any other manuscript collection. As a matter of 
literary curiosity, we think it right to transfer to our 
pages the ^^ Proverhs and reasownes," which he deemed 
worthy of transcription in his own day. 

Sum resoumes and proverbs, 

1 That quhilk the eye seeth the heart greineth. 

2 Amangest all the baundes of benewolenoe and guid 

will thair is none more honorable, ancient, or honest, 
then manage. 

3 He quhilk wald reape sould sowe. 

4 He quhilk walde gather frwite sould plant treis. 

5 He that wald reaohe the sweite rose sould now and 

than be scratched w* the scharpe breres. 

6 The finest meates that be, by one in extremetie of 

sickness, resolue not to be pure blood to strenthen 
the body but to watrish humors to feide the fewer 
and disease. 

7 The Cocatrice by sycht only slaeth. 

8 The sickly patient chiefly desyreth that q**^ chieflie 

is forbidden him. 

9 The scho wolfe choseth alway that wolfe for hir 

make who is made maist leane and foull by folow* 
inghir. 

10 In all degrees of frindeschipe equalitie is chieflie 

considderit. 

1 1 The hauchtie halk will nocht pray on carioun. 

12 Of ewilles the leist is to be chosen. 

13 Honowr is the rewairde of wertew. 



PREFACE. XXXV 



14 Thair is no smoke bot quhair thair is sum fyre. 

15 Wengence asketh wengence, and bloode bloode, and 

he that soweth skiwchter salbe swir to reape 
rwine and destmctioune. 

16 The just judgment of God will suffer no euil doine 

secretlie, but it salbe manifested openly. 

17 Sic as the cawse of eweiy thing is, sic wilbe the 

effect 

18 It is ane assured signe of ane firee and friendlie mynde 

to gewe goode counsaylL 

19 Every commoditie hath a discommoditie annexed 

wnto it 
SO Fortoune ewer fawoureth the waliant 

21 Delay bredeth danger. 

22 F^re the more it ia keipt doune the mair it iQameth 

wpp. 

23 In grettest charge ar grettest cares. 

24 Enwy schoteth always at hych markes. 

25 A kyngdome is more eselie gotten than keipit 

26 Honours change maners. 

27 Freschest flouris soinest faides. 

28 Rypest frwite ar ryfest rotten. 

29 The desyre of ane kingdome careth nether for kith 

nor kin, frende nor foe, God nor the DewelL 
90 In the foirest Rose is soinest fund a canker. 

31 The northeist wind first gathereth up the cloudes and 

then by puffes putteth thame abrode againe. 

32 The dispositioim of the mynd followeth the constitu- 

tioun of the body. 

33 The panther w^ his gay colours and sweit smell 

allnreth wther beistis wnto him, and being w^in his 
reache he rauenouslie dewoireth thame. 

34 Streames can not be made to rin against thair cowrse. 



35 Thebytingof a.ma<Idedogi!ritgethandrBnkleth 

it haif brocht the body bytten to banu. 

36 The presoner is Dotto be pitied quhabeinganejwdfre 

joyed iu Beweritie and crneltie. 

37 That castell doith not merite merde qUi zeeldna rather 

for wainte of tresehe aupplie than at the swite of the 
beHieger. 

38 Thai: clientia caus in not to be considdorct quho being 

a counBayllour dealt in the cases of other w'ont cod- 

39 It U more g'lorie to ivae the wivtorie modcratlie th>M 

to get it lujchtelie. * 

W Maa atrenthes haif beine wone be clemencie than be 

crueltie. 
■H Two wittia are better than one. 
i2 Anegreine ivoimd be takingthu ayrespreadeth farder 

abroade and ia the bardlier to be healed, 

43 Coles of fyre couered close wt ashes keipe thair 

lang tyme. 

44 Thair is no hauke soareth ao higho bot soho wiB 

stoupe to some pray. 
ia The laurel or Bay tree ceaseth not to be |;reine bnyth 
summer and winter. 

40 Thair ie no thing so impossible q"' fhintike fiirie will 

not enterprise, nothing' so sohaniefull q"' unbrydeled 
deeyre will no' wnderiak, no thing so bis q'>' fleschlie 
fitthenes will not forge. 

47 The grcfttefit felidtie is newer to be liorne, and 

secounde soine to die. 

48 Oide Aoggia ewer byte aoirest- 

49 Perfect lowe can newer be wtout equalitie. 

sO Quhen the sooe eehyneth the clouddis waniidi aw. 
5\ Ewery dram of dely'^ bath ■ pouud of ipite, i 



1 



4 



holM 



PREFACE. XXXVU 



ewery inche of joy hath an ell of annoy annexed 
wnto it. 
68 The fyne golde must be purified in the flammyng fire. 

53 The qnhyte siluer is wrocht in blak pitch. 

54 Okxry must be ^^otten threw deip of danger. 

55 Flesonr must be pwrchased w^ the pryce of paine. 

56 Nothing bredeth baine to the body sooner than 

trowfoble of mjmde. 

57 The ly^ of meite is werry lothsome to him whose 

stomocke is ill, or hath alreddie eatten his filL 

58 8aw«B Mhlome help ane ower lang suffered soire. 

59 PoyBOon pearseth ewery waine. 

60 The spider feleth gif her webe be prickte hot w^ the 

pojmte of a pinne. 

61 The storke feidis his damme q° scho is awlde. 

62 Lowe hathe no respect of persounes. 

63 Scharpe sauce gifis ane guide taist to sweit meate. 

64 Trowfole and adversatiemakes quietness and proeperitie 

fiure more plesante. 

65 He knoweth not the plesour of plentie quho hathe 

not feelt the paine of penurie. 

66 He takes no delyt in meit quha is neuir hungrie. 

67 He careth not for eiss quha was neuir trubled w^ 

diseis. 

68 Thair is no sune schjmelii so bry^ hot clouddes may 

ouercast it. 

69 Thair is no ground so guid hot that it bringeth fiirth 

weedes as weill as flowers. 

70 Thair is no state so plentefull in plesure hot that it 

is mixed w^ paine. 

71 Nothing can be wneasie or harde wnto a willing heart 

72 The finest mettals soinest breake. 

73 Wnder most greene grasse ly most greate snakes. 



74 Lowe is w^out law. 

75 Rage \e without reason. 

76 Will is without wit. 

77 Those tUnt tkine to be waliant brag: moBt glorioiislie. 

78 Ane cannot be exalted without iinothers wrake. 

79 Ane cannot be preferrit to pleso'' wiout mm other* 

80 Oreiwous woundes muKt hawe Binarting plagters. 

SI Tliose medicines ewer eoinest heale ws q"' most j^efe 

85 Thai q"' deell ri^rouslie w' wthers it salbe rudly 

delt w* tbame. 
83 Ewery thing is deere to ilselfe. 
Si Cbolericke complexioimes are eoinest incensed to 

B5 Tliose tliat lowe most eppjik leaat. 

86 A lytle thing pleseth a foole. 

87 Gorged hawkes wili stonpe to no lore. 

BS They that haif ance pasaed the bonudes of schame- 
fastnea may ewer alter lawfulUe be impudent, 

89 Bewtie and comleucs cnntencw not. 

90 Curtede and cLeraenuie remaine for ewer. 

91 Mauy thiogis happen between the cupe and the lyp. 
93 Many thingis chance betwene the boorde and the bed. 
93 Man purposeth and God dispOBeth. 

■H Quhen Hope and Hape quheu Health and Wealth ar 
highest, than Woe and Wracke, Diseisa and Deith ar 

95 Lyfe i» Bwcit to ewery one. 

96 Thair is no clayth so line bot mothes will eit it. 

97 Thair is no yrone an harde bot roust will fret it. 

98 Thair is no woode so sounde bot wormes will putrifie it 

99 Thair i» no tnettall bo oonrse, bot fire will purile it 



PREFACE. XXXIX 



100 Haiste maketh waiste. 

101 Bargaines maid in speid ar comonelie repented at 

leasure. 

102 The increase is small olT seid to timelie sowine. 

103 The whelps ar ewer blinde that doggis gettis in haste. 
104* The fimittis fall soine do rot q^ gadderit ar to soine. 

105 The malte is newer swete wnles the fire be soft. 

106 He that lepeth or he looke may hap to leip in the 

brook. 

107 8oone hett soone colde. 

108 Nothing that is wiolent is permanent. 

109 Qnhen the causs is taken away the effect wanisheth. 

1 10 Thair is no wool so courss hot it will tak sum cul- 

lowr. 

111 Thair is no matter so wnlyklie q^^ be wordes may 

not be maide probable. 

112 Traneller's wordes ar not muche trusted. 

1 13 Greate matters ar not soone belewede. 

114 Ewery ewill bringeth greife enewgh with it quhen it 

oometh. 

1 15 The spider out of most sweit flouris sucketh poysoun. 

116 That q^^ is bred in the baine will not out of the 

flesche. 

117 Our nature is to rin upon that q^ is forbidden ws. 

1 18 Wices the more prohibited the more prowoked. 

119 The secound f&U in seickness is ewer most dangerous. 

120 Fairest wordes ar ewer fullest of falsheide. 

121 Wolues newer pray upon wolues. 

122 Had I wist is ewer had at the worst 

123 Thay that cast not ofe cares before thai come cannot 

cast thame ofe quhen thai do come. 

124 It is too late to cast anchor quhen the schip is schaken 

to peeces against the Rockes. 



r 



» 



m It booteth not to send for a phisitioun quhrn tlie vivk 

portde ie ab^die departed. 
I2G The tiio'ful care of the riche mnn cnuseth the thicfe 

the sooner to »eik the spojle of him. 
1 21 The nature of a thiag may not be altered. 
128 That q"* nature hath giwon cannot be taken away. 
189 The mastiwe newer loweth the grewhounde. 

130 The sunne the hyW it doith nacende in llie firmament 

tb« more heate it doith extend on tile erth. 

131 The snnne being at the hy'est decljueth. 

132 The sea beinf nt full tyde ebheth. 

133 Caulme contineueth not laug' H'ithout a atomiG. 

134 Happiness is not lang without heanines. 

136 A plesaunt pray soonu enliHtetU a simple tbeefe. 

136 It is wiiidome to strike q" the iroue is hott. 

137 The fiHche bred in durtic pooles will taiat of mwde, 

135 Set a bef^gnr on horaback mid he will newer aly>. 
130 Lyko, lyke beat of thair lykes. 

140 Lowe is lycht of beleife. 

i4'l Jelousie is groundjt «~poii lowe. 

142 SuspitiuQ and sdatmder nmketh mony to be .that ij'>' 

143 Wemen haifin^ lost thair uhastetie ar lyk broken 

glaases q"« are good for no thing. 

144 Quhen the sunne soyhneth the ly' of the starrt 

145 Thair is na perpetuity to be looked for in mortall 

146 Trewth getteth hatrede. 

147 Ane ill utuas can not cum to guide effect, 

148 Ane ill dispositioun breedeth ane ill suapilioun. 

149 SpiderH convert to poysoun qnhataoevar thai twiche. 
160 Lowe first entareth in at the eyes. 



^B -Mi Ewaiy uie i* Ij^^e in lowe v' that q^^ is liis awin. 
' 158 All is not gold that gliatereth. 

153 Couat«rfiiit coinzie scbeweth more fruidlie than th<^ 

154 It is most easie to desaife nnder the name of a 

155 Cluuii^ iH seldom made for the better. 

156 The Htj)iDe of Suilicia the more it is beatten the harder 

it is. 

157 No man ia surelie Botteld in oay estate, Ixit that for- 
toune m&y Irawne alt^rattoun. 

158 Thair is no thing no guide bot by ill vraing it maj be 
nought. 

159 Bwerie excMs is tumede into wyce. 

160 All the praise of wertew consiateth in doing'. 

161 The difference h Ifttle bctwemie doing ane iniurie, 
and BiitTering ane iniurietobedone q" ane may pro- 
hibite it. 

162 A guid thing caimot be to vouche wsed. 

163 It is not possible to seik learning tjj mwche. 

164 Beat wittis ar soinest caught by Cupide. 

165 It caselh the afflicted l« utter thair annoy. 

166 The thiugis moist eKcellent ar ewer moist enwyede. 

1 67 Thay or meit to goweme otheres 'juha can weil gyde 
themselfN. 

168 Thair ia sacietie of all thingis, 

169 It is better to be idill than ill Imployede. 

170 All erdlie plemre Biusseth w* vo. 
ni <^uhen tn-aargnies on force thair talk man be contrair. 
173 Neide oft makis wertew. 

173 Ane meik answer slokinDJs mehmcholic- 

174 Na man wild wirk at thwr pleso' wfout cownsell. 

175 Nyce is the Nychtiogale. 
d 



PRSrACB. 



I 



6 It U bKtter to haif ane brede in band, nor tm in th 

woode fleaode. 

7 Cumure prowokis hardeaea. 

8 Adwentour gude and hoif aj glide, 

9 Set all on adwentour. 

Deboit makis Destanie. 

1 Id all perfett works, as w^ill the fault as the face is ti 

be achaireD. 

2 ThingR of greitcst profeit arspt furtbat leist price. 

3 Thair is no priulledge that neideth a pardon. 

4' Thair in no rcmissioun to be asked quhair a commiBBioi 
is granted. 

5 The fioc^st cloath is soonest eaten with moathee. 

6 The cambrike is sooner steinziedthafi the GDDrsBcannl 
T Wit ia the better g;if it bo the deerar bocht. 

i The tender xouth of a ehilde is lykethe tempering of 

newe waxe, ^t to receiue ony forme. 
9 The potter fashioneth his elay quhen it ia soft. 
I) The Nparruw in taucht to coroe quhen he is xoaag. 
1 Things past ar past calling aonine. 
3 It is to late to shut the alable dure quhen the steeda 

3 The fine chrystall ia uiouer crazed than the hard* 

marble. 
+ The fairest silk is soonest soylede. 

5 The sweetest wine tonmeth tothescharpestwineger. 

6 So many men ho many mynds. 
T The wheipe of a maatine will never be t»wght to re- 

triue the partridge. 

8 Educatioun can linif na schew qubair the excelleocie 

of nature doith buare NWayc. 

9 The BubtiU foxe iniiy weill be belaen hot newer brok- 

en from stJialliiig his praye. 



PRSFACK. xliii 

200 Blake will tak no wther tmUonr. 

201 The stone Abeston being 4moe inttde hot, will newer 

be made colde. 

202 Fire can nocht be forced downewarde; • > 

203 Nature will hane cowrss eftet kinde. 

204 Ewery thing will dispose it self according to nature. 

205 The Camelion hath nudst guttis, and drawetii kist 

breath. 

206 The elder trie is fullest of pith and fiirdest from strentht. 

207 The thunder has a grit clape hot a lyttill stoine. 

208 The bird taums hath a grit woce hot a small body. 

209 The empty wessel gifeth a gretur sounde than the fwlL 
,210 Yme the more it is wsed the brychter it is. 

211 Siluer with muche wearing doith waist to no thing. 

212 The cammocke tiie more it is bowed the better it 

serueth. 

213 The bow the more it is bent and occupyed the weaker 

it waxeth. 

* 

214 The camomin the more it is troden and pressed downe 

the more it spreadeth. 

215 The wiolet the ofter it is handeled and twiched the 

sooner it withereth and decayeth. 

216 The finest edge is made with the blwnt whetstone. 

217 The finest Jewell is fiuschioned with the hard hem[mer ?] 

218 Ane sould eit ane buschell of salt w^ him quhom he 

meaneth to mak his frende. 

219 Tryall maketh trust. 

220 Thair is falsheid in fellowschipe. 

221 Lyke will to Lyke. 

222 A longe discourss argueth folic. 

223 Delicate wordes incurre the suspicioun of flatterie. 

224 The foull taide bathe a Mr stoine in his heide. 

225 Gold is funde in the filthy erth. 



xHt 



290 The sweite kirnell lyetJi in the harde schelL 

227 In pointed pottea ia faidiea the deidliest poysoun. 

S28 Id the cleirest watter is the w^fliest taide. 

220 The cypres trie beireth a ftir leaf bot no ihiit 

930 The estridge carrieA fair fedderi« bot rank flesch. 

231 ProDiiBB is Debt. 

S3S The glass tales crazed will w' the leist clap be cracked. 

The tmnecriher of the above collection died in 
April, 1607. He is alluded to, in the same breath with 
Montgomerie, as b poet, in " Twa Sonnela" by A. S. 
to Sir Wm. Mure of Rowallan,* 

limited as the fore^ing list is, it embraces, eo far 
as we know, the whole of our PanemiologieB, whether 
printed or iti MS. referring to the northern portion of 
the empire, with the exception of a very good aod 
unpretending little collection of Gaelic proverbs, edited 
by Donald Macintosh, and printed at Edinburgh in 
1765. -j- Thia volume is accompanied with an English 
translation, and contains many useful explications, aod 
historical and traditionary illustrations, altogether very 
creditable to the indnatry aud research of the author. 



i 



t Gna Fhocail Ghaelicb air an tionBl r'a Cheile_A Col- 
lection orOmelic Pioverbi. Edinboriflt, 17B5, J2ido. 



PEEFACE. 



To thia volame, we may peiiu^ hnre occasion again 
to refer ; in the meantime, we content onraelveB with 

stating, that it helps to establish this important fact, 
(hat howerer much nations may be separated from 
each other by (lifference of languE^e, or of climate, atill 
die vast body of their proverbs, ia in effect almost the 
The moral susceptibilities, the perceptive and 
reasoning powers of the human mind, as well as its 
imaginative faculties, Lave all their fixed boundaries ; 
and these will, notwithslanding every diversity of 
external circumstance of time and place, almost uni- 
versally develope thenaselves in a kindred identity of 
form. Not a tithe of ^e little volume we are speaking 
of conaistB of proverbs strictly peculiar to our Celtic 
In fact, under slight modifications, they 
o all the countries of Europe — and to the 
Ancients, as well as to the Moderns. 

With a pardonable straining after a high antiquity 
for the proverbs of his countrymen, Macintosh informs 
t a few of them may be viewed as the 
" lessons that many ages ago were given to the people 
by the Dbuids, who, as we are taught by Diogenes 
Laertiua, had made considerable advances in philo- 
■ophy, before that study was known to the Greeks," 

I, warming with his subject, he adds, that " without 
being engraven on brass or marble, their just and solid 



r 



xlvi 



memorieB of men, H 
uable treasure to 



sense, liBtli preserred tbem in the 
and banded tbem down as a valuable 
succeeding generatiooa." In such grave niyBteriea aa 
Dmiitic Gnomology, we pretend to no skill, and for 
augfat we know to the contrary, onr author may be 
right. If our countrymen of the nortli lay claim to a 
store of national proverbs, circulating through the great 
Celtic family, antecedent to the dawn of pbiloaopby in 
Greece, the Welsh mnst have an equal, if not ■ 
superior title to the same inheritance. In fact, in tha 
Bardic remains of those deaceudenU of the ancient 
Britons, we have, as early as the 6th century, abundant 
evidence of their predilection for aphorisms;* while 
at a later period, namely, the I3th century, we find 
several warriors and poets mentioned as being eminent 
collectors of Welsh proverbs, f The triplet stanzas, 
aacribed by Welsh archaiolugials to the Druids, uni- 
formly close with a precept of morality, or proverbial 
sentence. Did we not fear that our friend, who has 
been at the pains to father the whole of the present 
collection of wise adages upon the canni/ Scots, 
would in tmth look blue, we could inform him, that 



I 



PREFACE. Xlvii 

the saying he gives at p. 7, of Blue and better blue, 
is much more felicitously expressed by the Welsh, 

Y gwir las, ni chyll mol liw — 
The true blue keeps its hue. 

while the proverb common to England and Scotland, of 
As sunegaes the lamb skin to the market as the auld 
yotvesy is jast two lines of an old Welsh penmllion : 

Mae gan amled yn y yarchnad 
Groen yr Oen, a chroen y Ddayad. 

Having said so much of our collectors of Scottish 
proverbs, it might be expected that we should devote 
a few words to the labours of those who have gathered 
the proverbs of England. The field, however, is too 
extensive for our limits, and distinguished as the names 
are, which appear in connection with this species of 
literature, we are compelled to dismiss them and their 
works, with a brief enumeration in a foot-note, which, 
we daresay, to those conversant with bibliograj^y, 
must appear fss from complete. * 



• Foremost in the list appears the illustrious name of Alfred 
the Oreat. He was noted for his proficiency in proverbs. .In 
proverbiis ita enituit ut nemo post ilium amplius. Some col- 
lections of apothegms have been noticed by his biographer, 
Spelman, as extant in the Cottonian MSS., but which have 



A prorerb is somewhat difficult of defiaition. 
Erasmus, in the " Proleptmena" to his immense coHec- 



aince been destroyed by lire. One of tbese ha tranalateB, Qi;d, 
in reforancB to it, aaya, — " I cannot think it 61 to offer them 
into the world as an instance of what the king compoied, for 
they are not his very work in the Saion tongue, but a nuB- 
cellany collection of some later author, who. according to liia 
owD faculty, hath. In broken English, put together euch of the 
sayings of King Alfred as he met withaL" Wanley says the 
fragment ia in Normnn-SnKoii, " circa lempus Henrici II. 
aut Ritardi I. cunscriptum, in quo continentui quEedam ex 
proTOibiisct&potbegmatia iElhiili regis sapientisainu." (Vide 
Tumer'i Anglo- Saianai Warton'a History of English Poetry; 
Coaybeare's niuBtiatioDB of Anglo-Snian Poetry; Hickes' 
TbesBums.) Cuitoa, the father of English typography, 
printed,inl478, "The Proverbs of Crystme of PyBe."Inl539, 
n Belection of some of the Adages of Erasmus appeared iu an 
English dresB — " Proverbea or Adagies with newe addiiuoos, 
gathered out of the Chiliads of Erasmus by Richard Tavemer." 
Sto. Load. 1539. John Heywood — a nat«d wit and epigram- 
matist of the time of Queen Mary, of whose witty and humorooB 
sayings Camden, in his Remuoes, has preserved a few — wrote 
" A Dialogve conteyiiingc the number in Effecte of all the 
proverbes in the English Toog compact in a matter concern- 
ing two marriages. " Lond. 1647, 1549, 1561, 1562, 1566, 
1587, lS9Bi and other years, which Warton describes at inter- 
weaving all the proverbs of the English tongue iulo a very 
silly comic Inle, while D' Israeli remarks that the narrative has 
humour, but the metre and ribaldry are heavy taxes on our 
curiosity. Wilson, in his " Bhetorique," published in 1553, 
while allnding lo this volume, helps us at same time to a de- 
finition of ■ proTerb: " The English proverbs gathered lij 



^oa oS wli^eB, has avineed much acntcmeBg and learu- 
iag in ufting the de&nidooB of former writers, and 



John Ueiwoode helpc well in tUie behaulfe (allegory) the 
■whiche mmmouQlie are nolhyng els but allegories and dark 
ed Bcnteaces." Like the Hebrew moiiBrcb, who con- 
tributed so largely and so well to the " Words of the Wise 
and their Dark Sayio^" Wilion appears to have put a projii^i' 
Talue on " understanding a proverb and its intuipietation." 
" fleywood'B thre Hundreth Bpigrmnmes vppon thre hun- 
dreth PraverboB." 4to. 1562. 

" Florio'B MbtIb Proverbes, Wittie SentflncGB, and Golden 
Sayings." 8™. 1578. 

" Florio's Garden of Recreation, yielding 6000 Italian 
Proverbea," 8vo. 1591. 

" Camdea'a Rfimaines concermng Britaine" £ret pub- 
'bhed in 1605, there is a considerBble collection of provvrba, 
>r the appearanee of which that eminent antiqnary states 
hat ■' Wheieae Proverbs ore concise, witty, and wise speeches, 
rounded upon long experience, containing for the most part 

ood caveats, and therefore both profitable and delightful^ 1 

'tikought it not un6t to >et down here alphabeticsJly bome of 
fhe selected and most usual areongst ns as being worthy to 
'kave place amongst Ihe wisest Speeches." 

A contemporary, John Daiies, of whom some particulars 

lire given in Wood's Athcnce, vol. i. p. 444, exerted him- 

If in the same walk. Hit volume, which is exceedingly 

irce, is entitled " The Scourge of Folly, consisting of 

'flatjrical Epigrams and others. Id honour of many most 

irthy persons of our Land, With a pleasant (though djs- 

rdant) descant upon most English proierbs and others. 

mdon [no date, but probably IC12] printed by E. A. for 

Richard Redmer, sould Ht his shop at ye west gate of Paules." 



1 PREFACE. 



in showing where they were imperfect or inapplicable. 
His dissertation may be consnlted with advantage by 



For the licentious coarseness of his little volume, the vice of 
that age, Davies thus apologises, — 

Of the Printer. 

The Printer praies me most vncessantly 

To make some lines to lash at Lechery: 

For that (sajrth he) so rellish will the rest 

That they will sell, and still be in request : 

For most men now (set on a merry Fin) 

Laugh to see others plagued for their sin : 

Then reader thinke when thou seest such a straine 
Its for the Lechers paine and Priwten gaine. 

His "pleasant (though discordant) descant'* runs over 419 
proverbs, and as a specimen of his manner we subjoin the 
following : — 

144. 
Hee*M a Bench Whistler. That is but an ynche 
Whistling an Hunts-vp in the King's bench. 

14a 
Ever tpare. Ever bare. Prorerb you fable, 
For Fooles still get most when they least spare their bable. 

160. 
Hee*i high in the hutep and very gtraite lac*d. 
That's but some leg, with a straite Buskin grac'd. 

16a 
Hefne^ do mticA iB,erehe can do mwA toorte. 
That takes a poor poet's papers or Purse. 

168. 
Who is worse thood Aom Atf Shoomakers vrijef 
Faith Oeese that never ware shoes in their life. 

187. 
Wishersastd Woulders are no good Housholders. 
Yet the beat Hoosholder many times wishes 
He had better BeuM to bMtar Us didMS. 



PREFACE. li 



the scholar, but it would interfere too much with our 
limits to attempt an analysis of it here. 



242. 
Looke ere fhou leape. But no good they reape 
That are to be hang'd though thejr look ere they leape. 

274. 
No more can toe have of the Fox but the skin. 
Yes, Bones to make dice, which now is no sin. 

282. 
I%ere hemany more toaies to the wood then one. 
But (heere) its false : for our Woods ar al gone. 

289. 
Spend and God wUl tend. But wot ye what foUowes ? 
A Sta£fe and Wallet the Gaile or the Gallowes 

301. 

God nere tends mou^het buthetendet meate. 
Yea if some knew where meat to get 

33a 

Cuft catVs no good Moute-hunt. Thats but a lest : 
For Wiues that be wild catts well cuft still do best. 

361. 
The DeuiUs in the Horolodge. I think so, 
For the Clockes lye faster (oft) then they go. 

398. 
Who so bolde a* bk^nde Bayard f Yes, one that could see 
Stole the Weather cocke of Faules and yet lame was he. 

" The Crossing of Proverbes, Crosse Answers, and Crosse 
Humours." 8vo. 1616. 

In 1625, Lord Bacon published a small collection of << Apop- 
thegms New and Old.'* The importance attached by this 
eminent philosopher to these wise sayings, may be seen from the 
following remarks prefixed to his little volume. << Julius Caesar 
did write a Collection of Apopthegmes, as appears in a 
Epistle of Cicero. I need say no more for the worth, of a 
Wnting of that naluve. It ia pitie his Booke is lost : for I 



D'lsratli, who bM B highly iniereating and valiuble 
\iapei OD proreriw, truly obserree that " proTerba 



imagine, they vera cuUeded, with lud^ment and Clioice; 
whereai that ui' Plutiudi, and iitobieiu, and much more, Ibe 
Modorne oaes, draw muuli of the dregt. Certainlj, they org 
of excellent vae. Tliey ore Mucrones Veibonmi. Fo>iit«d 
Speecbm. Cicero prettily call tbem, SbUdbs, Salt pita; 
that you may eitnict salt out of, and xprinkle it where yoa 
will. They «ene fu be inter]iu.-ed in roDtinued Speech. 
They wrvo to be recited upon oeouiua of tiiemEelves. They 
lerve, if you luke out the ketnell of them, and make them 
jfOUt owne. I have for my recrealion, iu my aicknesse, fann'd 
the Oldi unt omitting any, because they are vulgar; (foe 
many yuIgarDnes are eicellentgcHid;) nor for the meanneaae 
of ibe person ; bat becauie they are dull, and flat : and added 
iii»ny mew that otherwise would have died." p. 6. No writer 
hai perbap* ever mode a more judicioue use of proverbs in his 
work* than Bacon has done. They meet you at every turn- 
ing;, and yet they ^e to felicitoualy introduced, that you feel 
the writer has truly made them his own. 

" English and Latin Pi-overbs." avo. 1689. 

Another lelectioa of proverbs, entitled " Outlandieb Pro- 
verbs, aelscted by Mr. G. H." [Herbert.] wm printed at 
London, 1640, and ri^prinled iu the new edition of " The 
MuMw Kecrentions." 

" Proverbs, KagUsh, Krencli, Dulch, Italian, and Spanish, 
all Englished and alphabetically digested." 12mo. 1669. 

The volumiaoiia and facatiouB Uowoll also made a collection, 
the Mlliesl copy which we have seen bung entitled " Proverbs 
or old sBwos, adagea, &c. by James Howell Load. I(>d9," foL 

Tin laborious Ray qient, as he states, t«n years upon his 
ooUectioD of •• Eo^ish Prorerla, Digested into a convenient 
mathod for the speedy finding any one upon occasion, with 



\ 



PREFACE. lili 



must be distmgiUBlied from proyerbial phrases, and 
from sententious maxims ; but as proverbs bare many 



short annotations, whereunto are added Local Proverbs with 
their explications, Old Proverbial Rhythmss less known 
or ExoncK Proverbial SBinrEircES and Scottish Proverbs, 
2d Edit. Cambridge, 167a** 8vo — The Scottish proverbs in 
this collection are a reprint from Ferguson. The first edition 
was in 1670. 

" A Collection of Select and excellent Proverbs, and wise 
Sentences ont of several languages, useful in discourse and the 
goYemment of life, by Robert Codrington.*' 8vo. 1672. 

«« Fuller's Collection of English proverbs, 8vo. 1684," in 
Longman's Catalogue, 1816. 

The praise of Yorkshire ale, 8vo. 1685, and again, 1697, 
contains a collection of proverbs in the Yorkshire dialect. 
The dialect and proverbs of Yorkshire, bear a strong resem- 
blance to our Scottish proverbs and dialect. 

" Select Proverbs in six languages." 12mo. 1707. 
" Dyke's English Proverbs, with moral reflections." 8vo. 
1709. 

" Palmer's Moral Essays on some of the most significant 
Proverbs, English, Scottish, and Foreign." 8vo. 1710. 

<* Aphorisms of Wisdom, or a complete collection of the 
most celebrated Proverbs in the English, Scotch, French, 
Spanish, Italian, and other languages, ancient and modem. 
Collected and Digested by Thomas Fuller, M. D. Lond. 
1732." 12mo. Glasgow, 1814 12mo. 

Though not strictly coming within ths class of works we 
are now enumerating, we may here refer to another work of 
some scarcity and value, namely, " Aphorismes Civill and 
Militarie, amplified with Authorities, and exemplified with 
Historic, out of the first Quarteme of Fr. Guicdardine, by 
R. Dallhigton, London, 1613, foUo." 



liv PREFACE. 



fiices, from their miscellaneoiu nature, the class itself 
scarcely adniits of any definition. When Johnson 
defined a proverb to be ' a short sentence freqnently 
repeated by the people/ this definition would not 
include the most curious ones, which have not always 
circulated among the populace, nor even belong to 
them ; nor does it designate vital qualities of a pro- 
veib. The pithy quaintness of old Howell has ad- 
mirably described the ingredients of an exquisite pro- 
verb to be seme, shortness, and salt A proverb is 
disting^hed from a maxim or an apopthegm by that 
brevity which condenses a thought or metaphor where 
one thing is said and another is to be applied, which 
often produces wit ; and that quick pungency which 
excites surprise, but strikes with conviction; which 
gives it an epigrammatic turn." * For all general pur- 
poses, the definition of Disraeli will suffice, and when, 
in a subsequent page, he very happily says, '^ that these 
abridgments of knowledge convey great results, with a 
parsimony of words prodigal of sense," he describes an 
essential feature in proverbs, namely, the condensation 
of much thought and observation within a small 
compass. 



* Oiriotitiet of Literature, (new leriei,) voL L p. ^28. 



PREFACE. Iv 

It is an obseryation of Aristotle, thait the nature of 
every thing is best seen in its smallest portion, and for 
this reason perhaps, in examining with a philosophic 
eye these minute fractions of the product of the 
human mind, a larger insight may be obtained of its 
first principles than by a contemplation of more 
cumbrous masses. In speculations upon our^ common 
nature, and the occurrences of civil life, it is too often 
the case that we look at the greater features, omitting 
the smaller, although upon these slender wires hang 
often the greatest weights. The study of proverbs 
may therefore be more instructive and comprehensive 
than the most elaborated scheme of philosophy; and in 
relation to changes in the manners of a people, their 
customs, and various minute incidents connected either 
with places or persons, they often preserve par- 
ticulars which ^contemporary history has failed to 
record. We have no doubt, that from the present 
volume much instructive commentary and illustration 
could be derived, and it is a matter of regret to us, 
that the author has not launched forth into this 
spacious and almost shoreless sea of argument. Should 
a second edition be called for, we trust, however, that 
this will be done. The application of many of the 
proverbs, and their accommodation to times and cir- 
cumstances, is frequently not obvious : — ^the aUusions 



Ivi 



are often obscure, luid their direct, aa well as li^orative 
Rignificationa, not anfrequently difficult of solntion or 
ambignoQH. 

Among an ancient people, we deem it neit to im- 
possible to BBy what are tbeir indigenons proverbs. 
The main guides we have in this inquiry are reducible, 
we beheve, to historical or local incident, netiooal 
manuerB, or climatorial differences. Beyond this we 
cannot well go, for, aa we liave before observed, the 
large body of the proverbs of every nation appear to 
be common property. Among rude and infant com- 
munities, therefore, we must look for the manner in 
which aphorietic wisdom first germinates and unfolds 
itself, and it gives na pleasure, tliat a friend of our 
author * has put into our hands, a psychological 
cmioaity of this sort, strikingly illustrative of our 
snt^ect. It is a few proverbs, common among the 
negroes in the colony of Demerara, which we transcribe, 
with an interpretation into the Bvckra man'» language. 



Hui^ry dogs ni 



a earn. Hungry dogs wiD eat n 



When belly fon broke pot. 



When the beUy is fall the 
pot is broken. 



PREFACE. 



Ivii 



Budara man nam crab : 
Crab nam buckra man. * 



That crab that aye lie in hi 
hole he never fat 



White men eat the crab : 
And the crab eats the white 
man. 

The crab that always lies in 
his hole is never fiit: 
applied to lazy people, 
and synonimons to our 
— A gloved cat catches 
no mice, or to the Ice- 
landic adage in the Hiava- 
maal part of the more an- 
cient Edda — The sleip' 
ing wolf gains not the 
prey, neither the drowsy 
man the victory. 



^Safly, safly, catch monkey, They must go softly that 

yehiri. ^ catchamonkey,yehearI 

That time you meet nigger Whenyoumeet a negro with 

wid hair bottom of hi hair in the hollow of his 

hand, he honest nigger. hand,that negro is honest. 



• This axiom of retributive justice, will, in all probability, 
when Negro literature arrives at some perfection, be turned 
into rhyme, by a slight inversion, thus — 

Backra man crab nam : 
Crab nam bodora man. 

This word nam is rather curious. A child when eating 
any thing that pleases its palate, uniformly shakes its head, 
and says— Nam, nam. From this root, the old word kim, 
to snatch, steal, or pick up, is obviously deducible. 



Iviii PREFACE. 



That time cockroach gie When the cockroach gives 
dance, he no ask fowl to a dance, he will not 
come dere. ask the fowls to come 

there. In Demerara, 
cockroaches are very 
plenty, and the domestic 
fowls are fond of feeding 
upon them. 

You ever see buckra man Did you ever see a white 
put rat for watchman man set a rat to watch 

cheeze ? his cheese ?' 

That time you can't suck Wheif you can't suck your 
mammy ye must suck mother, you must suck 

daddy. your father. 

'^ There is," says one of the first historians of the day, 
*^ an education of mind distinct from the literary, which 
is gradually imparted by the contingencies of active 
life," * an education which we may add, in the words 
of Bacon, is that ^* which marshalls on a man to his 
fortune," f and in this, says our author, first referred 
to, ^' which is always the education of the largest 
portion of mankind, our ancestors were never d^cient." 
The truth of this observation is to be found in the 
able exposition which this industrious and philosophical 



♦ Turner's Anglo- Saxons, 
f Advancement of Learning. 



pr5:face. lix 



writer has given of Saxon literature and civilization. 
That we have quoted him now, arises from our con- 
viction, that he has enunciated a great truth applicable 
to all stipes of society, as well as every fiBunily of 
man ; and which, even low as the average of Negro 
intellect is imiversally understood to be, receives con- 
firmation in the shrewd, sarcastic, and somewhat pithy 
proverbs which are current among them, of which the 
above specimen fiimishes but a slight idea. 

It may be gathered, from the general remarks inci- 
dentally scattered over the preceding page^, that we 
deem it almost impossible to assign to any particular 
nation, or age, its just share of that immense accumula- 
tion of fragmental wisdom, humour, drollery, allegory, 
metaphor, civil prudence, and observation of life and 
external nature, which, under the comprehensive name 
of proverbs, has, since the infancy of mankind, ]i\ed 
upon the breath of popular tradition. The identity of 
human nature has necessarily produced a correspoa*- 
dence and parallelism in the proverbs of every nation. 
Savage or civilized, ancient or modem, this affinity 
and resemblance can be most distinctly established. 
Even the Negro proverb above quoted — the crab that 
ever lies in his hole is never fat^ — ^taken in connection 
with the two equivalent ones there adduced, is an 
evidence in point. The same idea is brought out by 



Ix PREFACE. 



the whole three ; but local circumstances have modified 
the symbols used for its expression. This, however, 
is a proverb framed upon general observation; but 
even in local idiomatic proverbialisms we find equally 
remarkable coincidences. In Scotland, we have — To 
carry saut to Dysart^ and puddings to Tranent : in 
England — To carry coals to Newcastle: while, among 
the Hebrews, we have — To carry oil to a city of olives: 
and, among the Persians — To carry pepper to Hin- 
doostan. In England, To dine with Duke Humphrey 
was another phrase for a poor fellow picking his teeth 
upon an empty stomach ; while, in Scotland, according 
to Francis Sempill's " Banishment of Poverty," to 
dine with St Gfiles and Sari of Murray, had a similar 
uncomfortable signification.* Two other instances 
of similarity between these idiomatic proverbialisms 
we may adduce. In England, to put a man in prison 
is rather elegantly expressed as fitting him with a 
stone doublet ; while here, it appears from the evidence 
of Andrew Henderson, a witness examined regarding 



* « We twa gaid paceing there our lanes. 
The hungry hours *twixt twelve and ane, 
When I kent na way how to fen ; 
My g^ts rumbrd like a Hurle burrow ; 
I dined with Saincts and Noblemen, 
Even iweei St. Giles and Earle of Murray." 



PREFACE. bd 



the Gowrie Conspiracy, that the same idea was con- 
veyed by the expression- — to mak breeks for Mac- 
conddhu.* Among the modem Greeks, according to 
Professor Negris, we have Miy«^uv9 itix^vx Megarenr 
Stan tears: applied to those who weep insincerelyvl* 
and among the ancient Irish, the phrase To weepe Irishy 
had a like signification, j; 

But it is not in the proverbs of nations alone that 
we see this very marked uniformity. In their mytho- 
logies, their systems of philosophy, superstitions, and 
works of imagination or of humour, the like identity is 
discovered. Mind, in all its manifestations and at 



* Vide account of Gowrie Conspiracy appended to the 
Mnses Threnodie. 

f ** The Megarenses had men eminently skilled in this kind 
of weeping, whose business it was to bewail the Dead, and 
hence the proverb." — Negrii Dictionary of Modem Greek 
Proverb: Edin. 1831. 

\ « They follow the dead corpse to the grave with bowl- 
ings and barbarous out cryes, pittyfiiU in appearance, whereof 
grew as (I suppose) the proverbe to weepe Irish. — Campion 8 
Sitiorie. Spenser, in his view of Ireland gives us a common 
saying strikingly illustrative of the reckless character of the 
Irish peasantry to this day, — ^it is Spend me and Defend me, 
the value of which, we believe, is fully apprehended by the 
political agitators of that unhappy country. 



Ixdi PREFACE. 



all times, is tiniform and undiangeable. Its crystalliza- 
tions, if we may be permitted to make use of the 
phrase, appear to be all governed by certain general 
and well defined^ laws, and ever shape themselves into 
the same indestructible forms. With these laws, every 
seeming deviation or exception can easily be recon- 
ciled, and a beautiful congruity and harmony estab- 
lished in all that relates to the creations of the uni- 
versal mind. It would be foreign from our purpose 
to launch into that wide sea of specnlalion, which the 
enimciation of such views in some measure calls for ; 
but we only state them for the purpose of provoking 
the reader to a course of study on proverbs, more ex- 
tended in its range than was the case at the revival of 
letters and the times of Erasmus, when all inquiry on 
such a subject was bounded within the comparatively 
narrow limits of Hellenic lore. That tnily learned 
man has indicated, to a certain extent, the source from 
which the proverbs of Greece were derived ; but an 
acquaintance with Oriental literature would have car- 
ried him back to still more ancient fountain heads. 
Beneath we give his words, but without the examples 
he quotes, our limits obliging us to be as concise as 
possible.* Of the collectors of proverbs, both among' 

* " Ukde sumantur adagia. Veniimt igitur in vulgi ser- 



PREFACE. bciii 



the Greeks and Romans, as well as the middle ages, 
die same writer furnishes a GomprehensiTe list. His 
coatemponay, Polidore Vergil's labours, he omitted 
to notice^ ahhongh that writer preceded him in the 
same padi; but betwixt the Talne or magnitude of 
iJieir respective works no comparison can be insti- 
tuted.* 

Ere letters were invented, wisdom was abroad in. 
the world. Proverfo&were the germs of moral and po- 
litical science, and they not unfrequently constituted the 



monem vel ex oraculis numiniLm ; vel a Sapientum dictis, quse 
quidem antiquitas oraculomm instar celebravit. Vel e poeta 
quopiam maxime vetosto. Siquidem dmn linguae adhuc incor- 
ruptn manerent, poetarum versus in conviyiis etiam caneban- 
tur. Vel e scena, hoc est, tragicorum et comicorum actis 
fabuUs. Prsecipue vero comoedis mutuo quodam commercio 
et usurpat pluraque j aetata vulgo, et gignit, traditque vulgo 
jactanda. Nonnulla ducuntur ex fabularum argumentb. Qu»- 
dam trahuntur ex apologis. Aliquot ex eventu nascuntur. Ex 
histMiis aliqilo mutuo sumpta sunt. Qusedam profecta sunt ex 
apopthegmatis. Sunt qusB ex verbo temere dicto sunt arrepta. 
Denique mores, ingeniimi seu gentis, sive bominis alicujus 
■ive etiatti animantis : postrdiAo fei qtioque viis qusepiam inng- 
nis, ac vulgo nota, locum fecerunt adagio.**— D. Ekasmi 

RoTKBODAMI XH SUAS PsOTXaBIORUM ChIUADAsPrOLSOOMENA, 

p. 2. Editio RoBxaTi Stxfhani, 1558. 

• Polydori Vergilii Urbinatis Adagiorum opus per autorem 
et diligenter recognitimi et magnifice locupletatum Basileae 
apod Jo. Frob. An. if.D.xxv. 



IxiT PBEFACE. 



eofBpendioai wMdn for llie tiwmtaummm fd the dog* 
IMS of idigMHiy mod the fim priodpleB of ^kSkmofkjf 
of arti, nd tdoiees. In tlw ilnpe, onl tnfition pfe- 
•erred among prnnhiTe ages llie knowledge of tunes 
•tin mora remote; and what marUe, and b r a s D , and 
other derices of bnman inrention hare allowed to 
perish, prorerfas, floating upon the Ining rmoe, hare 
perpetuated. It would form no incmioas specolation 
to analyse the varions ingenions aids resorted to in the 
construction of these short sentences, to gire diem 
currency and famish aids to the memory. Brevity is a 
distinguishing characteristic of them all. Weight of sen- 
timent and justness of metaphor ought to he another, 
to justify the eulogy of Tillotson, ndiere he says, 
'* the little and short sayings of wise and excellent 
men are of great value, like the dust of gold or the 
least sparks of diamonds." Antithetical point recom- 
mends one class ; alliteration, or consonance of letters, 
another. Some ezate attention by a witty and unex- 
pected combination of ideas, and others by a caustic or 
sly humour ; while not a few, and these perhaps not 
the least numerous nor least ancient, can be no other- 
wise described than as an old writer expresses it — 

Rymes running in a rattling row ; 
which class we are inclined to affiliate upon our Scan- 



PREFACE. IXV 



dinayian ancestors. To rime a rat to death, is an 
EngUsb proverb, and with Sir William Temple we 
concmr in thinking it a yestige of Scandic snperstitiony 
referring to the magical powers ascribed to the Gothic 
rones. 

Proverbs are, to the volgar, not nierely a sort of 
metaphysical language, bnt a kind of substitute fw 
philosophical principles. A man whose mind has been 
enlarged by education, and who has a complete mastery 
over the riches of his native language, expresses his 
ideas in his own words ; and when he refers to any 
thing beyond the matter under his view, glances towards 
an abstract principle. A vulgar man, on the other 
hand, uses those proverbial forms which tradition and 
daily use have made fiEuniliar to him; and when he 
makes a remark which needs confirmation, he clenches 
it by a proverb. Thus both, though in a di£ferent 
way, illustrate the observation of Lord Bacon, that — 
*^ The nature of man doth extremelye covet to have 
something fixed and immoveable, and as a Rest and 
support of the mind." 

Cervantes, in painting the characters of Don Quixote 
and his sapient squire, the inimitable Sancho, has ex- 
cellently well brought out the distinction to which we 
refer. The Don is a gentleman of education — a man 
of fine ftncy and feeling, whose mind has been imbued} 



Ixvi PKEFACK. 



Dotions, aoi^^l 

I 



not less with classical ideas than romantic DOtions, 
who, on all subjects except that on which his 
turns, is the tnoat refined, the most disintereslAd, 
generous, niiil rational of huniBTi beiugs. Sancho, on 
the otlier hand, in a peraoniGcatioo of the vulgar mind: 
low, selfish, and cunning, and also no far mad as u> give 
credence to hix master's wildest fancies, in as much M 
they seemed to chime in with his own hopes and wi^e^ 
On all occasions the Don ever e^reases himself lika 
a scholar and a gentleman, Sancho like one of tfas 
vulgar herd. The knight nses hie own words to ex- 
press his own ideas ; but the vocabulary of the squire 
is the inexhaustible proverbs of his country. Befne 
quitting thi)' subject, we may refer to the admirable 
rules laid down by the knight for Sancho'a gnidaiioe 
in the use of proverbs, before assuming the goveni* 
ment of Barateria, as of general application. Th^ 
relieve us from dogmatising upon that point, and they 
agree with the rules laid down by Aristotle in 
Rhetoric with r^ard to epitliets namely, that 
discourse they ought to be used as mere condiment^ 

On tbe eternal relations of mankind, and their India* 
tractible passions and feelings, the proverbs of all 
countries present, as we have formerly stated, a strik- 
ing conformity ; and all that remeiinB for us here is to 



I 
I 



PREFACE. Ixvii 



observe that their number, in relation to any given 
passion or propensity, will be found in proportion to 
the depth of feeling which is excited by its exercise, 
and the degree in which it is under hnman control 
and management. 

The author has digested his book into common- 
places, and, looking to the head of << Old Age," we 
find only three or four ideas comprehended under it. 
Age is considered with respect to marriage— to poverty 
— ^to feebleness, and consequent caution induced there- 
by — ^to its effects on the mind, — and the feelings of, and 
palliation for, a woman who marries an old fellow, 
are glanced at. If the collection be perfect on this 
head, then these, it seems, are all the ideas which are 
really fbtmd of daily use in the practice of Scottish 
human life. It might be amusing to compare these 
few ideas with the train of thinking pursued in a philo- 
sophical treatise on old age, — Cicero, for example, — 
and to place in opposition the reflections of a contem- 
plative and highly cultivated intellect with the few 
practical hints floating in the common mind. 

In the proverbs ranged under the name of the 
Deity, it is delightful to see the views thiit are enter- 
tained of his providence and mercifcfl forbearance. 
There is nothing of the Jewish notions of vengefulness 
here. God trusts evert/ man with the care of his am 



Ixviii PREFACE. 

SOI//, is a retigionH masun evidently of Rpform origin. 
God U kind to fmi folk and bairns. When they fall 
they do not hurt themselves. Such are the homely 
instances adduced of the goodness of the Deity. 

Looking at the proverbs arranged under the dif- 
ferent heads, as iUuatratiTe of those qualities that go 
to the formalion of national character, we believe 
every one must be etinick by the caudon, sbrewdnese, 
penetration, humour, and, frequeutly, wit, of tnany of 
tJie observations, and the constant stream of good 
sense that runs through them, and feel respect for the 
individoBls who would make tliis manual, and the 
maxima which it contains, the guide of their practice. 
Under the head of "Bairns" there are remarks on 
education, on natural propensities, and on parental 
indulgence, of which many volumes that have been 
written are only amptificationa. Under " Gluttony," 
we have remarks on dietetics; and, under " Drinking," 
on intoxication, &c., which are, in fact, the text and 
germ of many volumes. As a national characteristic, 
however, we think it may he safely laid down, from a 
penual of this work, that for every time a Scot speaks 
of eating, he thinks thrice of his drink. 

It is worthy of remark, that we have nothing 
almost of politics, and as little directly, unless a 
satirical hit, of religion. Perhaps both the one and 



PREFACE. Ixix 



the other may have heen considered too much out of 
the way of folk who fomid themselves busied, and 
more profitably occupied with their own callings than 
with matters which they could not well understand 
or easily control. Kings have lang lugs^ (p. 39,)is but a 
part of the proverb. According to Bellenden's transla- 
tion of Boece, it is — All kingis hes "scharp sicht and 
lang eiris. The English have — Kings have long 
arms, which is synonimous with our Gentil ptuidoehs 
have lang taes. 

The proverbs clustered under the horns of that 
venerable antiquity, the Devil, are certainly not the 
least amusing in the book. Of his external appear- 
ance, we have nothing but his notable attribute of 
horns, which he has enjoyed as long as King Arthur. 
His inner man is, however, very fully depicted. He 
hates holy water, is subject to God — greedy, active, 
over-reaching-— sometimes a simpleton, and occasionally 
a satirist, for nothing more bitter was ever uttered by 
an unsuccessful litigant against our Supreme Court of 
Judicature, than the saying fathered upon him, and 
at one period its very trutb constituted its extreme 
pungency — Home is hamely, q%u> the Deily when he 
fand himsell in the Court of Session. The proverb 
may still apply to the English Court of Chancery. 

While we are talking of the Devil, it has been 



IXX PREFACE. 



remarked to us by an ingemous friend who has gone 
over this collection, that it seems strange that no pro- 
verbs have been foimd bearing reference to a class of 
his subjects, namely, witches, in sufficient number to 
require a distinct head. The same observation be 
makes in relation to that interesting class of supernat- 
ural beings, th^ fairies, so frequently alluded to by our 
poets, and so pofitdar in romantic songs and traditionary 
story. As our ^end has contributed a mite to the 
history of our national superstitions, we have cast it into 
a foot-note, for the benefit of all who love to pore over 
the annals of the invisible world.* 



* « Witches. — I see, indeed, one or two sentences in the book 
referring to witches, but when we recollect how general and firm 
the belief was in the existence of this supernatural race, I 
cannot well account for the omission. Within my own recol- 
lection, the belief was current in my native parish. The great- 
grandfather of one I know, on a Beltane, or May morning, was 
out early with his gun, and, to his great consternation, found 
two neighbour carlmes whom h^ had long suspected, but 
never had caught in the act of witchcraft before, with a long 
hair tether brushing the May-day dew off the pasture fields. 
He came on them somewhat by surprise, when they fled, and 
left the instrument of their incantation behind, which he 
carefully gathered up and carried home, and, without telling 
any body, placed it above the door by which his milk cows had 
to go to their stalls at milking time. The effect was, that 
the women, when they proceeded to milk the cows at the 



PREFACE. Ixxi 



For our obliviousness regarding witches we have 
our reatonv. The country is thoroughly ashamed, it 



break£Etft hour, could not find dishes to hold the supply of 
milk that, to their surprise and consternation, the cows 
yielded, till the old gentleman had taken down and submitted 
to the action of fire the charmed rope, when all went on in 
the usual way. There were a nimiber of knots on the rope, 
every one of which, when burning, gave an explosion like a 
pistoL^hot. I remember myself an old woman whom I used to 
see daily, on my road to school, who used constantly to have 
pieces of red thread and cuts of a young rowan-tree tied up 
in her cows* tails, as a countercharm ; and, when a boy, one 
of them having died, I asked her the ailment, when she told 
me seriously, that the beast was elf-shot: abe believed in 
witchcraft, and, in return, her neighbours had set her down 
as a witdi, — and a celebrated witch-finder was said, on more 
oocadont than one, to have brought her gasping for breath to 
houses from which he had been called to remove her cantrips. 
She could also assume the form of a mawkin at pleasure, and 
many is the morning that I have awaked, having pursued her 
with my dog, in metamorphosed shape, till, behind a hill or a 
bush, lo ! up she would start in her own human shape. I 
mention this gossip €mly to show the prevalence of this pre- 
judice, which I apprehend was spread over the country, and I 
am therefore surprised to find so little allusion to it in these 
traditionary ideas. 

<' Faibiis. — There is another superstition to which I am 
also surprised to find no allusion whatever, I mean the fairies. 

* In glens the fairies skip and dance. 
And witches wallop o'er to France,*— 



Ixxii PREFACE. 



may be supposed, by this time, of the horrid cruelties 
which wen perpetrated upon the poor creatures who 



says the old song. These superstitions were, I believe, con- 
temporaneous and coextensive in Scotland ; and it is carious 
that they are not found alluded to, even indirectly, so fiur as I 
can see, in these fragments of popular ideas. We must all 
remember fairy-knowes, and fairy-mills, and fairy-bums, in 
almost every parish. I remember a pretty little green knoll 
in the vicinity of my birth-place, where an honest old woman 
descried a pretty fairy dressed in green, with fine flaxen locks. 
In a moment he evanished from her sight. Many b the time 
and oft that I have gone to the spot, to try to get a glimpse 
of him, but all in vain. But it was not individually that they 
were wont to appear. A neighbour of mine in the country, 
stUl alive, has often told me, not as a fstncy, but as a veritable 
fact, that his father, one morning, when a young man, saw a 
whole band of these good folks coming out of one cave in the 
■ide of a hill, with music, and just as the sun was peering 
over the eastern horizon of a morning in June, going into 
another. He knew the tune that was played, and there were 
frequent shots let off, and the honest man believed it to be a 
fairy wedding. The place where they came out of I know 
as well as the room where I now writCf and a noted resort of 
fairies it was. The fieunner in the farm next to it had, in days 
of yore, gone to a brewery in the next village for a pitcher of 
ale. On his return home, hearing music in the craig, his 
curiosity prompted him to look in, where he, saw a party 
weaving the mazy dance, in the most beautiful style ; when a 
pretty young fairy, in a green gown, offered to be partner to 
the gash old carle in a set; and so well did he acquit himself, 
as to draw plaudits from the little folk, ' Well skipped, old 
Craigash.* When about to depart, he found that his ale 



PREFACE. Ixxiii 



lay ander the suspicion of being hand and glove with 
Satan. Kelly, however, preserves one — 

Ye breed o' the witches — ^ye can do nae gude to yoursel. 

which, while it Ulostrates the selfish turn of our 
countrymen, at the same time commemorates a hct 
which ever comes out prominently upon all the trials 
of these victims of superstition with which our criminal 
records are disgraced. 

If our ingenious correspondent r^rets the absence 
of allusion to witches and fairies in the volnme> it 
seems however to preserve a reference to one who 
had the character in popular story of being a consum- 



had been made free with by the dancers, without his permis- 
sion, and when he was about to blame the liberty that had 
been taken, he received some significant hints that he had 
better begone, in case a worse thing should befal him, which, 
in the end, he was glad to do. — I could fill a nursery tale- 
book with similar stories, and I suppose most persons who 
have spent their yoimger days in the country can do the same, 
and on that account I cannot help feeling surprise at the 
want of all allusion to this superstition." 

In Mr. Pitcaim's "Criminal Trials," and in " Law's Memo- 
rials," edited by Mr. Kirkpatrick Sharpe, there is a fine store 
of such relations. Some rhymes connected with Witchcraft 
and Fairies occur in Chambers* curious collection, entitled 
" Popular Rhymes of Scotland." 

f 



Ixxiv PREFACE, 

mate tnagician, Doniely, Wagner, the disciple of Dr. 
FauHtus. At least, we Happose, tbat tboogh there be a 
alight rariation in the Bpelling, the same personage is 
alltided to in this proverbial comparison,— j4s fattse 
as Wagkorn, and he was nineteen times favser than 
the Deil.* As to fairies, only one proverb occant in 
Kelly's collection — Fair come tkejf, and fair go they, 
and aye t/ieir heels /lilhermost. And in the proverb. 
Neither sae sinfu as to sink, nor sae holy as to soom, 
we have obvioosly an alltision to the ordeal of water, 
to which witches were so frequently subjected. 

It has befin a commua error with the panemiogra- 
pheTB of this fastidious age, to put^e their collections 
BO for ss their sense of conventional delicacy reaches, 
of all impureness of expression. We are not partial to 
ohacenity of any description, but as honest students of^ 
hniuan nature, and national character, we cannot eym- 
pathise in this affected regard for the purity of morals,, 
or rather of written longu^^, which the verbal re- 
finements of a particular day seek to enforce. A clean 
tongue and a foul stomach, an open brow and a false 
heart, arenot DDfrequently found united — nulla Jronig 



* The second Report of Doctor John Faufltiu, containing 
hia appearaocea, and the dced« of Wognvr. London, 15e4> 
Roprintid in Tbom's of ancient English FictionB. 



PREFACE. IXXV 



fides. But the cleanness of the one, or the openness 
of the other, does not alter the nature of that of which 
they should be as true an index as the shadow of the dial 
spike is of the 8un*s course, upon the graduated scale of 
time. Besides these revolting and unrefined, illustrar 
tions, gathered as they for the most part are from the 
commonest, as they may be the most mortifying infirmi- 
ties or offices of nature, are in themselves often more, 
pungent, apt, quaint, ludicrous, and striking, than those 
which are derived from a more elevated stock of ideas. 
As illustrative of the domestic habits, civil economy, 
and living speech of a people, they are frequently 
invaluable. Why should mere types be more disg^t* 
ing than the things themselves ? Tliis shrinking from 
ourselves — ^from a fJEur exposition of our own nature 
and habits, is, according to our notions, utterly con* . 
temptible. It is only a vicious device to trick the 
soul of its integrity, and to divert our moral feelings 
from their right channels, that this circumlocutory 
horror of indecency in colloquial discourse has been 
invented. To wrap nasty ideas up in clean linen, is 
one sure sign of a degenerate and emasculate age. 
A spade is a spade aU the world over, and is so 

• 

understood, however it may be expressed. And 
they that have eaten the cow, and worry at its rump, 
or cry salt, like the souter, after swallowing the bide, 



only betray a fastidiouBneBB of ear, which is as uDphi- 
luaophical as it is ridiculoua, and positively injarions 
to riglit thinking and pure morala. In the diatrese of 
Ray, at the charge hronght against him for introducing 

into his collectioa Bonie proverbs which, even in hn ■ 

day, by no ineaos ea squeamish as the present, were I 

reckoned too indelicate, we can sympathise ; and we I 

fatly subscribe to the juiliciuus remarks wliicli he urg^es I 

in extenuation of his ofTence. In the present rolumef 1 

we observe the foul have been carefully sifted from the I 

feir, and a considerable number, consequently of the I 

rudest and commonest of our proverbs omitted. Ab J 

a roan of the world, studying the taste of his own brief I 

day, our author may he justifiable, but as a philosopher, , J 

as an historian of manners, or a severe antiquary, he ia j 

most decidedly wrong. I 

The domestic habits of a people arc best known hy | 

their proverbs. We regret to perceive that, when I 

we apply tliis rule to ourselves, the Scots cannot boast I 

of much cleanliness. Under the head of " Dirt," I 
there appears uo less than fifteen sayings, one half of 

which at least, have heen contrived to excuse fjlthiness. I 

It is curious to notice the different feelings which are 1 
appealed to in behalf of personal and domestic slovenli' 
ness and nastlness. Republican feelings are appealed to 

in Dirl dtjics the king! covetous propcnsiliea and 1 



PREFACE. ixxvii 

' mperatitiouB conceit a are coucilialed in Dirl bodts luck, 
—fears of personal safety are eoothed io The mair dirt 
\ Ae less hurt; and to wind up the climax, our notions 
[ of individual comfort are rather Btaitllngly excited by 
I the announcement — The clarfier the cosier.' With all 
Sir. Henderson's industry, we observe that one com- 
mon proverb, Dirt parts companie, lias been omitted, 
and which we would not have supplied, had it not 
been mentioned with becoming respect in " The Mnsea 
Threnodie." We suspect tlie filthy domestic habits of 
the Scots, were not improved by their long intercourse 
with the French, certainly the nastiest of civilized people. 
In glancing over this volame, we find no allusion to 

IJHiterary tastea or to books ; but in the saying, Oul of 
Jtavjf Lindsay into Wallace, the interesting fact is 
handed down to us of the popularity of the works of 
Liudaay and Heury the Minstrel ; and, indeed, Kelly 
■ays tliat both were commonly read in the schools. 
In Kelly, too, we have an allusion to an early alman- 
ack monger, In liuchatmris Almanack, langfoul and 
g fair, which description will still apply well to 
the penny almanacks of Aberdeen. The singular 
reputation in which the noble poem of " Blind Harry," 

Iiod writings of Sir David Lindsay were held by the 
populace of Scotland, is farther confirmed by the sayings 
which, in the country, we hear every day, when incre- 



diditT is widbed to he 



WaUaee. 

VHale nSemm to ifc 
nMiTj^ it I'f ill* IB tint \n liov^ 
most strikioig pMOfeB of 
happjr me of prorerbBfiaBs. At tlie fidd of FAiik, 
Wallace addrened fak amiT in these 
^Ihaif broditye totlienng; hopgifye 
Terlnal expieauon wlncfa we bdiere is stifl in 
Qte. Connected with die name of WaDaoe, we lame 
another proreih, aUnded to in ^ Langloft's Cfaranicle^" 
which we quote, as fixing its a n tiquity to a certun 
extent — ItfaUiM in his eighe that hewes omer hie wi^ 
Walayi. The same, nnder a slight veihal change, 
occurs in Fergoson's collection. — He that hewes ower 
hie the spoil wiU fall in his ee. 

Some exceedingly interesting changes in the con- 
dition of society, the domestic economy of our ances- 
tors, and references to historical events, are preserved 
in these laconisms, to which we would most willingly 
allude, were it not that our observations have already 
extended far beyond our limits. A number of pro- 
verhfl seem to have taken their rise from some striking 
characteristics of distinguished families, while others, 
from being their favourite maxims, have become 



PREFACE. Ixxix 



general throughout the country. The noble and 
potent family of Douglaa had ever a relish for 
these homely saws, and in Hume of Godscroft's 
history, no inconsiderable number may be picked up. 
Better hear the laverock whistle than the numse 
cheep, was a favourite maxim of the Douglasses, and 
its interpretation appears to correspond with the 
English one of Better a castle of bones than cf 
stones.^ One proverb alludes to our long Stewart 
dynasty of Kings, Y^re no d sib to the king though 
your name he Stewart; and the melancholy regret 
of deep-rooted attachment to the exiled family, is 
forcibly brought out in this impressive moral reflection. 
Every thing has its time, and sae had kings of 
Stewart line. Even James the Sixth, whose passion 
for woodcraft was as noted as his claims to distinction 



* ** It was early discovered that the English surpass 
their neighbours in the arts of assaulting or defending forti- 
fied places. The policy of the Scottish, therefore, deterred 
them from erecting upon the borders buildings of such extent 
and strength, as, being once taken by the foe, would have been 
capable of receiving a permanent garrison. To themselves, 
the woods and hills of their native country were pointed out 
by the great Bruce as their safest bulwarks; and the maxim 
of the Douglasses, ' that it was better to hear the lark sing 
than the mouse cheep' was adopted by every border chief." — 
Miiuinby of the SeoUith Border. ' XwtrodwtUm, p. Ixzii. 



IXXX PREFACE. 



for kingcraft, has, from this circnmstance, given rise to 
the proverb — Peace gae w{ ye^ cu King Jamie said 
to his hounds.* Many proverbs acquire importance 
from the circumstances tinder which they have been 
applied. Of this sort is the one Ye have said toeely 
hut wha will bell the cat 9 and which conferred on 
Archibald, sixth earl of Angns, the soubriquet of BeU 
the Cat, At the raid of Ruthven, when James the Six^ 
was surprised by the Master of Glamis, and was resent- 
ing the indignity offered by that party to his p^-son, 
the Master turned round upon him with the proverb-— 
Better bairns greet than bearded men, James bad a 
vast liking for proverbs, and they were ever in his 
mouth; and the one which he used — Beil tah me but 
like is an ill mark, acquires importance from the story 
connected with it.f 



* It is applied by a mother to a troublesome cluster of little 
urchins, when she gets them soothed and turned out of doors 
to amuse themselves. 

f « A report is handed down that Lord Gowrie's brother 
received from the queen a ribband which she had got from the 
king, that Mr. Alexander went into the king^s garden at 
Falkland on a sultry hot day, and lay down in a shade and 
fell asleep. His breast being open, the king past that way 
and discovered part of the ribband about his neck below his 
gravat, upon which he made quick haste into the palace, which 
was observed by one of the queen's ladies who past the same way. 



PREFACE. Ixxxi 



A yeiy numerous class originating from historical or 
local incidents, might be enumerated; but we are 
reluctantly compelled to omit all illustration of this 
interesting class, trusting that the reader, in the course 
of his studies, will be able to connect many with 
interesting features of history or local traditions. In- 
deed, to do this satisfactorily, it would be necessary 
to add a commentary to each proverb of this sort as 
it occurs in the collection, which we hope to see yet 
done in some future edition. 

A number of anecdotes connected with proverbs we 
bad been at the pains of collecting, for the delectation 
of the courteous reader, but these, like some more 
valuable things, we have been necessitated to throw 
overboard for the present. One only we shall relate, and 
as it shows how the study of proverbs tends to diminish 
crime, to do away with foolish customs, and excite good 



She instantly took the ribband from his neck, went a nearer 
way to the queen's closet, where she found her majesty at 
her toilet, whom she requested immediately to lay the ribband 
in a drawer : she quickly retired, telling her majesty that she 
would presently see reason for it ; in a short time the king came 
in, and demanded a sight of the ribband he had lately given 
her. Her majesty opened the drawer, and presented the 
ribband to him, which, when he had attentively considered, 
he delivered to her majesty, and retired, muttering these 
words, LeU tah me hut lj:;b is an ill mark."-^Muie8 Thremtdic, 



IxXXii PREFACE. 



fapmoured feelings in place of their opposite, we think 
no apology is necessary for here introducing it. 

An intimate friend of onr own, a gentleman of 
some eccentricity of character, was at one period of 
his life a very assiduous collector of proverbs. He 
piqued himself not a little upon his store of proverbial 
colloquialisms, and, in all argumentative matters, was 
sore to silence his opponents by fairly pouring into 
them a broadside of proverbs, great and small, light 
and heavy, pat or unpat, no matter which, if he only 
kept up a raking fire of this sort of verbal shot At 
the time we speak of, it was his custom to note down 
every proverb which he might overhear in the course 
of conversation, on slips of paper, from which he 
transferred them to his magnum cpuSy when leisure 
occurred. In this way, there seldom was card, letter, 
or scrap of paper on his person, but was literally 
groaning with << rusty sayed sawes" and proverbial 
rhymes. No bee could be busier in sucking from 
every flower its pith and flavour, than our collector 
was in registering upon his sybilline leaves the fruits 
of every day's quest after these insulated morsels of 
wit and wisdom. 

On one occasion, he had been invited to a large 
party at a friend's house, whe^ there happened to be 
not a few strangers present. Our friend, fortunately. 



PREFACE. Ixxxiii 



we tbink, as the sequel will show, had forgotten to 
disgorge his pockets of their multifariotis contents. 
Well, the good things disappeared, and the wine fol- 
lowed, and, with every bottle, the conversation as- 
Biuned a more lively character. How some misun- 
derstanding with our collector and another gentleman 
at the table arose, we cannot well explain, but cer- 
tainly their words waxed high, and to such a degree 
was their dispute carried, that an abrupt termination 
was put to the festivities of the evening by the man 
of proverbs handing over his card to the stranger. 
Nothing, of course, was spoken of by the grave part 
of the company but this disagreeable quarrel, and the 
still more disagreeable results to whith next morning's 
dawn must unavoidably give rise. 

Next morning came, and the gentleman began to 
bestir himself, as, according to the rules of honour, 
he must do, when there is a personal injury to be 
avenged. With the man of proverbs he was deeply 
enraged, and to refresh his memory as to name and 
address, he had recourse to the card put into his hands 
over night. He looked first at one side, then at the 
other, but name or place en neither could be found ; . 
but, in place of that, there was traced, in good legible 
characters— << Naething should be done in a 
HUKRT, BUT CATCHING FLEAS." The efifbct of this was 



Ik 



iireBiBtible. Mr. fell into an uncontrollable fit of 

laugbter, and, with very &It«red feelings from those 
with which he left his couch, immediHtely called upon 
a mutual friend, where such esplanationa were given 
as to ibe quarrel of the evening before, that a hostile 
meeting was in a moment quashed. Had it not been, 
however, for this fortunate incident of proverb gather- 
ing, there is no saying how matters would have ended. ' 
We^ knowing all the circumstances, are entitled to say- 
that but for tills excellent aphorism, one or two valu- 
able Uvea might have been sacrificed to notions of false 

Our desultory remarks, we find, have considerably 
exceeded the limits usually assigned to a preface, and 
we cannot think of longer taxing the reader's patience. 
Notwithstanding our prolixity, the interesting subject 
of our national proverbs is far from being exhausted, 
and indeed many topics connecteil with it we have 
purposely avoided, aware that, to do them justice, 
would have converted this slight essay into a volume 
of considerable magnitude. At our outset, we thought 
we could have accomplished more within tlie same 
space ; but, with all our endeavours to compress, we 
must candidly confess we have been able to realise I 



e than a half of the sketch we pur)ioscd ti 
oltish proverbs 



The present coUecli 



PREFACE. IXXXV 



ample than any that has preceded it. Without stick- 
ling at what may be strictly denominated the indigen* 
OOB proverbs, Mr. Henderson has, very properly, we 
think, taken a wider latitude, and published all that 
drcnlated among his countrymen, whether exotick or 
of home growth. The currency and general use of 
l3ie proverb are indeed the only things which ought to 
be attended to in gathering the proverbs of a people 
at a particular period. A careful perusal of early 
history and poetry, we believe, would have largely in- 
creased the stock of our national adages ; but as many 
of these have fallen aside through the lapse of time, 
they could not well be revived in a work which pro- 
fesses to confine itself to those in present use. Some 
of the proverbs occurring in this volume, we believe, 
however, can only be considered of local or provincial 
existence, and not generally current over Scotland. 
These, we think, the author, in the event of a second 
e^tion, should distinguish from the mass, and indicate 
the localities to which they belong. 

Among collectors of proverbs, it has been much 
disputed whether the alphabetical arrangement, or that 
of common places be the better. Our author has 
adopted the latter, and perhaps that method renders 
the reading of the volume throughout more pleasant 
md continuous ; but, for ready reference, we question 



IxXXVi PREFACE. I 

much if it poBseaeeB any advanlsgeB ova the alpha- 
betical order. A book of proverbs is not of the claaa 
to be read through, — it ie only to be dipped into sicut 
eatiis ad Nilwm bibeas et fugiens. 

In addition to a copions Tocabulary, which will he 
found of ii9<! hy tho^e not tamiliar with the virnacular 
dialect of ttrotland, Mr. Henderson haa illustrated 
his volume with a few characteristic etcliings. How 
far he haa succeeded is left for the public to jaUge. 
We who know but little of art, can, however, see that 
it is of DO easy performance the task which he has 
accomplished, and it would have been one of the last 
we would have undertaken. 

" Things of greatest profit are set forth at least price," 
BO says an apothegm ^venin a preceding page, and whicli 
we now cite as justly applicable to the volume which 
Mr. Henderson submits to the public. In the candour 
of friendship, we have expressed our own notions of 
its merits and demerits, but as we set out with a de- 
claration of diffidence as to our judicial qualifications, 
we can insist but lightly on the value of our cursory 
criticism, and we leave every one unshackled to form 
his own opinion. Speaking for ouraelf, however, we 
may say, that, imbued as we aie with a spirit of na- 
tionality, we shall ever rejoice to see additions made 
to the stock of our native lltenture, and this volnme 



• PREFACE. IxXXvii 

being no inconsiderable one, and being, moreover, upon 
a highly interesting subject, it is doubly valuable in 
our eyes, as we trust it shall prove in the eyes of those 
who, whatever their theoretic cosmopolitanism may be, 
still in their hearts acknowledge that Hame is hame, 
be it neer sae hamely. 

Hurried for time, and limited in space, the fore- 
going observations have been thrown together imder 
many disadvantages, as an introduction to a friend's 
book, in whose literary labours we, from early and long 
continued acquaintanceship, cannot fail to take a deep 
interest. That they form not a more befitting portico 
to his edifice we may regret, but cannot now remedy. 
Anxiety, however, on the score of the inadequate 
manner in which we have discharged a friendly duty 
imposed upon us, is materially diminished when we 
reflect that all honest Scots will, like ourself, feel 
grateful to the author for giving us so large a compila- 
tion of our national sayings. A book of the sort was 
wanted, and the want has been well supplied. In 
welcoming it, then, we are sure there is not one will, in 
the words of frosty-pated January, say to the indus- 
trious collector, 

" Straw for Senek^ and straw for thy proverbes ! " 
or imitate that pretty n^orsel of frail womankind, the 



IxJOCviii PREFACE. 



Wife of Bath, who, when her mate " Joly Clerk 
Jankin/' dinned into her ear this wholesome matri- 
monial caveat — 

Whoso that buildeth his house all of svtrallowes, 
And pricketh his blind horso over the fallowes, 
And suffereth his wife to go seken hallowes, 
Is worthy to he hanged on the gallowes. 

was wont to boast that she 

sette not an hawe 
Of his proverbes, ne of his old sawe. 

Snch a reception is out of the question. On the 
contrary, we believe the candid reader will receive the 
volume in the same spirit as that which animated the 
Son of Sirach when he gave utterance to this advice-— 
Despise not the discoveries of the wise, but 

ACQUAINT THYSELF WITH THEIR PrOVERBS, FOR 
OF THEM THOU SHALT LEARN INSTRUCTION. 

W.M. 

Glasgow, 30th April, 1832. 



\ 



i 



SCOTTISH PROVERBS. 



AGE. 

An auld man *b a bedfu' o' banes. 

Auld men are twice bairns. 

Auld age and marriage bring a man to his nigbt-cap. 

Eild and pourtith are ill companions. 

Eild and pourtith are ill to thole. 

Hand your feet, Lucky Dad, auld fouk 's no fiery. 

He 's aidd and cauld, and ill to lie aside. 

There 's beild beneath an auld man's beard. 

Eild and pourtith are a sair burden for ae back. 

ANGER. 

Anger begins wi' folly, and ends wi' repentance. 

Anger is the fever and frenzy of the soid. 

Anger 's short lived in a gude man. 

Anger maks a rich man hated, and a poor man scorned. 

Anger may glance into the breast o' a wise man, but 

only rests i* the bosom o' a fool. 
Anger canna stand without a strong hand. 

A 



BAIRNS. 



Anger 's mair hmtfu' than the wrang Uiat caused it. 

Anger punishes itseF. 

A hasty man is never lusty. 

A hasty man never wanted wae. 

He should be sindle angry that hae few to mease him. 

He that^<8 angry opens bis mouth and steeks his een. 

He that will be angry for ony thing, will be angry for 

naething. 
He 's ne'er at ease that 's angry. 
Rage is without reason. 
Twa things ne'er be angry wi', — ^what ye can help, and 

what ye canna help. 

AVARICK 

Avance geneially miseakulates, and as generally de- 
ceives. 
He wad rake hell for a 2>odlew 
He wad gang a mile to flit a sow« 
He wad fley a louse for its skin. 
Ne'er let your gear o'ergang you. 
Mony ane for land, taks a fool by the hand. 

BAIRNS. 

Bums are certain care but nae sma' joy. 

Bairns maun creep ere they gang. 

Bairns speak in the field what they hear by the fireside. 

Between ^ee and thirteen, thraw the woodie when 

it 's green. 
Early crook the tree that gude crununock wad be. 
Falkirk bairns mind naething but nischie^ 



BEAIPTY. S 



Falkirk bairns die ere they thrive. 

Gie a baira his will and a whelp its fill^ and neither 

will do weel. 
Dawted bairns dow bear little. 
Fair in the cradle may be fotd in the saddle. 
He 's a wise bairn that kens his ain father. 
Ill bairns are best heard at hame. 
Ill bairns are aye getting broken brows. 
Mony ane kisses the bairn for have o' the nurse* 
Of bairns' gifts ne er be fain: nae sooner they gie thm 

they seek it again. 
Put anither man's bairn in your bosom, and hell creep 

out at your sleeve. 
Silly bairns are eith o' lear. 
When bairns are young they gar their parents' heads 

ache ; when they are anld they mak their hearts ache^ 
We can shape our bairns' wyliecoat, but canna shape 

their weird. 

BEAUTY. 

A bonnie bride 's soon buskit. 

A bonnie face needs nae band, an ill ane deserves nane. 

A fair face and a foul bargain. 

A fair face is half a fortune. 

Beauty draws mair than oxen* 

Beauty but bountith availeth nothing. 

Beauty 's a fair but a fading flower. 

Beauty 's muck when honour 's tint. 

Beauty without virtue 's like poison in a gowd box. 

Beauty 's only skin deep. 



^t CTEEDTIEt. 




i,f^ I, ^ '(j^H- If i^d. iokJ Ih; Ij |Hr yon wi' & 

^^ 4r Uiigtiy Ml Uurw^Uidk. oiid IkH zidt ^ :li» AaiL 



*t%^ VUmI AMtt^A' Aft iiM m tU« mov. 



h ¥i$m*^ m4%nmmH iMMkk about ae dm^. 

h Mmtmy^\H\i^ 1^ «m4 do Imt Ittik. 

A' rt^ 4^11 'ft iM/ fth#/rM Mf kmttpmu 

i'4^Um MM »)rM ip'Miii 4|««f«^ 1^^^ y^^ leg and toy. 



CAUSE AND EFFECT. 5 

A weel bred dog gaes out when he sees them prepar- 
ing to kick him out. 
Dogs bark as they are bred. 
Gude breeding and siller, mak our sons gentlemen. 

BUTTER. 

Butter is the king o' a' creesh. 

Butter and bum trouts are kittle meat for maidens. 

Butter to butter 's nae kitchen. 

Fry stanes wi' butter^ and the broe will be gude. 

He that has routh o' butter may lay it the thicker on 

his bread. 
Like Orkney butter, neither gude to eat nor to creesh 

woo. 
Butter is gowd i' the morning, siller at noon, and 

copper at night. 

CARE. 

A pund o' care winna pay an ounce o* debt. 
Care will kill a cat, and she has nine lives. 
Little gear less care. 

CAUSE AND EFFECT. 

A rowing stane gathers nae fog. 
A green Yide maks a £At kiik-yard. 
A few flittings are as bad as ae burning. 
As the sow fills the draff sours. 
A crooked stick will throw a crooked shadow. 
A gude hairst maks men prodigal, and a bad ane, pro- 
vident. 



A 

A dimr jr^ makii 

¥igt tkae zxsi tnar \10aant 



I 



« « 



wimp est* 401^ aliacpa»lhe 



«are^0aK 




Tlwf tfast work 1 die ain 
When the well '« fiMi h will rin 
Wbai f Mi tee a wcoon paiatr 
y^ping emu wOl laifie iiiasti& 

CAmox. 

Better greet ower your glides dnn after your gudes. 

Canny iitretch, noon reach. 

Cawk in nae itlieam. 

Hand the liank in your ain band. 

I le nee<U a lang nhanket spoon that aapeksB wf tha deO* 

lie that lias bat ae ee, maon tent it weeL 

If ycm dinna see the bottom, dinna wade. 

It *% no safe wading in mco watera. f 

Leare the court era the court lasre yoo. 

MiNMure twice, cut bat anea. 

NeW put a sword in a wad man's hand^ 

Nn'ftr niisim* a (ioidon in the rows o' Stradibogie* 

Na'i*r say ill fallow to him you deal wi'. 

N«*er trust muckle to an auld enemy, nor a now friend. s. 



1 



CONTENTMEKT. 7 

Ne'er put your hand &rer out than your sleeve will 

reach. 
Silence and thoughts hurt nae man. 
Tell not your he when your foot sleeps. 
Tak care o' an ox before^ aa ass hehkad, and a monk 

on all sides. 

CHARITY. 

Giving to the poor increaseth a man's store. 
Charity begins at hame. 
Spend, and God will send ; spare, and be bare.- 
Charity begins at hame, but shouldna end there. 
Charity ne'er made a man poor, nor robbery rieh, nor 
prosperity wise. 

CLEANLINESS. 

A dean thing 's kindly, quo' the wife, vfhen she tumecl 

her sark, after a month's wear. 
Cleanliness is nae pride, dirt 's nae honesty. 
Let ilka ane soop before their ain door. 

COMPARISON. 

Little odds between a feast and a fon wome. 
Like draws to like, as an auld hstse to a fail dyke* 
Blue, and better blue. 

Muckle about ane, as the deil saUi to the collier. 
Much about a pitch, quo' the deil to the witch. 

CONTENTMENT. 

A man 's wed or wae, as he thinks faimsel sae. 



I 



B COUKl'HUIP. 

A man's greatest wealth is coateatment wi' little. 

Aiie at H time is gnde fialiing. 

Let ilka luie be eontent tvi' his ain kavel. 

Hap anil a lia'penny, is world's gear aneugh. 

O' a little tak a little ; when there 'a nought, tak a'. 

O' a litUe tak a. little, and leare a little behin. 

We maun tak the i;rap an it grows. 

Contentment is a congtant feast. 



A courageons foe is better than a cowardly Trieud. 

A faint heart never won a fair lady. 

A wight tnan never wanted a weapon. 

Courage against misfortune, and reason against passion. 

Fortune fevonrB the brave. 

Fortune helps the hardy, and the poltroon aye repels. 

Naething sae crouse as a new washen louse. 

Naething sae bauld as a blind mare. 

The cock 's aye crouse on his ain midden head. 

A man's aye cruuso in his am cause. 



A Byer wad aye hae a follower. 

Gloweriii is nae gainsaying. 

Happy is tbe wooing that 's no lang o' doing. 

He courts for cake and pudding. 

He that woos a maiden maun come seldom in her sight ; 

— He lliat woos a widow maun ply her day and night. 

Light maidens mak lai^ng ladn. 

Nippii^ and acarlii^ u Scotch folbs' wooing. 



CREDIT. 



Sunday's wooing draws to ruin. 

The lass that has mony wooers aften wails the warst. 

Wha may woo without cost ? 

When petticoats woo, breeks may come speed. 

COVETOUSNESS. 

A covetous man does naething that he should do, till 

he dies. 
A covetous man is gude to nane, but warst to himsel. 
A covetous man lives in dread, and dies wretched. 
A covetous man 's like a turnspit d(^ — ^roasts meat 

for ithers. 
Covetousness often starves other vices. 
Covetousness brings naething hame. 

COWARDICE 

A coward 's nae company. 

A coward's fear maks a coward brave. 

A wee thing fleys a coward. 

He 's mair fleyed than hurt. 

His heart 's in his hose. 

Put a coward to his mettle, and he '11 fight wi' the deil. 

To fEUNots (cowards) hard hazards is death ere they 

come near. 
A man may spit in his nieve and do but little. 

CREDIT. 

Credit is better than ill won gean 
Credit keeps the crown o' the causey. 
Credit lost is like a broken glass. 



10 DEATH. 



He wha 's lost his credit is dead to the warld. 

Them that hae maist need o' credit seldom get mnckle. 

CUNNING. 

He can hand the cat and play wi' the kitlen. 

He can say, My jo, and think it no. 

He can baud the cat in the sul 

He kens how mony beans mak five. 

He kens how to butter a whitten* 

He kens which side his cake 's buttered on. 

He's no sae daft as he lets on. 

He snoits his nose in his neighbour's cog, to gcft the 

brose himsel. 
His evening sang and fak morning sang are no bttith 

alike. 
The peasweep aye cries farest frae its ain nest. 
They that see your head see not a' your heigbt. 
You wad wheedle a laverock frae the lift. 
A' are no friends that speak us har, 
A crafty man 's ne'er at peace. 
Craft maun hae claes, but truth gaes naked. 

D£IATU. 

A dry cough is the trumpeter o' death. 
Death defies the doctor. 
Death and marriage break term days. 
Death comes in and speirs nae questions. 
Death is deaf, and win hear nae denul. 
He wha 's poor when he 's married, shall be rich ^vdiieix 
he 's buried 



DESTINY. 11 



The death o' ae hairn winna skail a house. 
There's remede ifor a' thing, but stark dead. 

DEBT. 

Better auld debts than auld sairs. 

A pound o' care winna pay an ounce o' debt. 

He wha pays his debt begins to make a stock. 

Out o* debt^ out o' danger. 

Sins and debts are aye mair than we think them. 

The less debt the mae dainties. 

A poor man's debt maks muckle noise. 

DELAY. 

Delays are dangerous. 

Delay not till to-morrow what may be done to-day. 
There's naething got by delay, but dirt and lang 
nails. 

DESTINY. 

A man may woo wha he will, but must wed whare 
he 's weird. * 

Flee as fast as you will, your fortune will be at your 
tail. 

Hanging gaes by hapk 

He that's bom to be- hang'd will never be drown'd. 

The water will ne'er waur the woodie. 

It was my luck, my lady, and I canna get by it. 

Some hae hap, and some stick in the gap. 

Nae fleeing frae fate. 

Nae butter will stick to^ my bread. 



12 D1FFID£NC£. 



DEVIL. 

I like him as the deil likes holy water. 

If that God givC) the deil dauma reave. 

It's curly and crooket, as the deil said o' his horns. 

Speak o' the deil and he'll appear. 

Speak o' ony hody hut the deil and he'll appear. 

The deil 's a husy bishop in his ain diocese. 

The deil and the dean begin wi' ae letter : 

— ^When the deil gets the dean, the kirk will be the 

better. 
The deil 's nae waur than he 's ca'd. 
The deil's cow calves twice a^year. 
The deil's aye gude to his ain. 
The deil's bairns hae aye their dady's luck. 
The deil aye drives his hogs to an ill market. 
The deil 's gane ower Jock \Yabster. 
They need a lang shanket spoon, that sup kail wi' the 

deil. 
The deil bides his day. 

The devil was sick, and the devil a monk would be; 
— The devil got well, and the devil a monk was he. 
The deil gaes awa when he finds the door steeket 

against him. 
To craw and to scrape weel is the deil's trade. 
When the man is fire, and the wife is tow; 
— The deil comes in and blaws 't in lowe. 

DIFFIDENCE. 

A blate cat maks a proud mouse. 
Diffidence is the mother o' safety. 



DRESS. 13^ 



He that spares to speak, spares to speed. 
Mony an honest man needs help, that hasna the foce 
to seek it. 



DIRT. 

He that deals in dirt has aye foid fingers. 
Cleanliness is nae pride, dirt is nae honesty. 
Kamesters are aye creeshie. 
Lang straes are nae mots, quo' the wife, when she 

haided the cat out o' the kirn. 
He's a dirty tod that fyles his ain hole. 
The t&d, though stinking, keeps aye his ain hole 

clean. 
The clartier the cosier. 
The fish that's hred in a dirty puddle will aye taste o' 

mud. 
The mair dirt, the less hurt. 
There 's a mot in't, quo' the man, when he swallowed 

the dish-clout. 
Though she's dirty, she's dry, like the man's wife. 
Dirt hodes luck. 
Standing duhs gather dirt. 
Dirt defies the king. 
Ye may wash aff dirt, hut never dun hide. 

DRKSS. 

« 
Bonnie feathers mak honnie birds. 

Gude claes open a' doors. 

You 're as braw as Binks' wife, when she becket to 

the minister, wi' the dish-clout on her head. 



14 DRUN&ENNESS. 



DRUNKENNESS. 

A red note maks a ragged back. 

Drunk at night and dry next morning. 

Drunk folk seldom take harm. 

Double drinks are gude for drouth. 

Drink and drouth oome sindle tfaegidier. 

Drink little, that ye may drink lang. 

Fair fa' gude drink, for it gars folk speak as tliey 

think. 
He has a hole aneath his nose, that wiona let his back 

be rough. 
Draff he sought, but drink was his errand. * 
He speaks in his drink what he thinks in his drouth. 
Laith to drink, and laith frae it. 
Ne'er let the nose bhish for the sins o' the mouth. 
The smith has aye a spark in his throat. 
Tak a hair o' the dog that bit you yestreen. 
The maut 's aboon the meaL 
What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals. 
When drink 's in, wit 's out. 
When wine sinks, words soom. 
What you do when you 're drunk, you must pay when 

you 're sober. 
Wha can help sickness, quo' the wife, when she lay 

drunk in the gutter. 
Ye hae been smelling the bung. 
He's waur to water than to com. 
Our fathers, who were wonderous wise, 
— Did wash their throats before they wash'd their 

eyes. 



ECONOMY. 15 



The accommodation bill trade, 
— Connected wi' the gill trade, 
— ^Aye turns out an ill trade. — W. ReidL 

EARLY RISING. 

Early birds catch the worms. 

Gang to bed wi' the lamb, and rise wi' the kverock. 

He that wad thrive, must rise by five ; 

— He that has thriven, may lie till seven. 

They wha are early up and has nae business, has either 

an ill bed, an ill wife, or an ill conscience. 
They maun be soon up that cheats the tod. 
They that rise wi' the sun, hae their wark weel begun. 

EATING. 

Eat in measure, and defy the doctor. 

Eat-weel 's drink-weels brither. 

Eating needs but a beginning. 

Eating and drinking puts awa the stamach. 

Eating and cleaning only require a beginning. 

Eat peas wi' a prince, and cherries wi' a chapman. 

Eat your fill, but pouch nane. 

There 's a difference between fou and fare weel. 

Live not to eat, but eat to live. 

ECONOMY. 

A penny hain'd 's a penny gained. 

A penny haiu'd 's a penny clear, and a preen a-day 's 

a groat a-year. 
Better hain weel than work sair. 



16 ENVY. 

Better lang little, than soon naething. 

E'ening orts are gude morning's fother. 

Frae saving comes having. 

Hand in gear helps weel. 

He that hains his dinner, will hae the mair to his supper. 

It's easier to higg twa chimlies, than keep twa in coals. 

It's weel won that's won a£f the wame. 

If he hinds the pock, she'll sit doon on 't. 

Kail hains hread. 

Ken when to spend, and when to spare, and when to 

huy, and you '11 ne'er he bare. 
Lay a thing by, and it will come o' use. 
Keep a thing seven years, and you'll find a use for it. 
Lay your wame to your winning. 
Lang fieisting hains nae bread. 
Mak nae orts o' gude hay. 
Placks and bawbees grow pounds. 
Spare weel and hae weel. 
Spend not when you may save, save not when you may 

spend. 
Want not, waste not. 

Wha winna keep a penny will never hae any. 
Wide wiU wear, hut tight will tear. 

ENVY. 

Envy is the rack of the soul, and torture of the body. 
Envy is cured by true friendship, as coquetry is by 

true love. 
Envy ne'er does a gude turn, but when it means an ill 

ane. 



EVIL CONDUCT. 17 



EVIL. 

Of ae ill comes mony. 

Of ill debtors men get aiths. 

Of twa ills choose the least. 

EVIL COMPANY. 

Keep out o' his company, wha cracks o' his cheatry. 

HI council will gar a man stick his ain mare. 

Tell me the company you keep, and I *11 tell you your 

character. 
Wae worth ill company, quo* the kae o' Camb'snethan. 
Gude company on a journey is worth a coach. 
He keeps his road weel aneugh, wha gets rid o* ill 

company. 

EVIL CONDUCT. 

A libertine life is not a life of liberty. 
He that ill does, never glide weens. 

He wha mair than he *s worth doth spend, 

Perhaps a rape his life will end. 
Never do ill, that gude may come o*t. 
Your conduct will gar you claw a beggar's haffet yet. 

When I did weel I heard it never. 

When I did ill I heard it ever. 
There 's naething but mends for misdeeds. 
Do weel, and hae weel. 

He that hath and winna keep it ; 

He that wants and winna seek it ; 

He that drinks and is not dry ; 

Siller shall want, as weel as I. 

B 



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EXPERIENCE. 19 



It's a gude tongue that says nae ill, but a better heart 

that thinks nane. 
Gie your tongue mair holidays than your head. 
Your tongue is nae scandal. 
He that has gall in his mouth eanna spit honey. 
Ne'er speak ill o* the dead. 
Ne'er speak ill o' them whase bread ye eat. 

EVIL WISHING. 

I wish you the gude o*t that the dogs get o' grass. 
I wish it may come through you like tags o' skate. 
I wish you were able, though you didna do 't. 
We maunna wish the bum dry because it weets our feet. 

EXAMPLE. 

As the aidd cock craws, the young cock learns. 
Every act is best taught by example. 
Example goes before precept. . 

EXPERIENCE. 

An auld mason maks a gude barrowman. 

Anld dogs bite sicker. 

Burnt bairns dread the fire. 

Experience is the mither o' invention. 

Experience teaches fool% and foola will learn nae ither 

way. 
Experience is the mither of tool-grinding. 
K things were to be done twice, ilka ane wad be wise. 
A man at forty is either a fool or jiphysiciank ' . . 
Experience is gude, but aftepdear bought. . 




HI 






ittM 9k^ flMi «^k^ Mif* nmn be me. 
Vmm Vm llmf$4 tm ikm ilny jron nerer mw. 



FOLLY. 21 

FLATTERY. 

A flatterer is a dangerous enemy. 
When flatterers meet, the deil gaes to his dimier. 
Of a' flatterers, self-love is the greatest 
Plaster thick and some will stick. 

FOLLY. 

A fool and his money are soon parted. 

A fool at forty will never be wise. 

A fool may speir mae questions than a doctor can 

answer. 
A fool may gie a wise man an advice. 
A fool may earn money, but it taks a wise man to 

keep it. 
A fool is mair happy in thinking weel o' himsel, than 

a wise man is of ithers thinking weel o' him. 
A fool may find foults that & wise man canna mend. 
A nod frae a lord is a breakfJEust for a fool. 
A fooVs bolt is soon shot. 
A' ftdls that fools think. 
A man at five may be a fool at fifteen. 
A man may speak like a wise man, and act like a fool. 
A rogue detected is the greatest fool. 
As the fool thinks, the bell clinks. 
Aye to eild, but never to wit. 
Ance wud, and aye waur. 
Ance wud, never wise. 
Change o' weather finds discourse for fools. 
Dogs and bairns are aye fond o' fools. 
Forbid a fool a thing, and that he will do. 



)g^ rou-y. 



I«4* i^wksu- wtak tuolh 
VifO^ ^Aacmdiia fave iiMjijiw 

y OOV- ttf** HVe iulid i> ftsOJML 

ii^\t (livijl. aud wiMfc men ledd. 
I «/oir Mt ittf trvtitb. 

m 

iiso^. hn^ imirub idiaBdnA we Uf dov 

l'4A>li- umk faiwitt, and iiw m^ fl 

Wm- iiM»u fiittk jevtB, and fDois 
y*^tu- M4- Ittiij v' utMiliiiiie- 
i'vii/- b^ 1mhim», «ad wwtt moi tay 

i'^yi liMiAi V Wk^, ftuMj ftivk Bt on Idnls* 

i <><ii>- W^i' 4i>^ tUriir «Mi fifMift. 

ill » iu> tiu- 1^1 liiwt tii« IO0I IB, hat ke4iit«i^ Ae 

•Wm4 MTi^AiJ iiMM-4t4 ti/ t«k« * Biefl «id ^fag <^ ™' 

/^ iui» I44/AM4 tMMN!' wk, but ft fool has llie gnfiof *^ 
i^A- Oiij AikfUMtit tiU WmmvI «radbi to a fooL 

tiiMi M* Mt*r ml4 U^, 

'I tyM If^ m «MK hmm U» ft r4mp\m ower nuniy. 

WkA^M ihi I^A fi9ttU ft Im^mi tAimf he thinks aye the 

Ik' 'm ft ^/i/l iimi tmhM imm wuitkiM, bnt he's a greater 
fool iklil i/ittk if. 



rORTUNJES. 28 



Send a fool to France, and he '11. come a fool back. 
The height o' nonsense, is supping sour milk wi' an 
elsyn. 

FORESIGHT. 

A steek in time saves nine. 

Canny chiels cany cloaks when its &ir, 
The fool, when its foul, haa nane to wear. 
Gude foresight f mthers the waric. 
He that does his turn in time sits half idle. 
If a man kent what wad be dear, 
He wadna be a merchant for a year. 
Yon 're very foresighted, like Forsyth's cat. 

FORTUNE. 

A hicky man needs little connseL 

Better be the lucky man than the lucky man's son. 

Twa heads may lie on ae cod, and nane ken whare 

the luck lies. 
The lucky thing giea the gude penny. 
Mair by luck than gude guiding. 
There 's nae fence against ill fortune. 
Fortune aften lends her smiles as misers do their 

money-»-to.undo their debtor. 
Fortune gains the bride. 

Put your hand in the creel, tak out an adder or an eel. 
An inch o' gude luck is worth a fathom o' forecast. 
Flee you ne'er sae fast, your fortune will be at your 

laiL 
Gie a man luck, and fling him in the sea. 



f 




FRIENDSHIP. 

A friend in need is a friend indeed. 
A friend in the court, is worth a. penn^ in the purse. 
A friend's dinner is Boon dic)it. 
A friend 'e ne'er keau'd till he 'a needed. 
A friend to a', is & friend to nane. 
A gude friend is ne'er tint, but an ill ane 'b at band. 
A ^de friend is my nearest relation. 
Ae gude friend ia worth a' my relatione. 
A man may be kind, yet gie little o' hie gear. 
A man may see his friend in need, 
That wondha see his pow bleed. 
A fatlier Ib a treasure, a hrither Ib a comfort, but a 

friend is baith. 
A Ikithful friend is a strong defence. 
A faithful friend is the medicine of life. 
Afiront your friend in daffin, and tine him in earnest. 
Be slow in choosing a friend, but slower in changii^ 

Better my friends think me fremit as fashious. 
Better lose your joke, thaD lose your friend. 
Better spoil your joke, than tine your friend. 
Better a fremit friend, than a friend fremit. 
Broken friendship may be sowther'd, but never 

sound. 
Buy friendship wi' presents and it will be bought frae 



FRIENDSHIP. 25 



Change your friend ere you hae need. 

Choose your friend amang the wise, and your wife 

amang the virtuous. 
Fanse friends are waur than bitter enemies. 
Friends are like fiddlenstrinirs, lliey maunna be screw'd 

owertight. 
Friendship multiplies. our joy, and divides our grief. 
Friends gree best at a distance. 
Friendship is stronger than kindred. 
He that 's no my friend at a pinch, is no worth a 

snuff. 
Hearts may agree, though heads differ. 
It 's no tint that a friend gets. 
Life without a friend is dealli with a witness. 
Mony kinsfolk, but few friends. 
Mony aunts, mony emes, mony kin, but few friends. 
My son is my son until he gets a wife, 
My dochter is my dochter a* the days o' her life. 
Nae man can be happy without a friend, — ^nor be sure 

of him imtil he 's unhappy. 
Nae friend like the penny. 

Quhen welth aboundis, mony friends we number : 
Quhen guidis dekay, then friends flie away. 
Suffering for a friend, doubleth friendship. 
Try your friend before you hae need o' him. 
When friends meet, hearts warm. 

He that thy friend has bene ryt lange. 
Suppose sumtyme he do the wrange ; 
Condeme him not, hot aye him meine. 
For kindness tliat before has been. 




" Am liaireil is the seqteut'a noisome rod. 

So friendahip U the lirio^ gift of God : 

The ilninken friend, is friendship's very eri] ; 

The frantii; friend, is friendshqi for the devil i 

Ttw quiet friend, all one in word and deed. 

Great rumfort ia, like ready gold, in need. 

Huit thuu a friend the heart may wiab at will '( 

'Dion UKC him no, tu have liis friendship atiU. 

Wonld'Ht have a friend ? — would'st know what friend 

iibwt? 
Have Gnd thy friend, who passeth all the restl" 

T. Tutter. 



(fud nhniiex the hack for the burden. 

Ood NiHnda uh claitli according to our caold. 

God ne'vr Hent the moutlis without the meat. 

Gnd dues not meaiture men by inches. 

(tod tem|>«rs the wbd to the new shorn lamb. 

God'N lutlp is nearer than the fair e'en. 

Gnd it kind to fon folk and bairns. 

Forsake nnt (!<hI, till you iiTid a better master. 

Gie God the fimt und the last of every day. 

Gie your heart to God, and your awms to the poor. 

Gotl trustn every ane with the eaxe of his own souL 

In every work be^in and end wi' Goil. 

God sundH wnter to the well, that folk thinks will ne'M 

bo dry. 
God 's kind to fooU and dnitikuQ folic 
God puts his Iiest jewel in bis finest cabinet 
God sends fools fortunes. 



GOOD CONDUCT. 27 



GOOD. 

A ^de cause maks a stout heart and a strong arm. 

A gude life is the only religion. 

A gude conscience is the best diyinity. 

A gude example is the best sermon. 

A gude life maks a happy death. 

A gude fame is better than a gude &ce. 

A gude paymaster never wants hands to work. 

A g^nde name is better than a fou house. 

That is my gude that does me gude. 

GOOD CONDUCT. 

Adversity overcome is the greatest glory. 

Do weel and doubt nae man, do ill and doubt a' men. 

Do weel and dread nae shame. 

Do on the hill as ye would do in the ha*. 

Do what you ought and let come what wiU. 

Do the likeliest and hope the best. 

Do your turn weel, and nane will speir how lang you 

tak. 
First deserve, and then desire. 
Handsome is, who handsome does. 
Keep gude company, and ye 11 be counted ane o' them. 
Send your son to Ayr: if he did weel here hell do 

weel there. 
Tell the truth and shame the deiL 
Walks bear witness wha weel does. 
Weel is that weel does. 
There is more glory in forgiving an injury, than there 

is pleasure in revenging it. 



GOOD COUNSEL 

Glide advice is ne'er out o' season. 
Gnde coanHel is hhooa a' price. 



Gentry Kent t4> the niHrket winna bay a peck o' m 
A gentleiuan should Las mair in his ponch than oi 

A gentleman wtthont an estate, is like a pudding « 

Gentility without ability is waur tlian plain be^ary. 
Gentle pu^docIiH line lung taes. 
He is the best gentleman, wha is the Htm o' his ain merit. 
The first thing a bare gentleman asks in the morning 
is a needle and a lliread. 

When Adam delved and Eve span, 

Where was then the gentleman ; 

Upstarted a carl and gatliered gude. 

And thence came a' onr gentle hlnid. 



A ^en horse shoudna be looked i' the month. 

A gift wi' a kind look is a double present. 

He (tonblea his gift that gies 't in time. 

Naething is freer than a gift. 

The wife "s aye welcome that comes wi' a crooket oxter. 

They tliat come wi' a gift, doesna need to stand lang 

at the door. 
They that gie yoa, hinder yon to bay. 



GREED. 29 



They 're aye gade that gies. 
They 're aye welcome that brings. 
Mnckle gifts mak beggars bauld. 

GLUTTONY. 

A cram'd kyte maks a crazy carcase. 

A man may dig his grave wi' his teeth. 

Mutton is sweet, and gars mony die ere they be sick. 

Mnckle meat mony maladies. 

Surfeits slay mair than swords. 

Wha dainties love will poor prove. 

Yovir belly winna let your back be rough. 

Suppers kill mair than the doctors cure. 

GRATITUDE. 

Ae gnde turn deserves anither. 

A borrowed lend shoidd gae laughing hame. 

Gratitude is a heavy burden. 

Gudewill should aye be taen in part o' payment. 

Gudewill ne'er wants time to show itsel. 

He that gies to a gratefa man, puts. out to interest. 

Tak the will for the deed. 

Ghratitude preserves auld friendships and begets new. 

GREED. 

A greedy ee ne'er gat a gude pennyworth. 

A greedy ee ne'er gat a fou wame. 

A greedy guts ne'er got a gude meltith. 

Ae beggar is wae lliat anither by the gate gae. 

A' is naepart. 



30 GREED. 

A' is fish that comes m the net 

Greedy fouk hae lang ann^ 

He can hide his meat and seek mair. 

He that has mnckle wonM aye hae mair. 

He looks as he would swallow it. 

He woudna lend his ^ly, — ^no I to the deil to stick 

himsel. 
He 's like a hagpipe, he 's ne'er heard till his hag 's foa. 
Hell hae aneugh some day, when his month's fon o' 

mools. 
Little wats the ill-willie wife what a meal may hand in. 
Mony ane tines the half-merk whinger for the ha'penny 

whang. 
Some tak a', hut ye leave naething. 
The greedy man and the gileynour are soon agreed. 
The deil 's greedy, hut you 're mislear'd. 
The miller aye taks the best mooter wi' his ain hands. 
Gie the greedy dog a muckle hane^ . . 
He'll gie his hane to na& dog. •■■■ . 
He'll no gie the head for the washing. 
He'll gang to hell for house profit > 
The kirk 's aye greedy. 
Ye hae a crap for a' com. 
Ye ne'er see green cheese but your een reels. 
Ye ne'er see green cheese but yoiu: teeth waters. 
Ye wad marry a midden for the muck. 
Ye are ane o' the house o' Harl-t'-them. 
Ye 'U break youv neck as .soon : as your fast» in his 

house. 
What your ee seeth your heart greeneth* 



<ki 



HASTE. 31 

HABIT. 

Anld sparrows are ill to tame. 
Ae year a nurse, and seven years a daw. 
Ca' a cow to the ha', and she'll rin to the byre. 
Eith learning the cat to the kirn. 
Gie yoa a use, and ye 11 ca't a custom. 
He's an auld horse that winna nicher when he sees com. 
Learn the cat to 'die kirn, and she'll aye be licking. 
An ill custom is like a gudd cake~r>better brdcen than 
kept. •• 

HAPPINESS. 

A wee housie weel filled ; a wee piece land weel tilled ; 

a wee wifie weel willed,-^will mak a happy man. 
A blythe heart maks a blooming look. 
He 's no the happiest man (hat has the maist gear. - 
Every inch of joy has an ell of annoy. 
It 's no what we hae, but what we do wi' what we' hae, 

that maks us happy or miserable. ' 

HASTE. 

Bargains made in a hurry are aften repented o' at leisure. 

Haste maks waste. 

Haste and anger hinder gude counsel. 

Hasty was hangedj but Speed-o'-foot wan awa. 

He wha rid^ before he is ready, 'aye wants some o' 

his gear. 
The mair haste the less speed, as the tailor said, wi' 

his lang thread. 
There 's a het hurry when there 's a hen to roast. 



82 HOME. 

Quick, for you '11 ne'er be cleanly. 
Haste make waste, and waste maks want, and want 
maks strife between the gademan and gudewife. 

HEALTH 

After dinner sit a while ; after sapper walk a mile. 
Ae hour's canld will sook out seyen years* heat. 
A gude wife and health, is a man's best wealth. 
Be lang sick, that ye may be soon weel. 
Better wait on the cook, than on the doctor. 
Better wear shoon than sheets. 
Broken bread maks hale bairns. 
Cast not a clout till May be oat. 
Gude health is better than wealth. 
He wha eats but ae dish, seldom needs the doctor. 
Light sappers mak lang life. 
Raw dauds mak fat lads. 
Health is the best wealth. 
The town for wealth, the country for health. 
K you wish to be healthy, clothe warmly and eat 
sparingly. 

HELP. 

Help is gude at a' thing, except at the cog. 
The laird may be laird and need his hind's help. 
The king's errand may come in the cadger^s gate yet. 
God helps them that help themselves. 

HOME. 

Hame is hame, be 't ever sae hamely. 



HONOUR, 33 



East or west, hame is best. 

There *a nae place like hame, quo' the deil, when he 
' fand himsel i' the Court o* Session. 

HONESTY. 

A thread will tie an honest man, better than a rape 

wiU do a rogue. 
Confess debt, and crave time. 
Confessed faults are half mended. 
He that cheats in daffin, winna be honest in earnest. 
It 11 baud out an honest man, but naething *\l baud 

out a rogue. 
Honesty may be dear bought, but can ne'er be an ill 

pennyworth. 
Mony an honest man needs help that hasna the face 

to seek it. 
Naething is a man's truly, but what he cometh by 

duly. 
Open confession is gude for the sauL 
O' a' crafts, to be an honest man is the master-craft;. 
The nod o' an honest man is aneugh. 
Wrang count is nae payment. 

HONOUR. 

The post of honour is the post of danger. 
His life, but not his honour ftdl'd him. 
Honours change manners. 
Bourd not wi' my ee nor mine honour. 
There 's mair glory in using a victory moderately, than 
in gaining it mightilie. 

c 



34 HUNGER. 



HOPE. 

When the heart *a post hope^ the &ce ia past shame. 

He wha lives on hope will die £B»ting. 

He wha lives on hope has a slender diet. 

Hope weel, and hae weel. 

If it werena for hope, the heart would break. 

Nane are sae weel but they hope to be better 

Hope hands up the head. 

HUMAN LIFE. 

A winter day, and a wintry way, is the life o' man. 
A reeky house and a scolding wife, 
Will lead a man a fashions life. 
Be thou weel, or be thou wae, you will not be aye sae. 
Life consists not in breathing, but in enjoying life. 
Misery brings a man acquainted wi' strange bed-fiAllows. 
Nae man can mak his ain hap. 
Nae man has a tack o' his life. 
There 's aye life for a living man. 
The langer we live, we see the mae ferlies. 
Trouble and adversity, mak greatness and prosperity 

far mair pleasant. 
When hope and hap, when health and wealth are highest, 
— Then woe and wreck, disease and death are nighest. 
God's providence has balanced peculiar sufferings with 

peculiar enjoyments. 

HUNGER. 

A hungry wame has nae lugs. 
A hungry man is an angry man. 



IDLENESS. 35 



A hungry man's meat is aye lang o' making ready. 

4^ hmigry man has aye a lazy cook. 

A hmigry man sees for. 

A hmigry louse hites sair. 

Hunger is gude kitchen-meat. 

Hunger will break through stane wa's. 

Hungry dogs will eat dirty puddins. 

Hungry stewards wear mony shoon. 

Hunger me, and 1 11 harry thee. 

Hunger never fails of a gude cook. 

Hungry dogs are blythe o' bursten puddins. 

Hard fare maks hui^ry bellies. 

He ne'er taks pleasure in his meat wfaa ne'er was 

hungry. 
His wame thinks his wizzen is cut. 
Sharp stamachs mak short graces. 
Scart the cog, would hae mair. 
The first dish is aye best eaten. 
Toom sta's mak biting hm^ies. 
Naething stops the memory when you 're hmigry. 
Ye hae tmt your ain eitamach, and found the dog's. 
Ye was sae lixmgry, ye coudna stay for the grace. 
You 're ne'er pleased — ^fou nor fosting. • 
Hunger is hard in a hale maw. 

IDLENESa 

An idle brain is the ddl's smiddy. 

Idle dogs worry sheep. 

Idle young, needy auld. 

K the deil finds an idle miui he sets him to wark. 



36 IVDU8TRT. 



He 'b idle, that miglit be better employed. 
He that gapes till he be fed, will gape till he be dead. 
Naetfaing is got without pains, but dirt and lang naila. 
By doing naething, we learn to do ilL 
There 's mair whistling wi' you, than red land. 
Tarry lang, brings little hame. 
An idle man is the deil*8 bolster. 
Yon 're like the lambs, ye do naething but sack and 
wag yonr tail. 

INDUSTRY. 

A began torn 's half ended, quo' the wife, when she 

stack the grsdp in the midden. 
Nae sweat, nae sweet. 
A foal hand maks a dean hearthstane. 
A gade beginning maks a gade ending. 
A gade day's darg, may be done wi' a dirty spade. 
A gann fit is aye getting, were it bat a thorn. 
A working hand is worth a gowpen o' gowd. 
Ae hoar in the morning, is worth twa at night. 
Aye walk and nay ploy, maks Jock a dall boy. 
Grathering gear is a pleasant pain* 
Get yoar^rock and yoar spindle, and Grod wMl amd 

yoa tow. 
Gade forecast farthers the wark. 
Eident yoath maks easy age. 
If you want yoar basiness weel done, do 't yoarsel. 
Naething is sae difficalt, but may be overcome wi' 

perseverance. 
Naething is got without pains bat an ill name. 







y ,^^36 



J£STING. 37 



Nae gains without pains. 

The fit on the cradle, the hand on the reel, 
Is the sign o' a woman that means to do weel. 

Work legs and win legs, hain legs and tine legs. 

Perseverance performs greater works than strength. 

Plough deep while sluggards sleep. 

Frugality is a fair fortune, and industry a good estate. 

They maun hunger in frost that winna work in heat. 

Industry maks a braw man, and breaks ill fortune. 

INGRATITUDE. 

Ingratitude comprehends every vice. 
Ingratitude is waur than the sin o* witchcraft. 
Buy a thief frae the widdie, and he 11 cut your throat. 
Do a man a gude turn, and he '11 ne'er forgie you. 

JEALOUSY. 

As ye do yoursel, ye judge o' your neighbour. 

He that keeks through a key-hole, may see what will 

vex him. 
If the auld wife hadna been in the oven hersel, she ne'er 

wad hae thought o' looking for her dochter there. 
There 's aye ill will amang cadgers. 
Twa o' ae trade seldom agree. 

Twa cats and ae mouse — ^twa mice in ae house — 

Twa dogs and ae bane — ^ne'er will agree in ane. 



JESTING. 

Bitter jeiBts poison friendship. 
Better tine your joke, than tine your 



JESTING. 

friend. 



38 KINDNESS. 



Leave a jest, when it pleases yoa best. 
Mony a true tale tanld in jest. 
A sooth board is nae board. 

He that maks folk afiraid o* his wit, shoold be afraid 
o' their memories. 

JUSTICE. 

A gade caase makes a strong arm. 

Let the mockle horse get the muckle wcmlyne. 

Live and let live. 

Do as ye wad be done to. 

Gie the deil his due. 

The sin is no in taking a gade price, bat in gieing ill 

measure. 
When ilka ane gets his atn, the thief will get the widdie. 

KINDNESS. 

A kindly word cools anger. 
A man may be kind, and gie little o' his gear. 
Kindness begets kindness. 
Kindness comes o' will, but canna be cofU 
Kindness owercomes a* dislike. 
Kindness will creep whare it canna gang. 
Kindness canna aye lie on ae side o' the house. 
Hae, lad — ^rin, lad ; that maks a willing lad. 
Hae gars a deaf man hear. 
If I 'm no kind, I m no cumbersome. 
That 's a piece a stepmither ne'er gied. 
What you gie shines still, what you eat smells ill next 
day. 



LAUGHTER. 89 



Favoun nnused, are fevours abused. 

Kindness is like cressHseed — ^increases by sawing. 

KINGS. 

Kings hae lang lugs. 

Kings' caff is worth ither folks' com. 

Kings and bears affc worry their keepere. 

Kings' cheese gangs half awa in pairings. 

The king may come to Kelly yet, and when he comes 

hell ride. 
The king^s errand may come in the cadger's gate. 
The king's best guard, is his subjects' love. 

KISSING. 

Kissing gangs by fevonr.* 

Kiss and be kind, the fiddler is blind. 

Kiss a sclate stane, and that winna slaver you. 

Kiss a carl and di^ a carl, and that 's the way to tine 

a carl. 
Mony ane kisses the bairn for love o' the muse. 
They should kiss- the gndewMa, that would win the 

gudeman. 
Kissing is cried down since the shaking o' hands. 

LAUGHTER. 

Laugh at leisure, ye may greet ere e!en* 

Laugh and lay it down again. 

They that laugh in the morning will greet ere e'en. 

They showed their back teeth laughing. 

As lang lives the merry man, as the sad. 



40 LAZINESS. 



Ye hae found a mare s nest, and laugh at the eggs. 

Laugh and grow fiat. 

After joy comes annoy. 

Its nae laughing to gim in a widdie. 

LAW. 

A lawyer's gown is lined with the selfishness o' his 

clients. 
Law-makers shoudna be law-breakers. 
Abundance o* law breaks nae law. 
A dumb man wins nae law. 
A pennyweight o' love is worth a pound o' law. 
A' law is no justice. 
Ae law-suit breeds twenty. 
In a thousand pounds o' law, there's no an ounce, of 

love. 
Sue a beggar and gain a louse. 
Pleaing at the law, is like fighting through a whin bush, 

— The harder the blows, the sairer the scarts. 
A wise lawyer ne'er gangs to law himsel. 
A bad judgment is better than a law-suit. 
He that loves law will get his fill o't. 
Law is costly, — ^tak a pint and gree. 

LAZINESS. 

A morning's sleep is worth a iauld o' sheep, to a hud- 

derin^duddroun-daw. 
Ony thing for you about an honest man's house, but a 

day's wark. 
They 're eith hindered that 's no furdersome. 



iOVE. 41 

He ne'er made a gude darg, wha gaed gnunbUng 

about it. 
He that gapes till a bite &' in his mouth, may gape 

till he die. 
There neW was a slut but had a slit, or a daw but 

had twa. 
The slothfn man maks a slim fortune. 
The slothfu man is the beggar's brither. 
Katie Sweerock, frae whare she sat, 
Cries, Reik me this — and, Reik me that. 
Ye '11 do ony thing but work and nn errands. 
Ye '11 sit till you sweat, and work till you freeze. 
Ye tak but a foal's share o' the harrows. 
Ye 're like the dogs o' Dunraggit, ye winna baii^ nnlesGf 

you hae your hinder end at the wa'. 
Lazy youth maks lousy age. 

LEARNING. 

We 're aye to learn, as lang as we live. 
Ne'er ower auld to learn. 

Learn young, learn fair: 

Learn auld, learn mair. 
By learning naething, we learn to do ill. 

LOVE. 

Cauld cools the love that kindles ower het. 
Fan'd fires and forced love ne'er did weel. 
He that loves dearly, chides severely. 
Het love, hasty vengeance. 
Love is without law. 



42 LYING. 

Love and light winna hide. 

Love has nae lack, be the dame ne'er sae black. 

Love ower bet soonest cools. 

Love is ne'er withcmt jealousy. 

Love looks o'er mony faults. 

Love mysel, love my dog. 

Lore and lairdships like nae marronre. 

Loye is as warm amang cottars as courtiers. 

Love thinks nae ill, enyy speaks nae gnde. 

Loe me little and loe me lang. 

Nae herb will core loye. 

Perfect loye canna be without equality. 

If you loe me, let it kythe. 

There 's nae lack in loye. 

They that lie down in loye, should rise finsting. 

They that loye maist speak least. 

When loye cools, faults are seen. 

Dinna sigh for him, but send for him: if he be unhang'd 

he 11 come. 
Whare the heart gaes let the tail follow. 

LYING. 

A lier should hae a gude memory. 

A lier is an economist of truth. 

A lie has nae legs, but scandal has wings. 

He neyer lies but when the hoUand 's green. 

If a He could hae worried you, you would hae been 

dead langsyne. 
It 's a sin to lie on the dell. 
Poets and painters hae liberty to lie. 



MARRIAGE. 43 



Show me a constant Her, and I '11 show you a constant 

thief. 
Ye didna lick your lips since you lied last. 
Lying rides on debt's beck. 

MANNERa 

Meat feeds, ckdth cleads, but manners mak the man. 
Meat is gude but mense is better. 
He 's better fed than bred. 
They were scant o' bairns lliat brought you up. 
Ye hae gude manners, but you bear thetia not about wi' 
you. 

MARRIAGE. 

A man canna wive and thrive the same year. 

Better half hang'd than iU married. 

Better marry ower the midden than ower the muir. 

He that marries a daw, eats mudde dirt. 

He that marries before he is wise, will die befm^ he 

thrive. 
He 's a fool wha marries at Yule, for when the bairn 's 

to bear, the com 's to shear. 
He wha tells his wife a', is but shortly married. 
He wha marries for We without money, hath merry 

nights and sorry days. 
He that marries a widow wiQ hae a dead man's head 

often thrown in his dish. 
He that marries a widow, marries a pockfu' o* jdeas^eaie^ 
If marriages are made in heaven, you hae few friends 

there. 



44 MASTER. 



If ye winna, anither will ; aae are maidens married. 
If gude marriages are made in heaven, whare are the 

bad anes made ? 
Like blude, like gude, like age, mak the happy marriage. 
Marriages and deaths break term days. 
Marry your sou when you will, but your dochter when 

you can. 
Marry a beggar and get a louse for your tocher. 
Marry aboon your match and get a master. 
Marriage and hanging gaes by destiny. 
Married folk are like a rat in a trap — ^fain to get itbers 

in, but fain to be out themsels. 
Marry for love and work for siller. 
Wha marries between the sickle and the scythe will 

never thrive. 
Weding and ill wintering tames baith man and beast. 
Never marry a widow unless her first husband was 

hang'd. 
Ye hae tied a knot wi' your tongue, you winna loose wi' 

your teeth. 

MASTER. 

A sinking master aft maks a rising man. 
Early master soon knave. 
A master's ee maks a fat horse. 
The master's foot is the best foulzie. 
Like master, like man. 
Mony ane serves a thankless master. 
Mony masters, quo' the taid, when every tynd o' the 
harrow took him a tide. 



NECESSITY. 45 



MEAT. 

A fou wame maks a staraight back. 

A wamefii 's a wamefa, were 't but o' cauld kail. 

Meat and mass ne'er hinder d wark. 

There 's baith meaf and music here, quo* the dog, when 

he ate the piper's bag. 
The canse is gude, and the word's fa' tae. 
Ye 're as fou o' mischief as an egg 's fou o' meat. % 

MERCHANDISE. 

Ell and tell is gude merchandise. 

Dry bargains are seldom successful. 

Buy at the madket and sell at hame. 

Gude wares mak a quick market. 

Hale sale is gude sale. 

He that l^db you hinders you to buy. 

He has got the boot and the better beast. 

He wad need to be twice sheeled and ance ground that 

deals wi' you. 
The^^feeEk profit is aye the best. 
There 's a difference between — ^Will you sell ? and — 

Will you- buy? 
They buy gudes cheap, that bring hame naething. 
The greatest burdens are no the maist gainful. 
Forgotten pains, when follow gains. 
He loses his time that comes early to a bad bargain. 
The best payment is on the peck bottom. 

NECESSITY. 

Ane may think, that dauma speak. 



46 PLENTY. 



Any port in a stonn. 

He sits fa' close that has a riven breek. 

He 11 rather tnm than bum. 

He maun lout that has a lai^h door. 

Maun do is a fell fallow. 

Mony ane doth lack what ^ey 'd fein hae in their pack. 

Need maks greed. 

Need maks the auld wife trot. 

Neoesoty has nae law. 

Necessity is a hard master. 

Necessity 's the mither o* invention. 

NEIGHBOURS. 

A great man and a great river are often ill neighbours. 

A gude lawyer, an ill neighbour. 

I would rather strive wi' the great rigg than wi' an ill 

neighbour. 
We can live without our friends, but no without our 

neighbour. 

PATIENCE. 

patience wi' poverty, is a man's best remedy. 

Patience is a plaster for a' sairs. 

Thole weel, is gude for burning. 

He that canna thole, maun flit mony a hole. 

Dree out the inch, as ye hae done the span. 



PLENTY. 



Plenty maks dainty. 
Walth gars wit waver. 



POVERTY. 47 



He kensna the pleasures o' plenty, wha ne'er felt the 
pains o' penury. 

POVERTY. 

A gien piece is soon eaten. 

Ae half o' the warld kens not how the other half live. 

A light purse maks a heavy heart. 

An empty purae fills the fiice wi' wrinkles. 

A sillerless man gaes fisst through the market. 

A toom purse maks a hlate merchant. 

A poor man is fein o* little. 

A poor man gets a poor marriage. 

As poor as a kirk mouse. 

Aye taking out o' the meal pock, and ne'er putting 

in \ soon comes to the hottom. 
Bare backs mak burnt shins. 
Bare shouthers mak mizzled shins. 
Bashfiilness is an enemy to poverty. 
He that hasna gear to tine, has shins to pine. 
He 's as bare as the birk at Yule. 
He that has nae siller in his purse, should hae silk on 

his tongue. 
Fresh fish and puir friends, soon grow ill sar'd. 
It 's sin, and no poverty, that maks a man miserable. 
For puir folk, they ring seldom. 
Mony ane would hae been waur, had their estates been 

better. 
Pennyless sauls maun pine in purgatory. 
Poverty is the mither o' a' arts. 
Poets and painters are aye poor. 



iH PRAYER. 



IMiir foWin friendn noon misken them. 

Pmiiiliti pArtM ^de company. 

PiMtfiitti In |min, but nae disgrace. 

PiMir folk hnn nnither ony kindred nor opy 

'\*\w liiu'k and the belly keep the hands busy. 

T\\t» \mw man is aye put to the warst 

11in poor man pays for a'. 

11m bnst that can happen to a poor man, is ihtA we 

baini din an<l the rest follow. 
Wbrtn ^iide choor is lacking, friends go a-packii^. 
Whmi wn want, friomis are scant. 
Pourtiih Is hotter than pride. 
Wr nn empty hand nae man can hawks Inre. 
Whon porerty comes in at the door, lore flees out by 

the window. 

PRAISE. 

Nelf-praise is nae honour. 

True praise taks root and spreads. 

lH«iso without profit puts little in the purse. 

Self-praise comes aye stinking ben. 

PRAYER. 

Prayer movei the hand that movee the warld. 
Prayer should be the key o' the day and the lock o' 

the night. 
God send you the warld you bode, and that 's neither 

■cant nor want 
(}od send us some siller, for they 're little thought o* 

that want it. 



PRIDE. 49 



Prayer and practice is gude ifayme. 
'' God keep ill gear out o' my hands ; for if my hands 
ance get it, my heart will ne'er part wi\** — sae 
prayed the gude Earl of Eglinton. 
God he wi' the gude laird o' Balmaghie, for he ne'er 

took mair frae a poor man than what he had. 
God help them that 's gotten hy ane and brought up 

by anither. 
God help the rich folk, for the poor can beg. 
God send you mair sense, and me mair siller. 
He that sittes down to the buirde to eit, 
Forgetiing to gif God thanks for his meit, 
Sjnae rysis up and lets his grace oweipass, — 
Sittes down lyk an ox, and rysis lyk ane ass. 

From John Maxwell's Works, 1584. 

PRIDE. 

A proud heart in a poor breast, has muckle dolour to 

dree. 
A twalpenny cat may look at the king. 
A proud mind and a beggar's purse agree ill thegither. 
Alike ilka day, maks a clout on Sunday. 
A 's no gowd that glitters. 
A' Stewarts are no sib to the king. 
A' Campbells are no sib to the duke. 
An only dochter is either a deil or a daw. 
As gude may baud the stirrup as he that lonps on. 
As you thrive, your feet fails you. 
Arrogance is a weed that grows maistly in a midden. 
Bare gentry, bragging beggars. 



50 PROPERTY. 



1 



BaBtard brood are aye proud. 
DeD stidi pride, for my d<^ died o 

He etnite like a craw iu a gutter. 

He thinks liimsel wort)i muckle mice dirt. 

He thinks hinisel nae page'a peer. 

He thinks binisel nae slieep's-ahank. 

He 's a proud borse that wiuua cany hia ain prorender. 

I wish I had as muckle black pepper, as he thinks 

liivQsel wordy o' mice dirt. 
Pride will get a fa." 
Pride but profit, soon gangs barefoot. 
Pride and laziness tak muckle upbauding. 
Pride and grace ne'er dwalc in ae place. 
Pride fiuds nae cauld. 
Pride gasa afore a fa'. 

Pride that dines wi' vanity, s«ps wi' contempt. 
Pride never leaves its master till be gets a fa'. 
Shame &' them that think shame to do thcmsela i 

gude tarn. 
When pride 's in the van, beting 's in the rear. 
Ye '11 ta' in the midden, looking at the moon. 
The haughty hawk, winna stoop to carrion. 
The proudest nettle grows on the midden. \ 

i 



A bird in the hand 's worth twa in a bush. 
A bird in the hand 's worth twa fleeing by. 
He that buys a house that 's wrought, 
Has mony a pin and nail for nought- 
He that aughtg the cow gaes nearest her tail. 



PRUDENCE IN ACTION. 5h 



He that has ae sheep in a flock, will like a' the lave 

the better for *t. 
He that has a cow in the mire, will first put his foot 

in't. 
There ne'er was a loss without some sma profit. 
Possession is eleven points o' the law. 
He that gets gear before he gets wit, will die ere he 

thriye. 
The ill use we mak o' our prosperity is often the cause 

o* our misfortunes. 

PRUDENCE IN ACTION. 

A penny saved is twice eam*d. 

A bite is aften better gien than eaten. 

A sma leak will sink a great ship. 

Adc may like the kirk weel enough, and no ride on 

the riggin o 't. 
Ax your purse what you should buy. 
As the wind blaws, seek your beild. 
Aye tak the fee when the tear 's in the ee. 
Bear and forbear, is gude philosophy. 
Better at a time to gie than tak. 
Better master ane than fight wi' ten. 
Before you choose a friend, eat a peck o' saut wi' him. 
Be a friend to yoursel, and ithers will. 
Be what you seem, and seem what yon are. 
Be the thing ye wad be ca'd. 
Be ready with your hat, but slow with your purse. 
Count siller after a' your kin. 
Count like Jews, and gree like brithers. 



52 PRUDENCE IN ACTION. 



Cast not ont the auld water, till the new c<Hne in. 
Comhat vice in the first attack, and ye 11 come aff 

conqueror. 
Cut your coat according' to your daith. 
Dinna cast awa the cog when the cow flings. 
Dinna tell your iae when your fit sleeps. 
Dinna scald your mouth wi' ither folk's kaU. 
Dinna meddle wi' the deil, and the laird's bairns. 
Deal sma and sair a\ 
Get what you can, and keep what you hae, is the way 

to get rich. 
Get weel, keep weel. 
Gude watch prevents harm. 
Gude gear *s no to be gaped at. 
He has a gude judgment wha doesna lippen to his ain. 
He winna sell his hen on a rainy day. 
If you would be a merchant fine, beware o' auld horses, 

herring, and wine. 
It's gude to dread the warst, the best will 'be the 

welcomer. 

Keep woo and it will be dirt : 
Keep lint and it will be silk. 
Keep your ain fish guts for your ain sea-maws. 
Let weel alane. 
Let sleeping dogs lie. 
Little meddling maks iaii parting. 
Let your horse drink what he will, but not when he wilL 
Lock your door that you may keep your neighbour 

honest. 
Lay a thing by, and it will come o' use. 



PRUDENCE IN CONVERSATION. 53 



Mak friends o' fr-emit folk. 

Mak the best o' a bad bargain. 

Mak your bay when the snn shines. 

Ne'er draw your dirk when a dunt will do. 

Never find faidt wi' my shoon, unless you pay my souter. 

When you 're in Rome, do as the folk o' Rome do. 

Wink at sma faults, ye hae great anes yourseL 

You '11 ne'er harry yoursel wi' your ain hands. 

Though aidd and wise, yet still advise. 

PRUDENCE IN CONVERSATION. 

A gude tongue is a safe weapon. 

A gude word is as easy said as an ill ane. 

A close mouth catches nae flies. 

A meek answer slockens melancholy. 

A man may baud his tongue in an ill time. 

A' the truth shouldna be taidd. 

A' that 's said in the kitchen, shouldna be tauld in 

the ha.' 
AlcHsellers should not be tale-tellers. 
Believe not a' you hear, and tell not a' you believe. 
Fair words break nae banes, foul words mony ane. 
He should not speak o' rapes, whose father was bang'd. 
He that speaks the thing he shouldna, will hear the 

thing he wouldna. 
He kens muckle wha kens when to speak, but far mair 

wha kens when to baud his tongue. 
Little said is soonest mended. 
It 's a gude tongue that says nae ill, but a better heart 

that thinks nane. 



54 RICHES. 



Speak not o' rapes in the house, whare the £idier was 

hang'd. 
Seek mnckle, get something; seek little» and get 

naething. . . 

Speak when you 're spoken to, and drink wima yoa 're 

drocken to. 
They 're scant o* news wha tell their fother was hanged. 
Think mair than yon say. 
Think twice, speak hut ance. 

REPUTATION. 

A gude name is sooner tint than won. 

Reputation is aften got without merit, and tint without 

crime. 
Reputation is to vhtue, what light is to a piptureb 
They that get the name o' early rising, may lie in bed 

a' day. 
The first step to a gude name is a gude life, and the 

next step is gude behayiour. 
Better a gude name than a fou house. 

RICHES. 

A fou hand may count wi' the deil. 

A fou purse maks a tattling merchant. 

A fou purse never lacks friends. 

A fou purse maks a man speak. 

A penny in the purse is a merry companion. 

A penny in my purse will gar me drink when my 

friends winna. 
As the carl riches, he retches. 



RICHES. 55 

A rich man's vrooiug need seldom be a lang wie. 

Ai wealth wanders, wit weakens. 

A rich man has mwr cousins than his father had kin. 

A guwd key will open ony lock. 

A penny in the purse is better than a crown spent. 

A heavy purse maka a light heart. 

Be it better, be it warse, be ruled by him that has the 

Bear wealth, poverty will bear itself. 

Gear is eauer gott«n then guided. 

Gowd gete in at ilka yett, except heaven. 

Gowd is gude, only in the hand o' yirtue. 

He 'b weel stocket there ben, that will neither borrow 
nor len. 

He that has siller in bis purse, canua want a head on 
his shontfaers. 

He 'a rich that has nae debt. 

He 's no aye the happiest man that has the maist gear. 

Leal folk ne'er wante<t gear. 

Live within yonr income, and live lang, is the sure way 
to get rich. 

Little wealth, little sorrow. 

Money is better than my lord's letter. 

Money would beget, if there was money to get it. 
p Money is aye welcome, were it in a dirty clout. 
* Money maks tbe mare to go. 
m Honey is the root o' a' ill. 
f Moyen does muckle, but money does mair. 
L Mony ane's gear is mony ane's death. 
F Mony pursed hand friends lang thegether- 



56 SELF-WILL. 



Money is like the muck midden, it does nae gnde till 
it be spread. 

Riches has made mair men covetoiis, than ooTetoanieM 
has made men rich. 

Rich folk hae routh o' friends. 

Rich folk's wit rives poor folk's jaws. 

Riches are got wi' pain, kept wi' care, and tint wi' gri«f. 

There 's nae companion like the penny. 

Wealth as it is bestowed, and knowledge as it is com- 
municated, properly constitute its value. 

When honour grew mercenary, riches grew honoarable. 

Wealth, like want, ruins mony. 

SELFISHNESS. 

The meal cheap, and the shoon dear. 
The souter's wife likes weel to hear. 

Every miller would weise the water to his ain miU. 

Farmers' faugh gars lairds laugh. 

SELF-WILL. 

A wilfii man maun hae his way. 

A wilfii man should be unco wise. 

He that will to Cupar, maun to Cupar. 

He that winna be coun^lled canna be helped. 

Tak your ain will o't, as the cat did o' the haggis — first 

ate the haggis, and then creepit into the bag. 
Tak your ain will o't, and you'll no die o' the pet. 
You're as wilfu as a sow — ^youll neither lead nor drive. 
He wouldna gie an inch o' his ain will for a span o' his 

thrift. 



STEALING. 57 



SLANDER. 

Slander leaves a slur. 

Slander leaves a sair behind. 

A tale ne'er tines in the telling. 

A tale-bearer is wanr than a thief. 

Ne'er speak ill o' them whose hi^esd yoti eat. 

Our bosom friends are sometinoies our backbiters. 

SORROW. 

A sorrowfii* heart 's aye dry. 

Sorrow is gude for naething but sin. 

Sorrow and ill weather comes unsent for. 

Sorrow is soon aneugh when it comes. 

All earthly pleasures perish in sorrow. 

Dool and an ill life, soon mak an auld wife. 

He 's weel worth sorrow, that buys 't wi' his ain siller. 

Seyle ne'er comes till sorrow be awa. 

Time and thinking tames the strongest grief. 

When sorrow comes, it runs. 

When sorrow sleeps, wake it not. 

O' a' sorrows, a fou sorrow is the best. 

Sadness and gladness succeed each other. 

STEALING. 

Begin wi' needle and preen, and end wi' cow and ewe. 
Begin wi' needle and preen and end wi' homed nowte. 
He that steals a preen, will steal a better thing. 
He that steab an auld man's supper, does him a kind- 
ness. 
A careless watch invites the thief. 



58 THRIFTLESSNES6. 



SYCOPHANCY. 

If the deil be laird, ye'll be tenant. 

It 's ill to say it 's wrang, when my lord says it 'a right 

Ye 11 wag as the bush wags. 

Ye 're aye ready to blaw in his lug. 

As lang as ye serve the tod, ye maun carry his taiL 

TASTE 

Ae man's meat is anither man's poison. 
Ae man's breath is anith^ man's death, 
nka ane to their taste, quo' the man, ^en he kissed 

his cow. 
nka man as he likes, let him send to the cook. 
It 's no aye gude in the maw, that 's sweet in the 

mouth. 
Fancy surpasseth beauty. 
The proof o' the puddin 's the preeing o't. 
Them that like the lAiddin, see nae mots in 't. 

THRIFTLESSNESS. 

Buy what you dinna want, and yell sell what you 

canna spare. 
He that spends his gear before he gets 't, will hae little 

gude o't. 
He eats the calf in the cow^s wame. 
He that winna save a penny will ne'er hae buy. 
He that borrows and biggs-^maks feasts and thiggs — 
— ^Drinks and is not dry, — ^these three are not thiifty. 
He that winna lout and lift a preen, will ne'er be w<Mrth 

a groat. 



VIRTUE. 59 



He wha spends before he thiiyes, will beg before he 

thinks. 
Spare at the spiggot, and let out at the bung hole. 
Tine needle tine thrift. 
Tine needle tine daig. 

The thrift o' you will be the death o' your goddame. 
The thrift o' you, and the woo o' a dog, would make a 

braw web. 
There was ne'er a thrifty wife wi' a clout about her 

head. 
Thrift is a gude revenue. 
Your thrift gaes as far as the profit o' a yeld hen. 
Ye canna get thriving for thrang. 
A fat kitchen is near to poverty. 

TRUTH. 

Truth has a gude face but raggit claes. 

Truth and oil are aye uppermost. 

Truth will aye stand without a prop. 

Truth is the dochter o' time. 

In ower muckle clavering truth is tint. 

There 's mony a sooth word spoken in bourding. 

VIRTUE. 

Virtue is its ain reward. 

Virtue that requires a guard, is no worth a centinel. 
Virtue is above value. 

Gold is beneficial only in the hands of virtue. 
Search others for their virtues, and yourself for your 
vices. 



60 WASTE. 

VISITORS, WELCOME AND UNWELCOME. 

He that *s welcome fares weeL 

The wife *s aye welcome that oomeB wi' a crooket 
oxter. 

Welcome is the best dish in the kitcheaa* 

His room is better than his company. 

He 's as welcome as water in a rirai ship. 

He *s as welcome as snaw in hairst. 

His absence is gnde company. 

He that comes mica'd, sits unsair'd. 

Stay nae langer in a friend's house than yon 're 
welcome. 

Fresh fish, and imwelcxHne yisitors, stink before they 
are three days anld. 

A constant guest is ne'er welcome. 

<* Our sowens are ill soured, ill sythed, ill sauted, ill 
soden, — ^thin and few o' them: ye may stay a' 
night, but ye may gae hame an you like. It's weel 
ken'd your Other's son was ne'er a scambler,** 
(one who seeks his meat among his fnends.)*— vd 
speech made by a wife to an unwdcome vintor^ 
since used as a Proverb. 

WAR. 

War maks thieves, and peace hangs them. 
When drums beat, law is silent. 

WASTE. 

Biggin, and bairns marrying, are arrant wasters. 
Mak nae hawks o' gude bear land. 



WISDOM. 61 



It '8 nae wonder wasters want and laithrons lag 

behind. 
It *8 weel war'd that wasters want. 
Kindle a candle at baith ends and it will soon bum out. 
Put a cow in a clout and she will soon wear dut. 
Wilfii waste maks woefu want. 
Haste maks waste, and waste maks want. 

WILL. 

To him that wills, ways are seldom wanting. 

Eith to that thy ain heart wills. 

Its eith working when will's at hame. 

Naething is ill to be done when will's at hame. 

When there *s a will there *s a way. 

When the will 's ready, the feet 's light. 

WISDOM. 

A wife is wise aneugh wha kens her gudeman's breeks 

frae her ain kirtle. 
An ounce o' a man's ain wit, is worth ten o' ither folk's. 
An ounce o' wit is worth a pound o' lear. 
An ounce o' mitherwit is worth a ^ound o' clergy. 
A wise man gets learning frae them that has nane to 

themselves. 
A wise head maks a close mouth. 
A little wit sairs a lucky man. 
A wise man wavers, a fool is fixed. 
He 's a wise man wha can tak care o' himsel. 
He 's wise that can mak a friend o' a fae. 
He 's wise that 's wise in time. 



62 WOMAN. 



He 's wise that warns in time. 
He 's wise that 's timely wary. 
He has mair wit in his wee finger, than ye hae in 

your hail honk. 
He who serves God, is the tmly wise man. 
Wit ance bonght, is worth it twice taught. 
If misfortune maks ns wise, it pays for our losBes. 
Honest men marry soon, wise men never. 
He 's a wise bairn that kens his ain feither. 
The greatest clerks are no the wisest men. 
Wit bought maks wise folk. 
Wit in a poor man's pow, and moss on a mountain, 

avail little. 
Want o* wit is waor than want o' gear. 
Yoimg men are made wise, anld men become so. 
Better ae wit bought than twa for nought. 
Wisdom is best taught by distress. 
He who ne'er thinks will ne'er be wise. 
The less wit a man has, the less he kens the want o't. 

WOMAN. 

A woman's mind is like the wind in a winter night. 

A woman 's gnde either for something or naething. 

A woman's wark is ne'er done. 

It's no What is she ? but. What has she ? 

Frailty, thy name is Woman. 

Women laugh when they can, and greet when they will. 

Women and wine, dice and deceit, mak wealth sma, 

and want great. 
A woman is at the best, when she 's openly bad. 



WIVES. 63 



WIVES. 

A bonnie wife and a back door, aften mak a man poor. 

A grunting horse, and a graining wife, seldom fail 
their master. 

A gude wife and health, is a man's best wealth. 

A horse broken and a wife to break. 

A horse made and a wife to mak. 

A house wi' a reek and a wife wi* a reard, will mak 
a man rin to the door. 

A fiedr wife without a tocher, is like a fine house with- 
out furniture. 

A toom pantry maks a thriftless gudewife. 

An ill wife and a new lighted candle, should bae their 
heads hauden down. 

A yeld sow was ne'er gude to gryces. 

Auld wives and bairns mak fools o' physicians. 

Auld wives were aye gude maidens. 

A' are gude lasses, but whare cam the ill wives frae ? 

Bad legs and ill wives ought to stay at hame. 

Choose your wife on Saturday, and not on Sunday. 

Choose thy wife amang the virtuous, and thy friend 
amang the wise. 

Every man can guide an ill wife, but him that has her. 

Breeding wives are aye greening. 

Flaes and a giming wife are wakerife bedfallows. 

Greening wives are aye greedy. 

He that has an ill wife should eat muckle but her. 

He that has a bonnie wife, needs mair than twa een. 

He that has a wife has a master. 

He has faate o* a wife, wha marries mam's pet. 



64 WIYES. 

JjKDg tofigaed wives gang lang wT liaiiii. 

Mak your wife a gowd^inky and die *n tan a watff- 

wagtaiL 
Ne'er seek a wife, till yoa hae got a how w i and a ire 

to put her in. « 

Ne'er tak a wife till yoa kea what to do n^ her. 
Nae man can thrive unless his wife will let him. 
Next to nae wife, a gnde wife is the hest. 
She 's a wise wife that kens her ain weinL 
She 's the happiest wife that marries the son of a dead 

mither. 
She 'U wear like a horse shoe — ^the langer the dearer. 
She that has an iU man, shows it in her daes. 

The gnde or ill hap o* a gnde or ill life, 

Is the gude or ill dioice o' a gnde or ill wife. 
The death o' your first wife made sic a hole in yoor 

heart, that a* the rest slipp'd through. 
There 's ae gnde wife in the warld, and ilka ane thinks 

he has her. 

Wives mann hae their wills while they live, 
For they mak nane when they die. 
Wives maun he had, whether gude or bad. 
Wives and wind are necessary evils. 
Wives and water-mills are aye wanting. 
Waes the wife that wants the tongue, but weels the 

man that gets her. 
You may drive the deil into a wife, but you '11 ne'er 

ding him out o' her. 
Ye would mak a gude wife— -you baud the grip you 

get 



WORTH. 65 



MAIDENS. 

A fair maiden tocherless, will get mae wooets than 

husbands. 
A maid aft seen, and a gown aft worn, are disesteemed 

and held in scorn. 
A tocherless dame stays lang at hame. 
A dink maiden aft maks a dirty wife. 
A seven years' maiden is aye at the slight. 
Ladies and turkies need delicate upbringing. 
Like the lassies o' Bayordie, ye learn by the lug. 
Lasses and glasses are bruckle wares. 
Maidens' bairns, and bachelors' wives are aye weel bred. 
Maidens should be mim till they 're married, and then 

they may bum kirks. 
Maidens' tochers, and ministers' stipends, are aye less 

than they 're ca'd. 
Maidens' bairns are aye weel bred. 

Maidens should be mild and meek, — 
Quick to hear, and slow to speak. 
Maidens want naething but a husband, and then they 

want every thing. 
Mealy mou'd maidens stand lang at the mill. 
She has coosten a lagen-gird. 
They rin fast that deils and lasses drive. 
There are mair mfddens than mawkins. 
Whistling maidens and crawing hens, were ne'er very 

chancy. 

WORTH. 

Worth has been under-rated ever since wealth has been 
over-rated. 



WoTlli may be blamed, but ne'er ashamed. 

We ne'er keu the worth o' water till the well be dry. 

He 'a worth gowd that can win 't. 

The worth o' a thing, is what it will bring. 

The worth o' a thing Is best kent by the want o't. 

The first step to virtue is to lore it in anither. 

Virtue ne'er grows anld. 

If a gude man thrive, a' thrives wi' him. 



Some hae a hantle o' fsnlts, — ye're only a ne'er-do-weel. 

Shame is past the shade o' your hair. 

Never gude — egg nor bird. 

The day ye do weel there will be seven nioona in the 

lift, and ane in the midden. 
Ye 're like a rotten nut, no worth cracking for die kernel. 
Ye 're no worth ca'ing ont o' a kail-yard. 
Ye 're loose in the heft. 
Ye 're like the tod — grey before ye 're gude. 
Ye 're a widdiefoa gin hanging time. 
Ye ni die like a trooper's horse — wi' your shoon on. 
Ye '11 wwry in the band, like M'Ewaii's calf. 

VOUTH, 

Reckless yoath maks ruefu' age. 

Royet lads mak sober men. 

Raw dauds mak fat lads. 

Rule youth weel, and Bge will nile itscl. 

The lazy lad maks a stark aald ninii. 

A taggit cowte aft maks a noble aiver. 



TRUISMS. 



A bald head is soon shaven. 

A bad wound may heal, but a bad name will kill. 

A black hen lays a white egg. 

A constant guest is never welcome. 

A common blot is nae stain. 

A crooning cow, a crawing hen, and a whistling maiden 

were ne'er very chancy. 
A craw is nae whiter for bdng washed. 
A craket bell will never mend. 
A dub foot winna mak a gude shinty. 
A doctor and a clown, kens mair than a doctor alane. 
Ae rotten apple spoils its neighbour. 
A fat kitchen maks a lean will. 
A £Ekt sow has eaten her ain banes. 
A fou heart is aye kind. 
A gien game was ne'er won. 
A gien horse shouldna be look'd in the mouth. 
A groat is ill saved that shames its master. 
A gude calf is better than a calf o' a gude kind. 
A gude name is better than a girdle o' gowd. 
A gude word finds a gude place. 



m 





A MA uMC vaOPk 

A MMH^ t0Ni(nK BM s ■■ort 

A IMUiytA m mum boc 

A kf en km ii Wtter dm a ttai m hD. 

A nsn n mt in dm Dand ne'er £d. Ini 

A liModkirMt needs nae bntern. 

A fimm )mm nsMf matr gndes dnm he geto gnde o'. 

A fimm cuauk hear a' hk nn km about on In ain bade 

A nmflUsd cat was ne'er a gode raooser. 

A iiMffr pair r/ bredu wOl cast down an anld dooMei. 

A fMfW besom scN>ps clean. 

A 1(Ms and a drink o* water is bat a weish break^Kt. 

A fHmnd 0* woo is as heavy as a pound o' lead. 

A niu^h Imne maks a fon wame. 

A ritproof is nae poison. 

A UkUn^ hand will ne'er want, let the world be ne'er 

nm scant. 
A wni) liouse has a muckle month. 
A wm mouse will creep beneath a muckle com stack. 



TRUISMS. 69 



A tinkler ne'er was a town taker ; 
A tailor was ne'er a hardy man ; 
Nor yet a wabster leal o' his trade : 
Nor ever were since the warld began. 
A wee house has a wide throat. 
A wee house is better than nae beild. 
A winter night, a woman's mind, and a laird's purpose 

aften change. 
Ae man may tak a horse to the water, but twenty 

winna gar him drink. 
Ae scabbit sheep will smit a hail hirsell. 
Ae hand is nae hand. 
A man may woo whare he will, but maun wed whare 

his wife is. 
Amendment is true repentance. 
An honest occupation is the best patrimony. 
A scalded cat dreads cauld water. 
A place at court is a constant bribe. 
Ae turn weel done is twice done. 
Auld tods need nae tutors. 
Avoid in yoursel what you blame in ithers. 
A wamefou 's a wamefou, were 't but o' bear-caff. 
A wonder lasts but nine days, and then the puppy's 

een are open. 
A wild goose ne'er laid tame eggs. 
A TBggit coat is armour against the robber. 
Ae sheaf o' a stook is enough. 
Ae vice is mair expensive than mony virtues. 
Ae swallow doesna mak a simmer. 
After a storm comes a calm. 



70 TBUISJfS. 



After dondi CMBM ttr 

Aft etile, wfaflei fait. 

A' eooipfanii ^i wsot o' vDar^ Int 

A' ilk are gnde imtiied. 

A' w freel ditt ends weeL 

A' w DO tint ditt 'a in haavdL 

A' i« DO at hand diat hdpa. 

K tbiDga are gnde mitriecL 

A' ia DO tint diat fr'sb^e. 

An aold horse may die watting for the gr am . 

An aold iack needi mndde dooting. 

An aold pock i« aye skailing. 

An eating bone ne'er foundered. 

An 111 tnm i« toon done. 

Ane may do the skaith, and anither get the wyte. 

Ane may like a haggis weel enongfa, that would not 

like the bag bladded on his chiiits. 
Ane (s no tae soon healed as hnrt 
Amaist was ne'er hanged. 
As lang lasts the hole as the heal-leather. 
As the bag fills, the drones rise. 
As gnde eat the dell, as snp the kail he 's boil'd in. 
A little body may hae a great soul. 
A hing tongue is the sign o' a short hand. 
A word is enough to the wise. 
A' complain o' want o' memory, but nane o' want o* 

judgment. 
A' die wit in the warld 's no in ae pow. 
A* cracks maunna be trew'd. 
A' that ye '11 get will be a kist and a sheet, after a'. 



^p A' BIB tto ttaeres that dogs bark at. 
' Ance 19 nae cnstooi. 

As many caatles hae been ta'eu by clemency as cruelty. 

Ab the market gses, the wares maun sell. 

As ane flits anitlier sits, and tbat maks msHings dear. 

As gade merchants tine as win. 

As mnckle upwith as muckle downwith. 

As ye brew sae maun yon drink. 

A short griLce is gade for hungry folk. 

Bairn's mither burst never. 
Bannocks are better than nae bread. 



Bees that hae honey in their mouths, hae stmgs in 

their twls, 
Beef steaks and porter is gnde belly mortar. 
Better a bite in the morning than fast a' day. 
Better a clout than a hole out. 
Better a. dog fawn on yon than bark at you. 
Better plays the fou wanie than the new coat. 
Better a filler aff than aye wigging. 
Better a sair tae than a fause friend. 
Better a tocher in her than wi' her. 
Better a sma fish thau an empty dish. 
Better a toom house than an ill tenant. 
Better a wee ingle to wann you, than a muckle fire to 

bum you. 
Better ae ee than.Iiail blind. 

Better ae pair o' heele, than twa pair o' hands, at a time. 
Better a lean hoise than a toom halter. 



72 TRUISMS. 



Better auld debts thfln auld sain. 

Better do it than wish it done. 

Better be blythe wi' little than wi' naething. 

Better be friends at a distance than enemies at hame. 

Better be enyied than pitied. 

Better be alane than in ill company. 

Better be kind than cmnbensome. 

Better be the head o' the commons than the tail o' the 

gentry. 
Better be at the end o' a feast than at the b^inning o' 

a fray. 
Better bairns greet than bearded men. 
Better be merry wi* something than sad wi* naething. 
Better bow than break. 

Better bow to my faes than beg frae my friends. 
Better buy than borrow. 
Better cry, Feigh, saut — ^than Feigh, stink. 
Better day, the better deed. 
Better eat grey bread in youth than in eild. 
Better fed than bred. 
Better filled than prick'd. 
Better flatter a fool than fight him. 
Better gang to bed supperless than rise in debt. 
Better gang about than {&* in the dub. 
Better you laugh than I greet. 
Better gie the slight than tak it. 
Better gude sale than gude ale. 
Better a gude form than a fedr face. 
Better hands loose than in ill tethering. 
Better baud wi' the hound than rin wi' the hare. 



TRUISMS. 73 



Better baud out than put out. 

Better happy at court than in gude service. 

Better half egg than toom doup. 

Better hae than want. 

Better idle than ill employed. 

Better kiss a knave than cast out wi' him. 

Better keep weel than mak weel. 

Better keep Uie deil without the door, than drive him 

out o' Uie house. 
Better late thrive than ne'er do weel. 
Better live than lack. 

Better my baims seek frae me, than I frae my hairns. 
Better ne'er begun than ne'er ended. 
Better ower't than on't. 
Better play for nought than work for nought. 
Better ride on an ass that carries you, than a horse that 

throws you. 
Better rue sit Uian rue flit. 
Better sma fish than nae fish. 
Better saut than sour. 

Better sancht wi' little aught than care wi' mony cows. 
Better spared than ill spent. 
Better say Here it is, than Here it was. 
Better skaiUis saved than mends made. 
Better to baud than draw. 
Better to find iron than tine siller. 
Better to hae ae plough gaun, than twa cradles. 
Better the bam filled than the bed. 
Better the ill ken'd than the ill unken'd. 
Better twa skaiths than ae sorrow. 



TRUISMS. 



It thaa rise and get a fa'. 




Better I 

Better to leave tliaa vi 

Better to learn trae your neighbour's sktuth than yonr 

Better thole a grumpli than a anmph. 

Better tmborn than untaught. 

Better unkind than ower cuntberaome. 

Better wade back mid nvter, than gang forward a 

be drowned. 
Better weel liked than ill won gear. 
Better yonr foot slip than your tongue. 
Better be merry and spend a', than sad and \mn naething. 
Birk will bum, be it bum drawn ; 
Sancb will sab, if it were aimmer sawn. 
Btuid 'a thicker than water. 
Bonnie sport to fare weel and pay nothing for' 
Bite not my bannock. 
Bode gude and get it. 
Bitter pills may bae blessed effects. 
Busy folk are aye meddling. 
Broken bread and brown ale winna bide lang. 
Bread and milk is bairns meat : I wish them sorrow 

that loes it. 
Buy what ye dinna want, and ye 'II sell what ye a 

spare. 

Can do, is eaay carried about. 
Care will kill a cat, yet there 's nae living without il 
Carls and cart e 
spend all. 



da«4^ 
thing. 

I 



TRUISMS. 75 



Ca' your gademan a cuckold in fun, and he '11 no betieye 

yon. 
Caold panitch is sooner het again than new anes made. 

Cauld kail het again, that I liked never ; 

Auld love renewed again, that I liked ever. 
Cast you ower the house riggin, and ye '11 fa' on your 

feet. 
Cannahas nae craft. 
Censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being 

eminent. 
Charity begins at hame. 
Qianges o* wark, is a lightening o' hearts. 
Clippet sheep will grow again. 
Clawing is bad: it b^ins wi' pleasure and ends wi' pain. 
Common fame is seldom to blame. 
Command your passions, or they will command you. 
Com him weel, he '11 work the better. 
Counsel is nae command. 
Condition maks, condition breaks. 
Come when ye 're ca'd, and ye'll no be chiden. 
Custom is a second nature. 

Darning and laving is gude sure fishing. 

Dai^per past, God forgotten. 

Daylight will keek through a sma hole. 

Daub yoursel wi' honey and ye 11 ne'er want flies. 

Dead men are free'd men. 

Diet cures mair than the doctors. 

Dolour pays nae debts. 

Do you think you see a clear thing ? 



76 TRUISMS. 



Eagles flee alane, but sheep herd dieghher. 

Eggs will be in three bellies in fonrHind-twaity hours. 

Eith learned, soon forgotten. 

Envy aye shoots at a lugfa mark. 

Enough 's enough o' bread and dieese. 

Equity judgeth with lenity, law with severity. 

Ever busy, ever bare. 

Every thing has a beginning. 

Every man kens best whare his ain sair lies. 

Every bird thinks its ain nest best. 

Every state is worm's meat. 

Every man has his weak side. 

Every man's nose winna be a shoeing horn. 

Every man's man had a man, and that gar'd the trave (m*. 

Every dog has his day, a bitch twa afternoons. 

Every thing has its time, and sae has the rippling-kame. 

Every thing has an end, aind a puddin has twa. 

Every thing is the wanr o' the wear. 

Evil words scald not the tongue. 

Evil words cut mair than swords. 

Fair hair has foul roots. 
Four-and-twenty tailors canna mak a man. 
Fairly and saftly gaes far journeys. 

Great bodies move slowly. 

Grude men are the masters o' their pleasures, bad men 

are the slaves o' theirs. 
Gin Ifs and And's, were pats and pans, what would 

tinklers do. 



TRUISMS. 77 



Greatness may big the monument, but goodness maun 

gie the epitaph. 
Great pains and little gains soon mak a man weaiy. 
Grreat tochers makna aye Uie greatest testaments. 

Had I a fish, was ne'er gude wi garlic 
Hae. you gear, or hae you nane. 
Tine heart, and a' is gane. 
Hame is a hamely name. 
Herschip in the highlands I the hens are i' the com ; if 

the cock gets in, it will ne'er be shorn. 
Hankering and hanging on, is but a poor trade. 
Hae is half fou. 
He can ill rin that canna gang. 
He has the best memory wha minds every thing but 

an injury. 
He has wit at will. 

He kens the loan frae the crown o' the causey, as weel 
as the duck does the midden-hole frae the adle-dub. 
He is the slave o' a' slaves wha serves nane but himsel. 
He should be sindle angry that hae few to mease him. 
He has got a knight's boon aff her. 
He has spur metal in him. 
Help for help in hairst. 
Help is gude at a' thing, except at the cog. 

He that buys land buys stanes ; 

He that buys beef buys banes ; 

He that buys nuts buys shells ; 

He that buys gude ale, buys naething else. 
He that oppresses honesty, ne'er had ony. 



•-?!r 



TBUISHfl. 



He that cornea o' the hens maun ecrape. 

H^ that avoids temptation, avoids the sin. 

He that swima in sin will sink in floirow. 

He that saye what he like«, nitl hear what he doesna IS 

He that wants content, canna sit easy in his chair. 

He that pities another minds himsel. 

He that will be angry for onything, will be angry 4 

naething. 

He that has a fellow-mler has an over-ruler, 

He that has gowd may buy land. 

He yat hea ane lytill hors, seine may he fall ; 

And he yat hes ane deife boy, lowde may he caHfl 

And he yat hes ane fair wyfe, sair may be dreide ■ 

Ither menia baimes to foster, and to feide. 

He that canna confer a favour, maim seek ane anfairlv. 

He that speaks to liimsel speaks to a fool. 

He that lives in a glass bouse shouldna cast stanea 

at his neighbour. 
He that lippens to lent ploughs, his land will lie li 
He that does bidden, deserves nae d 
He that tines Ids siller, is thought t( 
He that kisses his wife at the market-cross, will 1 

mony to teach him. 
He that sella his wares for words maun live by the k 
He that has a goose will get a goose. 
He that has hut ae ee maun tent it week 
He that lends money to a friend lias a double loss. ' 
He that has the longest sword is aye thought i 

right. 
He that baa a guile crap my bear wi' some thistles. ^ 



TRUISMS. T9 



He that rides ahint anillieTy doesna saddle when he 
pleases. 

He that tholes owercomes. 

He that deceives me ance, shame fa' him; he that 
deceives me twice, shame fa' me. 

He that 's first up 's no aye first sair'd. 

He that pays last ne'er pays twice. 

He that marries a maiden, marries a pockfa' o 'pleasure. 

He Uiat marries a widow, marries a pockfu' o* pleas-Bwre. 

He that forsakes measure, measure forsakes him. 

He maun rise soon, that pleases a'body. 

He 's a gentle horse that ne'er threw his rider. 

He 's free o' his fruits that wants an orchard. 

He 's hut daft that has to do, and spares for every speech. 

He's a mere couching carl, for a' his manly look. 

He 's a proud heggar that maks his ain awmous. 

He that would pu' the sweet rose, maun sometimes 
he scarted wi' the thorns. 

He that liveth weel, liveth lang. 

He that has twa hoards is ahle to get a third. 

He that 's rede for windlestraes, should never sleep on 
leas. 

He that's far frae his gear is near to his skaith. 

He that never eats flesh thinks harigalds a feast. 

He that shows his purse bribes the thie( 

He Uiat sells his wares for words maun live on wind. 

He that wears black maun wear a brush cm his back. 

He that winna thole maun flit mcmy a hole. 

He that meddles wi' tuilyies may come in for the redd- 
ing stroke. 



80 TKUISMS. 

He that eomts before the hostler, comtB twice. 

He has it o' kind, he coft it noL 

He has wit at win, that, when aBgry, can sit him stilL 

It was ne'er a gade aiver that flnng at ih» hioose. 

He may be trosted wi' a hovee foa o' millirtaiies. 

He maon hae leacYe to speak whm canna hand his tongue. 

He 's jmco fon in his ain hoosey diat canna eat a potatoe 

in his neighboor's. 
He 's a gnde gnnner diat aye hits the mark. 
He maon be a useless gndeman that 's ne*ar miss'd. 
He 's a fool that forgets himsd. 
He *s weel stocket there ben, that will neither borrow 

nor lend. 
He 's like a flea in a blanket. 
He 's sairest dang whase ain wand dang him. 
He 8 poor enough wha's iU-iJBff'd. 
He 's a siUy chield that can neither do nor say. 
He 's worth gowd wha can gain it. 
His anld brass will buy her a new pan. 
He 11 soon be a beggar that canna say na. 
He 'U either win the horse or tine the saddle. 
He 'U either mak a spoon or spill a horn. ' 
He 11 tell 't to nae mae than he meets. 
High trees show mair leaves than fruit. 
He 's out and in, like a dog at a fair. 
He 's gude that fail*d never. 
He 's a silly body that 's never miss'd. 
He 's worth nae weel, that bides nae wae. 
He 's weel eased that has o' his ain. 
Het sup, het swallow. 



TRUISM8. 81 



He that can bear Dnmbuck may bear Dumbarton. 

He that keeps the cat's dish, keeps her aye crying. 

He that looks not ere he loups, will fa' ere he wat. 

He that canna mak sport should mar nane. 

He that blaws in the stour fills his ain een. 

He that draws his sword against his prince, may throw 

awa the scabbard. 
He that lets his horse drink at every lake, and his wife 

gang to every wake, will ne'er want a whore nor a 

jade. 
He that spits against the wind, spits in his ain face. 
He that grapes in the dark may fyle his fingers. 
He that lippens to chance, lippens his back to a slap. 
He that sleeps wi' dogs maun rise wi* flaes. 
He that hews aboon his head may get a spell in his ee. 
He ^at waits for a dead man's shoon, gaes lang barefit. 
He that hides is best o* seeking. 
Hope is the dream o' a waking man. 
He '11 put o'er Uie borrowing days. 
Highest in the court, nearest the widdie. 

I could hae done that mysel, but no sae weel. 

I hae seen mony a smaller, madam. 

I would rather see 't than hear tell o't, as blind Fbte 

said. 
I tint the staff I herded wi'. 
I hae my meat and my mense. 
If better were within, better would come out. 
If I was at my ain bum-foot. 
It's the life o' an auld bat to be w«el cocket 

F 



82 TRUISMS. 



If you had been anither, I would hae denied you at 

the first word. 
If ye win at that, ye 11 lose at naething. 
If I hae done amiss, I 'U mak amends. 
If you be angry, sit laigh and mease you. 
If you trust before you try, ye '11 repent before you die. 
I '11 pay you and put naething in your pouch. 
I wish ye had drank water when ye drank that diap 

drink. 
I wish you had wist what you said. 
I wiona mak a toil o' a pleasure, quo' the man, when 

he buried his wife. 
I can see as far into a miUstane as he that pick'd it. 
If a' be weel, 1 11 be wyteless. 
If I had you at Maggy MiU's house, I would get word 

about wi' you. 
If you sell the cow, you sell her milk too. 
If it sair me to wear, it may sair you to look at. 
If it wasna for the belly, the back would wear gowd. 
If you be not ga'd ye needna fling. 
If youth knew what age would crave, it would baith 

get and save. 
If she sair me to live wi', she may sair you to look at. 
It 's but a year sooner to the begging. 
It 's better to keep a cow than an ass. 
nka bird maim hatch its ain egg. 
Its no the burden, but the over-burden, that kills the 

beast. 
It 's hmg to Lammas. 
It 's no for naething the cat licket the stane. 



TRUISMS. 83 



It *s eith to learn you a gude use. . . 

It 's neither rhyme nor reason. 

It 's gude fitting under a buckler. 

It 8 a rare matter for siller to lack a master.. 

It 's a friend that ruses you. 

It has nae ither father but you. 

If the auld wife hadna been in the ovrai hersel, she 

ne'er would hae thought o seeking her dochter 

there. 
If s and And's spoil mony a gude charter. 
In a great frost, a nail is worth a horse. 
Ill hearing maks ill rehearsing. 
Its lai^ en four bare legs gather iieat in a bed. 
It 's lang or like to die fills the kirk-yard. 
It 's lang or you cry, Schou, to an ^;g. 
It 's no aye tint that fa's bye. 

It 's no the rumbling cart that fa's finfc ower the brae. 
It 's no a' gowd that glitters, 
it 's best travelling wi' a horse in your hand. 
It 's no the cowl that maks the friar. 
It 's no the creaking car that 's soonest conpet. 
. It 's no for naething the gled whistles. 
It 's nae play when ane laughs and aniUier greets. 
It 's a sort of favour to be denied at first. 
It 's needless to bid a wren rin. 
It 's needless to pour water on a drowned mouse. 
It 's needless to mak twa bites o' a cherry. 
It 's ne'er ower late for repentance. 
It 's past joking when the head 's aff. 
It 's a gude game that fills the wame. 




lir time when the moase looks oat o' the mi 
barrel wi" the tear in its ee. 
B kittle wark for the cbeeke when a huri'barrow gi 
ower the brig o' the nose. 
e ill your kytea common. 
B ower lots to jouk when the head 'a aff. 
s a Bour reek when the ^idewife dings the gntlen 
'a weel your faults are no written on your forehead. 

ight tree that has neither gnarl nor gaw. 

an aboQt the wren's door when there 's ni 



^de t« hae your cog out when it rain 
a careless parting between an auld i 



kail. 



H a 800th dream that 'n seen waking. 
9 ill limping before cripples. 
H ill kitchen that keeps the hre^d awa. 
s ill taking com frae geese. 

to put a. blythe face upon a black heart. 
8 gude to begin weel, but better to end weel. 

er late to cast the anchor when the ship 'a 
the rock. 

wer late to lout when the head 'b got a clout. 
n ill warld that canna g;ie us a bite and a brat. 
'b ill 'praising green barley. 
's God that feeds the craws, that neither tills, barrowi 



It may be tjTie what st 
what a'bodysayB. 



iD say, but it n 



nbeti 



It troulJ do a blind man gade to see 'I. 

It woald be a. hard task to foUow a black dockit bow 

through a burnt moor this night. 
1 11 do as the man did wha sold hia land— I '11 no do it 

ag:ain. 
I 'II no tell a lie for scant o' news. 



Keep yoor tongue a prisoner, and yonr body will gang 



Laith to bed, l^th to rise. 

Lang fasting gathers wind. 

Lang speaking, part roaun spill. 

Lang lean maks hamald cattle- 
Lang sick, soon weel. 

Lang or you cut Falkland Wood wi' a penknife. 

longest at the fire soonest finds cauld. 

Ii&cking breeds laziness, but praise breeds pith. 
I Let alane maks a loon. 
I L«t alane maks mony lurdanea. 
I Iiean liberty is better than fat slavery. 
B'^Uten at a hole, and ye'll hear news o' yoursel. 
I little straiks fell mockle uks. 
I Ijttle and often fills the purse. 
[ Ijttte middling maks fair parting. 
[ little wit in the head, maks muckle travel to the heel. 
I 'little wit in the head that li^ts the candle at the red. 
I Little gear is soon spent. 

I 'likely lies aft in the mire, when unlikely gets through. 
gjrf^a dmiration. is the child of vanity. 




Mak a wrang step and ye'll ta' t 

May he that tarns the clod, ne'e 

Mair pride than pith. 

Mair show than substance. 

Mi>cking ia catcliing. 

Meddle wi" your match. 

Met and measure mak n' i 

Man proponeB, bnt God dispones. 

Mettle is kittle in a blind horse. 

Mouy ane speaks o' Uobin Hood, that ne'er shot v 

Many ane opens his pack, and selk nae wares. 
Many ane would blush to hear, what tbey are i 

ashamed to do. 
Mony ane speira the gate they ken fa' weel. 
Many irons in the fire, some maun cool. 
Mony ways o' killing a dog without hanging him, n 
Many fair promises at the ntairiage-making, but few at 

the tocher paying. 
Mony ane blames their wife for their ain unthrift. 
Many hands maks light wark. 
Mony say weel when it ne'er was wanr. 
Mony words fill not the firlot. 
Many words would bac muckle drink. 
Mony care for meal that hae broken bread aneugh. 
Mony ane maks an errand to the lia' to bid my lady 

gude day. 
Mony anes coat saves their doublet. 
Mony ane kens ttje gudefallom, that doesna ken the 

gndefallow'K wife. 



m, '^l 
few at 

ft. 




Mony Bse wytea their wife for their ain thoughtlese life. 

Mony gadenights, luth ar 

Men speak o' the fair as things went there. 

Mackle musing mars the memory. 

Muckle maim a pide heart thole. 

My tongue is no luider your belt. 

Mackle gnde may it do you, and merry go down, with 

every Inmp aa big: aa my thomb. 
Muckle power maks mony enemies. 
Muckle skaith comes to the shoe before the heat comes 

to the tae. 
Muckle pleaenre aome pmn. 



Nae man bkes fetters, though they be fo^ed l 

Nae force agmnst the flail. 

Nae cows, uae care. 

Nae man is wise at a' times, nor wi«e on a' thi 

Nae mills, nae meal. 

Naething enters into a close nelre. 

Nae siller, nae service. 

Nae fleeing without wings. 

Nature passeth nurture. 

Naething sooner maks a i 

Naething is ill said, if it's no ill ti 
Naething dries sae last as a woma 
None can play the fool eae weel a 
Need maks virtue. 

New lairds hae new laws. 






a look auld, than sittiog ill 



88 TBUISM8. 



Night IB the mhher o' tboi^fata. 
Now-a-days troth is news. 

O' little meddliDg comes nnickle care. 

O* 'busing comes using. 

O* a' trades, the poet is fondest o' his waik. 

Onr first Inreath b the b^inning o^ death. 

Opportunities mak a thief. 

Ower narrow counting cnlyies nae kindness. 

I Pay before hand was ne er weel sair'd. 

Patch and lang sit, build and soon flit. 
Pateison's mare aye gaes foremost. 
Practice maks perfectness. 
Pearls are nae paste. 
Pat the poor man's penny and the rich man's pomy in 

ae purse, and they 11 draw thegither. 
Put the poor man's penny and the rich man's penny in 

ae purse, and they '11 come out alike. 
Plenty is nae plague. 
Poorly sits, richly warms. 
Play carl wi' me again, if you dare. 

Quick returns mak rich merchants. 

Quho so biggeth his hous all of swallowis, 
And pricketh a blind hors ower the fallowis. 
And suffereth his wife to seek hallowis, — 
Is wordie to be hanget on the gallowis. 

Reek follows the fairest, bear witness to the crook. 



, I 




Sauce for the goose is aauce for the gander. 

Sair cravers are aye ill payers. 

Saw you that, hnA sholna at it, and you sae gleg a 

gunner. 
Saying gangs cheap. 

Say weel and do weel, end wi' ae letter : 

Say weel ia gude, but do weel ia better. 
Say aye No, and ye 'II ne'er be married. 
Sail, quo' the king: haud, quo' the wind. 
Second thonghta are beat. 
Seek yonr aa' (salve), whare you got your aair. 
Seek your ea' whare you got your ail, and buy your 

barm whare you buy your ale. 

Seek muckle and get aomething. 
Seek little and get naething. 
Seek till you find, and ye 11 no lose yonr lEdicmr. 
Seldom lide, tinea his spurs. 

Set a atool in the nun, aa ae rogue riaes anither aits down. 
Scant o' cheeka niaka a lang noae. 
Scant o' grace hears lang preachings. 
I Scarting and nipping is Scotch folks' wooing. 
Scotchnnen are aye wise ahint the hand. 
Scotchmen aye reckon trae an ill hour. 
ScotcUmeiL aye tak their mark frae mischief. 



^■^^^90 TBDIBMB. ^^^^1 


H Snk, >H the word. 


m 


H Shallow waters mak maiet din. 




^M Sairy be your meal-pock, and av 


e your neire in the 


■ neuk o-t. 




^M Sae mony countries, aae niony cue 


itoms. 


^1 Sairy man, and then he grat. 




^M Send your gentle blood to the market, a:id see what it 


^P will buy. 


-^ 


H Sharp sauce gie^ a gude taste to sweetmeata. 4fl 


H Show me the guest that the house 


is the warn- o'. M 


r Show me the man, and I '11 show ; 


yoa the law. 4^| 


Shod in the cradle and baiefit in the stable. M 


She that taks a gift, hereel she sells ; fl 


And she that giea them, does 


naethin^ else. ' l| 


Smooth waters mn deepest. 




Slow fires mak sweet meat. 




Soon enough to cry Chuck [ when 


1 its out o' the shell. 


Soon ripe, soon rotten. 


J 


Soon het, soon cauld. 


■ 


Sober, nsighbour, the night 's but 


young yet. ^ 


■^ Sorrow shake you out o' the wabster's haudtwark. ^ 


■ Sorrow be on the hands that held sa 


« weel to your head. 


^M Souters eliouldna be sailors, wha c 


an neither steer nor 


H Speech is the midwife o' the mmd. 


^ 


H spit on 't, and ca 't thither wi' a 


m 


^ Spit on a staae and it will weet at 


m 


Strike as you feed, and that 's but 


soberly. ^ 


Sticking gangs not by strength, but by the right um tfj 


the gnlly. 


1 




^^^^^^^^^1 




I 



Stonn dante a 

Stuffing hauds out the storm. 

Shame fa' the couple, quo' the cow to }ier feet. 

She '9 an auld wife that wata her ain weird. 

SodgeTH, fire, and water, soon mak room for ihemsels. 

Soutera and tailors work by the hour. 

Spit in your loof, and had fast. 

Stay and dritik your browat. 

Tak part o' the pelf when the pack ia a-deoliug'. 

Tak your will, yon 're wise enough. 

Tak you 're will o't, aa the cat did o' the ha^ia. 

That 'b the best gown that gaea up and <lowii the house. 

The bird maun flichter that has bnt ae wing'. 

Tlie baaea bear the beef hame. 

The best ia aye the cheapest. 

The better day, the better deed. 

The blind man'a peck alionld be weel niea-iured. 

The book o' numbers is very braid. 

The cow may die ere the grass grow. 

The cow may want her tad yet. 

The counterfeit cnnzie ahowa mair gilding than gude. 

The cure may be waur than the disease. 

The deil's journeyman ne'er wants wark. 

Tlie dirty dame may fa' JD the dIrL 

The day has een, the night has lugs. 

The farer in the deeper. 

The farer ben the welcomer — (Highland hospitality.) 

Tlie 6e»h is aye faireat that 's farest free the bane. 

The feathers carried ana the flcBl], 



^% 711X11 



tiMc':» aa iHHfi 31 ihat 





Jim p Ae . Ay 

TW l»rk ii MKiJe, l«t |w ■■y' sf hmi m Ar 

11»« MMM Miif «fdblf loie s tlttC dbt 

TIm^t i»ftlM!ff^« breatfa k sf e sireec 

Tim mwk undden m the maAtr o* die 

TIm^t fiN>itdM;irort feedMUi on mid^eab 

TImt fiobW the bent, the soapier the nedL 

The mtttr^ff e*mf the mae heggara. 

The fienrer the batie, the sweeter the HetlL, 

The nmrer the rock^ the sweeter the grass. 

The piper wants nraclde that waats the nether diaft. 

The Mnail is as soon at its rest as the swallow. 

The tree doesna fa* at the first stroke. 

The tod ne*er speeds better than when he gangs his ain 

errand. 
The simple man 's the beggar^s brither. 
The stout horse gets aye the hard wark. 
The shortest road is whare the company is gude. 
The rat that has but ae hole is soon catch'd. 



The kirk is aye greedy. 

The Btill BOW eata up the draff. 

The smith's mare, and the Boater's wife, are aye WMSt 

The sun is nae waur for shining on the midden. 

The thing that llesna in your gate, breaksna your ahins. 

The thing that 'h in yonr wame, is no in your testament. 

The warat warld ever wax, some man waa. 

The wolf may lose hb teeth, hut never his nature. 

There are three things in a' things. 

There are mair married than gnde house haudera. 

There are mair knaves in my kin, than honest men in 

There are mair wark days tlian life days. 

There '» nae hair see sma hut has its nhadow. 

There are nane sae weel shod bat may slip. 

There are mair ways than ane u' keejiiug the craws 

frae the statk. 
There are mair knavery by sea and land, than a' the 

earth besides. 
There belangs mair to a ploaghman than whistling. 
There beiangs mair to a bed tiian four hare legs. 
There grows nae grass at the market-cross. 
Tliere 's a great difference between fend and fare-weel. 
There ne'er came ill frae a gnde advice. 
There 's muckle water rins by when the miller sleeps. 
There ne'er was a gude town but had a dub at the end 

o't 
There ne'er is a height but there is a howe at the 

bottom o't. 



94 



1 



There ne'er weis a f^ word in flyting. 

There ne'er was a cake bat had a make. 

Them ne'er was a slut but (witbout) a elit. 

There waa anither gotten the night that yon was bom. 

There was mair loss at the Shirrajnuir, whare the 

Highlandman lost his father and his mother, and a 

gude bniF belt worth them baith. 
There 's a gnde and a bad side in every thing : 

art ia to God it out. 
There 'e a flae in my liose. 
There 'b a dnb at ilka door, and some doota twa. 
There 'a a difference between the piper and his bitch. 
There 'a a word in my wame, bnt it 'a far down. 
There 's a time to gley,- and a time to look e 
There 'a an end o' a lang story. 
There 'a aa gude fish in the aea as erer cam c 
There 's little for the rake after the shook 
There 's little aap in a dry pea-ahaup. 
There 'a mae ways to the wood than ane. 
There 'a mae ways o killing a dog besides hanging him. 
There 'a naue sae buay as them that hae least to da. 
There 's nane deceived, but them wtia trnst. 
There 'a nae hawk soars sae high but he wiU stoop to 

There 's ower mony nicks in your horn. 
There 'e nae smi »ae bright but clouds will o 
There 's nae woo sae course but it will tak s< 
There '« nae birds this year in the last year's 
There 's nae iron sae hard but rust wiU fret it : 
I I There 's uae claith sae fine but moths will vatJtM 



a' t^ 



-i 




95 

There 'a uone aae blinil as theu th&t mnna see. 

There 'b nane eat (leaf as them that winna hear. 

There 'a aae braird like the midden braird. 

There 's ne'er a great feaat but some fare ill. 

There 's nae sport whare there 'a neither aald folk nor 

bairns. 
There 'a naethin^ comes out o' an oulie pig bnt an ill 

There '» twa ihinga in my mind and that 'a the last o' 

There 'a twa enougha, and ye bae gottea ane o' tliem. 

There 's reason in the roasting o' eggt. 

Tlieve 'a mair knavery ainang kinsmen, than honesty 

amang conrtiera. 
There 's mair room without than within. 
There 's naething sae like an honest man a» an arrant 

knave. 
They are sad renta that come in wi' tears. 
They are no to be named in the same day. 
They are lightly harried that hae a' their ain. 
They that live langest, fetch wood farest. 
They think a calf a niuckle beast that never saw a cow. 
Tliey ne'er saw a haggis wha thbk a pnddin a feast. 
They that drink langest, live langeat. 
They hae need o a canny cook that hae but ae egg to 

their dinner. 
They that see you in daylight winna rin awa wi' yon 

in the dark. 
They that see you in daylight, winna break the houxe 

for you at night. 



96 TRUISMS. 



Tlie trick the cowte gets when he *s baddng, m^iile 1m 

lives will ne'er he lacking. 
They that stay in the howe, will ne'er mount the heig^ 
Tear ready, tail ready. 
To hain is to hae. 
Toom sta's make biting horses. 
Touch a ga'd horse and he '11 fling. 
Twa blacks winna mak a white. 
Twa heads are better than ane, if they were only sheep 

heads. 
Twa heads are better than ane, as the wife said, ^rhen 

she and her dog gaed to the market. 
They 're no a' saints that get the name o't. 
They hae nae need o' a turnspit that hae only an egg to 

their dinner. . 
They 're scarce o' horse flesh that rides on the dog^ 
They need muckle that naething will content. 
To promise is ae thing, to keep it is anither. 
Tramp on a worm and it will turn. 
Tine cat, tine game. 

Want o' wit is waur than want o' gear. 

Watch harm, catch harm. 

Wha is ill to his ain is ill to himsel. 

What winna mak a pat inay mak a pat lid. 

What we love heartily, we love smartly. 

When a' fruit fa's welcome haws. 

When the bum does not babble, its either ower toom 

or ower fiu 
Wise men are caught wi' wiles. 



TRUISMS. 97 



Wide lugs and a short tongue are best. 

White legs would aye be rused. 

We can poind for debt, but no for kindness. 

Wha looks to freets, freets will follow. 

Wha never climbs, never fa's. 

Wanton kitlens mak douce cats. 

What is gotten ower the deil's back, is spent below his 

belly. 
When ye 're gaun and coming, the gate 's no toom. 
When ane rises up, anither sits doun : that 's the way 

in this town. 
When the horse is at the gallop, the bridle 's ower late. 
When the bam 's fou, you may thrash at the door. 
When the heart 's past hope, the face is past shame. 
When the craw flies, her tail follows. 
When the wame 's fou, the banes would be at rest. 
When the tod gets to the wood, he caresna wha keeks 

at his tail. 
When my head 's down my house is theekit. 
Wishers and woulders are poor house holders. 
When the dike 's laighest, it 's easiest loupit. 
Whare there 's muckle courtesy, there 's little kindness. 
When ane winna, twa canna cast out. 
White siller *s wrought in black pitch. 
Whoredom and grace ne'er dwelt in ae place. 
We ken your eild by the rankles o' your horn. 
We canna baith sup and blaw. 
We may ken your meaning by your mumping. 
Weel begun is half done. 
Weel enough is soon enough. 

G 



98 TRUISMS. 



We 11 meet ere hills meet. 

Whare the dear 's slain, the hluid will lie. 

Work legs and win legs, hain legs and tine legs. 

Wrang has nae warrant. 

Work for naething maks folk dead-sweir. 

Woo sellers ken aye woo huyers. 

Ye 're huttoned up the hack, like Achmahoy s dog. 
Ye 're ane o* the tender Gordons — ^you downa he hang'd 

for ga m your neck. 
Ye 're hlack ahout the mou for want o' kissing. 
Ye 're like me, and I'm like sma drink. 
Ye 're as sma as the twitter o' a twined rasch. 
Ye 're ower hard mou'd. 
Ye 're as white as a loan soup. 
Ye 're like the smith's dog, ye sleep at the sound o' the 

hammer, and waken at the crunching t>' teeth. 
Ye 're mistaken o* the stuff — ^it 's half silk. 
Ye 're a widdiefou gin hanging time. 
Ye canna sell the cow and sup the milk too. 
Ye would he a gude Borrowstoun sow — ^ye scent weel. 
Ye wad gar me trew my head was cow'd, and I find 

the hair on 't. 
Ye winna put out the fire wi' tow. 
Ye may as weel eat the deil as sup the kail he 's hoil'd in. 
Ye canna wash a hlack man white. 
Ye may gape lang ere a hird flee in your mouth. 
Ye hae sitten your time, as mony a gude hen has. 
Ye hae come in time for tineing a darg. 
Ye hae a sa' for a' sairs. 



TRUISMS. 99 



Ye bae got baith tbe skaitb and the sconi. 

Ye bae miss'd tbat, as you did your mitber s blessing. 

Ye bae 6wer muckle loose leatber about your cbafts. 

Ye may tine tbe fatber seeking tbe son. 

Ye bae ower foul feet to come sae far ben. 

Ye gie gude counsel, but be *8 a fool tbat taks 't. 

Ye was bred about tbe mill, ye bae mooped a' your 

manners. 
Ye ca' bardest at tbe nail tbat drives fastest. 
Ye breed o* tbe cbaproan — ye 're aye to bansel. 
Ye live beside iir neighbours. 
Ye may be greedy, but ye *re no greening. 
Ye needna lay tbereout for want o' a nest egg. 
Ye needna blame God if tbe deil ding you ower. 
Ye may wasb aff dirt, but no dun bide. 
Ye strive about uncoft gaits. 
Ye bad aye a gude whittle at your belt. 
Ye '11 be bang d, and 1 11 be harried. 
Ye '11 gang a grey gate. 

Ye tak mair in your mouth than your cheeks will baud. 
Ye '11 ne*er get twa breads aff ae cake. 
Ye '11 get as muckle for ae wish this year, as for twa 

fernyear. 
Ye '11 no let it be for want o' craving. 
Ye '11 ne'er rowte in my tether. 
Ye '11 gather nae gowd aff windlestraes. 
Ye '11 get nae mair a a cat but the skin. 
Ye '11 get waur bodes ere Beltane. 
Ye '11 do little for God, if the deil was dead. 
Ye '11 kythe in your ain colours yet. 



> 



100 TRUISMS. 



Ye 've been lang on little yird. 

Ye Ve work*d a yokin and loosed in time. 

Ye Ve ta'en 't on you, as the wife did the dancing. 

You shine like the sunny side o' a shaimey wecht. 

You shine like a white gird about a shaimey cog. 

You winna craw trade. 

You '11 aye ken a gude warkman by his chips. 

You *11 get better when you mend. 

Your head canna get up but your stamach follows. 

Yule is young on Yule even, 

And auld in St. Steven. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



A blate cat maks a proud mouse. 

A bread house never skail'd. 

A beggar's wallet is a mile to the bottom. 

A cock 's aye crouse on his ain midden head. 

A cumbersome cur in company, is hated for his mis- 
carriage. 

A daft nurse maks a wise wean. 

A day to come seems langer than a year that 's gane. 

A dear ship lies lang in the harbour. 

A dog's life— hunger and ease. 

A drink is shorter than a tale. 

A dapple grey horse will sooner die than tire. 

After words come weird : fair fa' them that ca's me 
Madam. 

A fair fire maks a room flit. 

A fot hen maks a lean cock. 

After meat, mustard. 

Aft counting keeps friends lang thegither. 

A fou heart never lied. 

A fop is the tailor s friend, and his ain foe. 

A fidging mare should be weel girded. 



102 MISCELLANEOUS. 



A gaun fit is aye getting, if it were bat a thorn. 

A gude fallow is a costly name. 

A gude fallow is ne'er tint but an ill ane is at hand. 

A great ruser was ne'er a gude rider. 

A gude ingle maks a roomy fireside. 

A green turf is a gude gudemither. 

A green wound is half heal. 

A hairy man 's a geary man, but a hairy wife *8 a witch. 

A hantle cry murder I and are aye upmost. 

A hardy man to draw a sword on a haggis. 

A hearty hand to gie a hungry mealtith. 

A house built, and a garden planted, never sold for 

what they cost. 
A horn spoon hands nae poison. 
A boundless hunter, and a gunless gunner, aye see 

routh o' game. 
An egg *6 a mouthfou o' meat, and a townfou o' shame. 
A kind look turneth awa anger. 
A lass is a lad's leavings. 
A laughing faced lad maks a lither servant. 
A lang gather'd dam soon rins out. 
Amang you be 't, priests bairns ; I am but a priest's oye. 
A man o' mony trades, begs his bread on Sunday. 
A man is aye crouse in his ain cause. 
A man's mind is a meek mirror. 
A man, like a watch, is valued for his time. 
A mouthfou o' meat may be a townfou o' shame. 
A new tout on an auld horn. 
A nag wi' a wame, and a mare wi' nane. 
Ance paid, never craved. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 103 



Ance provost, aye My Lord. 

Ance wud and aye wanr. 

An ill cook should bae a gude cleaver. 

Ane does the skaith, and anither gets the scorn. 

Ance awa, and aye awa. 

A rich mouthfou, and heavy groans. 

A short grace is sweet for hungry folk. 

A wall between baith, best preserves friendship. 

As gude ne'er a bit, as ne'er the better. 

Amaist and very near, has aye been a great Her. 

Amaist was ne'er a man's life. 

A midge is as big as a mountain, amaist. 

An ill penny will cast down a pound. 

An inch o' a nag, is worth a span o* an aiver. 

An ill shearer never got a gude heuk. 

An olite mither maks a sweir dochter. 

An inch o' a miss 13 as gude as a span. 

Ane o' the court, but nane o* the council. 

Ane beats the bush, and anither grips the bird. 

Ane may bind a sack before it 's fon. 

Ane gets sma thanks for tineing his ain. 

An auld goat is no the mair reverend for his beard. 

Any thing for a quiet life. 

A party pot ne'er plays even. 

A pair o' heels is worth twa pair o' hands. 

A penny mair buys the whistle. 

A raggit cowte may mak a noble aiver. 

A thrown question should hae a thrown answer. 

A sca'd head is soon broken. 

As ye use your parents, wie will your children use you. 



104 MISCELLANEOUS. 



As ye are strong, be merciful. 

As broken a ship has come to land. 

As lang as a dog would be bound wi' a bluid paddin. 

As lang runs the fox as he has feet. 

As weel be hang*d for a wether as a lamb. 

As gude a fallow as ever toom'd a bicker. 

As day brake, butter brake. 

Auld friends are sweir to part, quo' the auld mare to 

the broken cart. 
A' gowd or a* dirt. 
As sair fights the wren as the crane. 
As soon comes the lamb's skin to the market, as the 

aidd sheep's. 
As tired as a tyke is o' langkail. 
As plain as the nose on your face. 
As wanton as a wet hen. 
As weight as a wabster's doublet^ that ilka night taks 

a thief by the neck. 
As ye mak your bed, sae ye maun lie doun. 
As ye loe me, look in my dish. 
As fause as Waghom, and he was nineteen times fouser 

than the deil. 
At open doors, dogs gae ben. 
Auld stots hae stiff horns. 
Aidd sins breed new sairs. 
Aidd springs gie nae price. 
Ae thing said, and anither thing seen. 
Ae ill word meets anither, if it were at the brig o' 

Lunnun. 
Ae hand winna wash the ither for naething. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 105 



Ae scone o' a baking 's enough. 

A' his buz shakes nae corn. 

A* thing wytes, that nae weel fores. 

A* is fiEdr at the ba\ 

A' the winning is in the first buying. 

A* the speed is in the spurs. 

A* cats are grey i' the dark. 

A* is but lip-wit, that wants experience. 

A safe conscience maks a sound sleep. 

A sturdy beggar should hae a stout naesayer. 

A sight o* you is gude for sair een. 

A spur in the head is worth twa in the heel. 

A short tree stands lang. 

A taking hand never wants. 

A thief is a hard master. 

A tarrowing bairn was never fat. 

A whang aff a new cut kebbuck is ne'er miss'd. 

A working mither maks a daw dochter. 

Ax the tapster if his ale be gude. 

Ax my fellow if I'm a thief. 

Bachelors' wives and maidens' bairns are aye weel 

bred. 
Be still taking and tarrowing. 
Be it sae, is nae banning. 
Be either a man or a mouse. 
Be gaun, the gate 's before you. 
Be not a baker if your head be o' butter. 
Beds are best, quo' the man to his guest. 
Before the cat lick her lug. 



106 MISCELLANEOUS. 



Before an ill wife be gude, if she was a' turned to the 

tongue. 
Beg frae beggars and ye '11 njeer be rich. 
Beggars shoudna be choosers. 
Beggars breed and gentry feed. 
Beggars brood are aye proud. 

Before the deil gaes blind, and he 's no blear ee'd yet. 
Better a mouse in the pat as nae flesh. 
Better a thigging inither than a riding father. 
Better a louse in the pat as nae kitchen. 
Better belly burst than gude meat spill. 
Better a spare at the braid than the bottom. 
Better baud by a hair than draw by a tether. 
Better out o' the warld than out o' the fashion. 
Better to live in hope than die in despair. 
Better saut than saur. 
Better to die begging than wi* a beggar. 
Better plays the fu' wame than the new coat. 
Better be sonsy than soon up. 
Better short and sweet than lang and lax. 
Better laugh at your ain pint than greet and gather 

gear. 
Between you and the lang day be 't. 
Between the deil and the deep sea. 
Belyve is twa hours and a half. 
Biting and scarting is Scotch folks' wooing. 
Bid a man to a roast and stick him wi' the spit. 
Bide weel, betide weel. 
Birds o' a feather aye flock thegither. 
Black 's my apron, and I 'm aye washing 't. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 107 



Boden gear stinks. 

Bode a robe and wear it, bode a pock and bear it. 

Bode a silk gown and ye'U get a sleeve o't. 

Bonrdna wi* bawty, lest he bite you. 

Bonnet aside, how sell you your maut ? 

Boot, wha has better ? 

Borrow, as I did. 

Brag o* a fair day when night is come. 

Bread and cheese is gude to eat, 

When folk can get nae ither meat. 
Break my head and then draw on my how. 
Bridal feasts are soon forgotten. 
Bridal feuds are soon foi^otten. 
By chance a cripple may catch a hare. 

Ca* canny, and ye '11 break nae graith. 

Ca' canny and flee laigh. 

Ca* me cousin, but cozen me not. 

Ca' again, you 're no a ghust. 

Ca' me and Til ca* thee. 

Cadgers are aye cracking o' lade-saddles. 

Cadgers are aye cracking o* creels. 

Caff and draff is gude aneugh for aivers. 

Carry my lady to Rome, and gie her a hitch, and a* is 

done. 
Carena would hae mair. 

Cast a cat ower the house and she *11 fa' on her feet. 
Cast a bane in the deil's teeth. 
Cast nae snawba's wi' him. 
Cats and carlins sit in the sun. 



IM XISCZIXASKOUS. 



Cm! tbe cat owcr kun. 

CaliftcrkiiML 

Codd kafl bet agn it sye pal 

Caald water icaldt dawa. 

Changing o' words is a figlrtaiing o' Iwarts. 

ChangM are liglrtBome. 

Claw me and 1 11 daw thee. 

Cktter a cat to death. 

Clawmg and eating needs hot a beginning. 

Clean pith and har play. 

Cocks are aye gnde willM o' hoisea' com. 

Come back the mom and ye 11 get pies for naething. 

Come a' to Jock Fool's boose, and ye '11 get bread and 

cheese. 
Come not to the council unbidden. 
Come nnca'd sits nnsair'd. 
Come day, go day, God send Sunday. 
Cora 's no gnde for staigs. 
Cora him weel, he 11 work the better. 
Corbies and clergy are kittle shot. 
Corbies diniia pick out corbies' een. 
Confess debt and crave time. 
Confess and be hang'd. 
Condition maks, condition breaks. 
Corduroy maks a poor turn. 
Count again is no forbidden. 
Courtesy is cumbersome to them that kens it not. 
Courage against misfortune and reason against passion. 
Cripples are aye better schemers than walkers. 
Crocket carlin, quo* the cripple to his wife. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 109 



Crabs breed crabs, wi' the help o' gnde lads. 
Curses mak the tod £at. 

Dame, deem warily, ye watna wha wytes yourseL 

Daffin and want o' wit, maks anld wives domuut. 

Dear bought and far sought, is meat for ladies. 

Deil speed them that speirs, and kens sae weeL 

Deil be in the pock that ye cam in. 

Deil be in the house that ye*re beguiled in. 

Deil mene ye if your leg were broken. 

Dicht your sair een wi' your elbow. 

Dead at the ae door, and herschip at the tither. 

Did you ere square accounts wi' him ? 

Ding down the nests, and the craws will flee awa. 

Dit your mouth wi' your meat. 

Dinna lift me before I &'. 

Do as the lasses do — say No, but tak it. 

Do what ye ought, and come what can ^ 

Think o' ease, but work on. 
Dochters and dead fish are ill keeping wares. 
Doctors pay nae debts. 
Double charges riye cannons. 
Down wi' the lid, quo' Willie Reid. 
Dows and dominies aye leave a foul house. 
Dogs that bark at a distance ne'er bite at hand. 
Dawted dochters mak dawly wives. 
Draff is gude aneugh for swine. 
Dummie winna lie. 

Early pricks will be thorns. 



112 MISCELLANEOUS. 



Feckless folk are fond o' ane anitber. 

Feeding out o' course, maks mettle out o' kind. 

Feather by feather, the goose is pluck'd. 

Feed a cauld, and hunger a colic. 

Fell a dog wi' a bane and he '11 no youl. 

Fiddlers' wives and gamester s drink are free to ilka 

body. 
Fiddlers' dogs and flesh flies, come to feasts unea'd. 
Fight dog, fight bear ; wha wins, deil care. 
Fill fou and baud fou, maks the stark man. 
Fine to fine maks a bad line. 
Fire maks an auld wife nimble. 
Fire and water are gude servants but ill masters. 
First come, first sair'd. 
Fish maun soom thrice. 
Flitting o' farms maks mailings dear. 
Fleying a bird is no the way to catch 'U 
Foul water will slocken fire. 
Fou o' courtesy, fou o' craft. 
Folks' dogs bark waur than themselves. 
Folk canna help a' their kin. 
For fashion's sake, as the dogs gang to the market. 
For as gude again, like Sunday milk. 
Fling at the bfod, was ne'er a gude ox. 
Foul fa' nought, and then he '11 get naething. 
Folk watna whiles whither they run fast or gang at 

leisure. 
Fools aye see ither folks' fauts, and forget their ain. 
For a tint thing, carena. 
For gude cheese and gude cheer, mony haunt the house. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 1 13 

For better acquaintance, ea Sir John Ramsay drank to 

Lis father. 
Force without foreBight. 
Forced prayers are no gade for the Boul. 
Forewarned, half armed. 

Fresh fish and poor friends, soon grow ill saired. 
Friday flit, short time sit. 

Fry stanes wi' butter, and the hroo will be gude. 
Frae the teeth forward. 

Gane is the goose tliat laid tlie muckle egg. 
Gaunting bodes wanting ane o' things three — sleep, 

meat, or gnde companie. 
Gaunting bodes wanting ane o' things three — sleep, 

meat, or making o'. 
Gamiting gaes fiae man to man. 
Gar wood is ill to grow, chuckle stanes are ill to chow. 
Gaylie would be better. 
Gentle aerrants are rich men's tinsel. 
Gentle aervanta are poor men's hardships. 
'I Gentlemen are unco scant, when a nabater gets a 

Plady. 
Gie your ain fish' guts to your ain aea-maws. 
Gte it about, it will come to my father at last. 
Gie is a gude fallow, but he soon wearies. 
Gie ower while the play is gude. 
Gie my coasin kail enow, 
And !iee my cousin's dish be fon. 
Gie tier lier will or she 'II burst, quo' the man, when his 
^^ wife karoed his head wi' the three-footed stooL 



114 MISCELLANEOUS. 



Grie a strcmg thief a slack name. 

Gie a dog an ill name and he 11 soon be hanged. 

Gie a gann man a drink and a rising man a knock. 

Gie him an inch and he 11 iak an elL 

Gie him a hole and he '11 find a pin. 

Gie him time anengh and he 'U hang himseL 

Gie a carl your finger and he 11 tak your hale hand. 

Gie a greedy dog a muckle bane. 

Gie a thing, tak a thing, and that 's the ill man's ring. 

Gie you the deil in a pock and he 'U no bite you. 

Gie you meat, drink, and daes, and ye 'U b^ amang 

your friends. 
Gie losing gamesters leave to talk. 
Gibbie's grace— deil claw the dnngest. 
Giff gaff maks gude friends. 
Gim when you tie, and laug^ when yon loose. 
Gttde to thee, gude to me. 
Gude ale is half meat. 
Gude folk are scarce, tak care o' ane. . . 
Gude ale warms the heart o' man, but in^ky maks 

them quarreL 
Gude be wi' auld laog syne, when our gutchers eat 

their trenchers. 
Gude ale needs nae wisp. 

Gude cheer and cheap, gars mony haunt the house. 
Gude-aneugh has got a wife, and Far-better wants. 
Gude I your common to kiss your kimmer. 
Gude wit jumps. 
Gude bairns are eith to lear. 
Gude to fetch sorrow to a tick wife. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 115 



Gude reason and part cause. 

God sain (bless) your ee, man. 

God keep the cat out o' our gate, for the hens can flee. 

God help yon to a hutch, for ye 11 ne'er get a mailing. 

Great winning maks wark easy. 

Great barkers are nae biters. 

Graceless meat grows weel. 

Guess'd wark is best, if right done. 

Gtdp ! quo' the wife, when she swallowed her tongue. 

Gunpowder is hasty eldin. 

Grey ee'd greedy, brown ee'd needy, black ee'd never 

blin', till he shame a' his kin. 
Graceless meat maks folk fat. 
Grudge not anither what you canna get yoursel. 
Gree like tykes and swine. 

Had you sic a shoe on ilka foot, it would gar you 

shachle. 
Ha* binks are sliddrey. 
Hae, gars a deaf man hear. 

Hae a place for ilka thing, and ilka thing in its place. 
Had I wist, quo' the fool| or beware of Had I wist 
Handle your tools without mittens. 
Hand in use, is father o' lear. 
Hang them that has nae shift, and hang them that has 

ower mony. 
Hang hunger, and drown drouth. 
Hanging is nae better than it's ca'd. 
Hang a thief when he 's young, and he '11 no steal 

when he 's auld. 



116 MISCELLANEOUS. 



Happy go lucky. 

Happy man be his dooL 

Happy man, happy kevel. 

Hair and hair maks the carl's head bare. 

Happy is the bride that the sun shines on ; 

Happy is the corpse that the ndn rains on. 
Hardships seldom come single. 
Hearken to the hinderend, after comes not yet. 
Hand your hand, your father slew a whaup. 
Half acres bear aye gude com. 
Heard ye the crack that that gae. 
He 's cooling and supping. 
He blaws in her lug fu* brawly. 
He can do ill, and he may do gude. 
He breaks my head and then puts on my how. 
He begs frae them that borrowed frae him. 
He brings a staff to break his ain head. 
He comes to gude by misguiding. 
I He comes o' gude, he canna be ill. 

He dauma say Bo, to your blanket. 
He doesna like his wark that says Now, when it's 

donof 
' He coidd eat me but salt. 
He fells twa dogs wi' ae stane. 
He gies nae ither milk. 
He gangs far about seeking the nearest. 
He has ' t o' kind, he coft it not. 
He had a finger in the pie. 
He has the impudence o' a miller's horse. 
He has swallowed a flee. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



117 



He baa mair Soor than he has flail for. 

He hoB a bee in bia bonnet. 

He has got a bite o' his ain bridle. 

He baa a sliddrey grip that bas an eel by the tail. 

He baa feathered bia nest, he may flee when he likes. 

He has broken his face on the ambry. 

Hecli ! quo' Howie, when he swallowed the wife'a clue. 

Hie got hia mither'a malison the day he was married. 

He ^ea me whitings without banes. 

He gangs lang barefit that wears dead men's shoon. 

He gangs awa in an ill time that ne'er cornea bade again. 

He gims like a sheep's-head in a pair o' tangs. 

He gets bis kail in a riven dish. 

He has drowned the miller. 

He haa got ont o' the cheswell he was made in. 

He has gane without taking his leave. 

He has left the key in the cat-hole. 

He baa left the key beneath the door. 

He haa made a moonlight flittin. 

He haa the best end o' the string. 

He has naetbing to crave at my hand. || 

He baa an ee in hb.ueck. 

He had gnde skill o' horae flesh, wha bought a goose 

He kenana a 1 
I He kens his a 

He kens on wbilk side bis bannock's buttered. 
I He kena how mony beana mak five. 

He lay in his scabbard, as mony gnde sword 's done. 
\ He lo'ed mutton weel that llcket whare tlie ewe lay. 



1 



3 frae a b 

n groats among itber folks' kail. 



118 MISCELLANEOUS. 



He ne'er tint n cow that grat for a. needle- 
He nifFers for the better. 

He ne'er said an ill word, nor did a gude thing- 
He needs maun rin wha the deil drives. 
He plaints early wha plaints o' his meat. 
He left his siller in his ither breeka. 
He niay weel swim wha has his head haden up. 
He maun be a gnde friend when you diiua ken his 

He 'h a silly man that ctui neither do gude nor ill. 

He 'b a poor beggar tliat canna gang by ae door. 

He 's as hard wj' me as I had been the wild Scot o' 

Galloway. 
He 'b but Jock, the laird's britiier. 
He's awin me a day's shearing, the longest o' burst. 
He 'h like a singet cat — better tlian he 'e bonny. 
He has an ill look amang lambs. 
He hasna a bauchel to swear by. 
He has hit the nail on the head. 
He han skill o' roasted woo, when it stinks ita ready- 
He has coostpn Ids cloak on his tither shonther. 
He has covpet the rauckle pat wi' the little ane. 
He has muckle prayer, but little deTOtion. 
He hears wi' his heels as the geese do in hairst. 
He has help 'd me out o' a dead lift. 
He likes nae beef that grows on my banes. 
He loes me for little that hates me for nought. 
He owes a pndding to the gled. 
He is an anld horse that will neither neicher nor wag 

his tail 



MISCELLANEOUS. 119 



He is like the Kilkenny cat— he has 1^ naething h^ind 

him hut his tail. 
He is a causey saint and a house deil. • 
He is John Thamson's man, laugh carl. 
He 's auld and cauld and ill to lie aside. 
He 's a sary cook that canna lick his ain fingers. 
He 's an Aberdeen man, he '11 tak his word again. 
He 's as stiff as he had swallowed the poker* 
He 's blind that eats marrow, but far blinder that lets 

him. 
He 's like a cow in an unco loan. 
He 's gane aff at the nail. 
He 's gane to seek his father's sword. 
He's like the wife's bawty — kens naething o' the matter. 
He 's no steel to the bane. 
He 's loose in the heft. 
He 's poor that canna promise. 
He may find a fault that canna mend it. 
He spoke to me as every word would lift a dish. 
He 's no aye the best wright that hews the maist spales. 
He 's no steel in the back sprent. 
He 's no the clean potatoe. 
He 's no sae daft as he lets on. 
He 's out and in, like a dog at the fiur. 
He 's soon done that ne'er dought. 
He 's ower shot wi' his ain bow. - 
He 's the gear that winna tralk. 
He 's the bee that maks the honey. 
He 's the best spoke o* your wheel. 
He 's the best player that wins. 



ISO MISCELLAXEOCS. 

Hft aees'tn inch Mare kda nMe. 
He daJl either grin, or maon fin' 
He shmild hae a hale pon, that ca* his nei^iboar Nhji^ ' 

He siti wi' little ease, wha sits on his n^^bonr'a coU 

He Epeain like a prenl benk. 

He atumblee at a strae and loops ower a wonlyne. 

He stnmbles at a strae, am) loupe ower a bne. 

He streaks ream in my teeth. 

He careBoa wh^se bairns greet, if hi> langh. 

He pats his meat in an ill akin. 

He that puts the cat in the pock, kens best how to 

He that indented the m^den, first hansei'd her. 

He that amntB a' iJie price o' his plough, will never 

yoke faer. 
He that gpelrs a' opinions, cornea ill speed. 
Ho that ance gets his fingers i' the dirt, cao hardly get 

tbem out again. 
He that has his hand in the lion's mouth, maun tak it 

out the best way he can. 
He that marries a beggar gets a louse for his tocher. 
He that lias a wide theim (gnte), ne'er had a lang arm. 
He that wants to strike a d(^, ne'er wants a stick. 
He that aaght the raare, aught the bear. 
He that cracks without sense, should mean without 

Ho that marries a widow and twa dochterx, baa three 
)>Bck doors to his house. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 121 

He dnt pnta on the public gown, maun put aff the 

private person. 
He that tliinka in hia bed, has a day without b night. 
He that plants trees, loea ithers beside himael. 
He that neeks trouble, seldom misses it. 
He that 's mann'd wi' boys, and hors'd wi' colte, will 

hae his meat eaten, and his wark undone 
He that repents a gnde act, turns gnde into ill. 
He that eats a boll o' meal in bannocks, eats a peck o' 

He that shames let him be shent. 

He that bids me to meat, wishes me to live. 

He that has a gude cramp, may thole many thistles. 

He that hiaws best, bears awa the horn. 

He that sits upon a stane is twice fain. 

He that 's ill to himsel, will l>e gude to naebody. 

He that (^eira, aye gets a part. 

He that has a mackle nose, thinks ilka ane looks at it. 

He that has mnckle, aye gets mair. 

He that gets, forgets ; he that wants, thinks on. 

He that gies a wad, gies naething. 

He that ill bodes, ill betides. 

He that has little is the less dirty. 

He that laughs at his ain jokes, spoils the sport o' them. 

He that wiuna when he may, shanna when he wonld. 

He that would eat the kernel, matu crack the nat 

He that would climb the tree, maun take care o' his grip. 

I He that fishes before the net, long ere he fisb get 
He that gaes eaftly, gaes safely. 
He that 's ill o' his barbonry, is gude at the way-ketming. 



182 



MISCELUVKOm. 



is aio, mtv ftoftau 



] 



He that baa a dof 

a clean breaeL 
He tliat lacks my mare, may bny 
He that WDoid climb the ladder, matm be^ at 

fint step. 

He that comes first to die ha', may sit trbare he will. 
He that coonU a' coit, will never put a plough m the 

yird. 
He that haa horns in his boMun. need not pnt tliem od 

He tliat '« crabbit without a csiise, should mcaae with-_ 

He that langlis alane, will mak sport in company. 
He that teaches himsel, has a fool for his master. 
He that pleads his aio catise, has a fool for hia cliei 
He that lend* his pat, may sythe his kail in his loot^ 
He that stumbles twice at ae stane. 
Deserves to break liis ehin-bane. 
He tliat istia handsome at twenty, strong a 

witie at forty, rich at fifty, will never be handsooa 

Htron^Tt wise, nor rich. 
He only is bright, who shines by himsel. 
He '11 ^et the poor man'i> answer — a denial. 
He wasna the inventor o' gunpowder. 
Help you to a hotch, for ye 'U ne'er get a coach : ne'M 

was ye bom to get a sound ride. 
Hat kail canld, nine nights auld, — spell ye that in 

tetters. 
Het ktui cauld, nine nights auld, warmed ii 

spell me that in four letters if you can. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 123 



He 11 shoot higher that shoots at the moon, than he 

that shoots atthe midden, although he miss his marie. 

He '11 mend when he grows better, like the sour ale in 

« 

Summer. 
He '11 ne'er send you awa wi' a sair heart. 
He would fain be forward, if he wist how. 
He would gar you trew the moon was made o' green 

cheese. 
He would tine his lug, if it werena tackit till him. 
He watsna whilk end o* him is upmost. 
His bark is waur than his bite. 
His horn 's deaf on that side. 
His wind shakes nae com. 
His eggs hae a' twa yolks. 
His meal is a' daigh. 
His purse and his pallet are ill met. 
Hout your dogs, and bark yoursel. 
Horns and grey hair, dinna aye come o' years. 
How come you and me to be so great. 
How by yoursel, burnt be the mark. 
Here 's the gear, but whare 's the siller. 
Hungry stewards wear mony shoon. 

I carena whither the tod worry the goose, or the goose 

worry the tod. 
I baud blench aff him. 

I deny that wi' baith my hands and a' my teeth. 
I had but little butter, and I cast it on the coals. 
I hae taen the sheaf frae the mare. 
I hae muckle to do, and few to do for jne. 




I wish you may bse oa muckle Scolcli as take yon la J 

your bed. 
I wunld hae something to look at on Sunday. 
I wonid hae my ee foiu 
I wat wecl how the warld wags. 
I prick'd nae loQie since I soled yonr liose, and then l''l 

might hae prick'd a thousand. 
I ne'er heard il 

1 ne'er liked meat that craw'd in my trap. 
I think moir o' the kindness than it 'a a' worth. 
I think yon hae taen the gumple-face. 
I 'm flyting free wi' you. 

I hae seen as fon a haggiM toom'd on the midden. 
I hae ither tow on my roke. 
I hae mwr to do than a duh to waah. 
I hae gotten an ill kame for my ain hair. 
I hae baith my meat and my menae. 
I hae ither fish to fiy. 
I hae seen mair than I hae eaten, else you wadna hae 

been there. 
I hae a gnde aword, but it 's in the castle. 
J hate a' 'bout gates, quo' the wife, when she haurl'd her 

man through the ingle. 
J think mair o' the sight than the ferlie. 
I would rather be your Bible than your boise. 
I wadna hae your kekling for a" your eggs. 
I wadna fother you for a' your muck. 



1 



MISCELLANEOUS. 125 



I would as soon see your nose cheese, and the cat the 

first hite o't. 
I will keep my mind to mysel, and tell my tale to the 

wind. 
I wish you were laird o' your word. 
I wish you may lamh in your lair, as mony gude ewe 

has done. 
I wish I had a string in his lug. 
I wish you had hrose to lay the hair o' your beard. 
I wish it may be the first sight you see. 
I ne*er lik'd water in my shoon, and my wame is made 

o' better leather. 
I maun do as the beggars do ; when my wame s fou, 

gang awa. 
I may put a' I got frae him in my ee, and see nane the 

waur o't. 
I ne'er liked a dry bargain. 
Ifa'bechtshit. 
If a louse missed its foot on his coat, it would break 

its neck. 
If this be a feast, you hae been at mony. 
If wishes were horses, beggars wad ride, and a' the 

warld be drowned in pride. 
If I come I maun bring my stool wi' me. 
If I canna keep my tongue I can keep my siller. 
If I had a dog as daft I would shoot him. 
If she was my wife I would mak a queen o* her. 
If you laugh at your ain sport, the company will laugh 

at you. 
If you dinna baud him he 11 do 't a\ 



126 MISCELLANEOUS. 



If you would live for ever, wash the milk frae yomr liver. 

K you had stuck a knife in my heart, it wadna hae bled. 

If we hae not the warld's wealth, we hae the warld's ease. 

HI herds mak fiat wolves. 

HI flesh ne'er made gude broo. 

1 11 tell the bourd, but not the body. 

1 11 sair you a' wi' the same met. 

1 11 do as the cow o' Forfieur did — tak a standing drink. 

1 11 ne'er brew drink to treat drinkers. 

If ane winna anither will, the mom *8 the market day. 

If ere you mak a lucky puddin, I '11 eat the prick. 

If ony body speir at you, say you watoa. 

If it winna be a gude shoe, we *11 mak a bauchel o't. 

If it winna sell, it winna sour. 

If it be a fiemt, its nae ferlie. 

If I canna do it by might, I can do it by slight. 

If I canna keep geese, I can keep gaislins. 

If Ifs and Ands were pats and pans, what would 

tinklers do. 
If straiks be gude to gie they '11 be gude to tak. 
K it be ill, its as ill rused. 
If you like the nut, crack it. 

If you dinna steal my kail, break not down my dike. 
If you dinna like what I gie you, tak what you brought 

wi' you. 
If you dinna do ill, dinna do ill like. 
If you spend muckle, put mair on the fire. 
If you winna come you 11 bide, as Roy said to his 

bride. 
If you be angry, claw your wame. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 127 



If you be angry. Bit laigh and mease you. 

11 big nae sandy mills wi' yon. 

'11 learn you to lick, for supping is dear. 

11 say naething but I 'U yerk at the thinking. 

'11 gie you a sark fon o' sair banes. 

11 get a better fore-speaker than you for nought. 

11 no buy a pig in a pock. 

*11 mak the mantle meet for the man. 

'11 draw the belt nearer your ribs. 
HI to tak and eith to live. 

11 gar his ain gartens bind up his ain hose. 

'm gaun the errand ye canna gang for me. 

t 's better to sup wi' a cutty than want a spoon. 

'11 mak a rope o' draff baud you. 

'U ne'er cast me aff before I gang to lie. 
Ireland will be your hinderend. 

t 's a gude warld, if it baud. 

t 's a gude warld, but they 're ill that 's in 't. 

t 's a gude sight for a blind man to see. 

t 's gude to nip the brier in the bud. 

t 's gude to be out o' harm's way. 

t 's a hard task to be poor and leal. 

t 's drink will you, but no drink shall you. 

t 's a pity fair weather should ever do harm. 

t 's a braw thing to be honest. 

t 's gane I loed you for. 

t 's ill middling between the bark and the rind. 

t 's ill to please a' parties. 

t 's the poor man's office to look, and the rich man 
canna forbear. 



128 MISCELLANEOUS. 

It 'B juBt as it la's, eaid tbe wooer to the maid. 

I 'II be daddie's bcum and minnie's bairn. 

I 'II gie you a bane to pick that winna stick ii 

teeth. 
I '11 put dare aliint the door, and do't. 
I '11 gie you let-o-beo for let-a-bee, like the baima 

Kelty. 

It 's a sary wood that hath ne'er a withered branch in 
III yonlh and strength, think of age and woaknesa. 
It "s a far cry to Loch-How. 
It 'a a, sary collop that 'a ta'ea aff a chicken. 
It 'e gude to hae yonr cog out when it rains kail. 
It 's gnde mows that fill the wame. 
It 'a far to seek, and ill to find, like M^'a tnaidenhea 
It '» iaa before the wren's door wheu there 'a na 

within. 
It 'a by the head, that the cow gies the milk. 
It 'b like Truffy'a courtship — short bnt pithy. 
It 'a like Pathhead lit — soon on. soon aff. 
It 'a little o' God'tt might that maka a poor i 

knight. 
It 's lang to LaminHB. 

It 's ill to put a falythe face on a black heart. 
It 'a ill baith to pay and pray. 
It 'b ill to tak the breeks aff a Highlandman. 
It 'a muckie gara tailors laugh, but Bonters gim aye. 
It 'b merry in the ha' when beards wag a'. 
It 'a mair by chance thati gude guiding. 
It 's time to rise if it be clean aneath you. 
It's time to cry, Oh, when ye *re hurt. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 129 



It gangs as muckle into my heart as my heel. 

It will come out yet, like the hohn corn. 

It will mak a braw show in a landward kirk. 

It shall ne'er ride, and I gang. 

It 's neither a far road nor foul gate. 

It 's no in your breeks. 

It 's nae shift to want. 

It 8 ower far between the kitchen and the ha'. 

It 's ower now, quo' the wife, when she swallow'd her 

tongue. 
It 's short while since the sow bore the lingel. 
It 's the best feather in your wing. 
It 's time enough to mak my Bed when I 'm gaun to 

lie down. 
It 's time enough to screech when your struck. 
It 's weel said ; but wha '11 bell the cat ? 
It will come in an hour, that winna come in a year. 
It will be the last word in your testament. 
It will be a feather in your cap. 
It will be a bet day gars you startle. 
It will be an ill web to bleach. 
It were a pity to refuse you, you seek so little. 
It were a pity to put a foul hand on 't. 
It sets a sow to wear a saddle. 
It sets you weel to gab wi' your bonnet on. 
It sets a haggis to be roasted. 
It sets you not to speak o' him till you wash your 

mouth wi' wine, and dry it wi' a lawn towel. 
It *s worth a' you offer'd for 't. 
It 's an ill turn that patience winna owercome. 

I 



130 



MlSC£LLAN£OUE. 



JoBt enoogb, and nae mtur, like Janet H 

meat. 
Jnac, father, jiut ; ttiree half-croiros ma 

gie me the siller aiid I '11 pay the n 
Jook and let the jaw gae by. 



Keep the Lead and the feet warm, and the r 

tak nae barm. 
Keek in the Rtoup was ne'er a gude fallow. 
Ken yoursel, and your neighboars winna miatak yoi 
Kent folk are nae company. 
Keep your ill dried taunta, for your mouldy Ii 

mudens. 
Keep you 're mocks till you 're married. 
Keep your breath to cool your crowdie. 
Keep your aiii grease for your ain cart-wheels. 
Keep yuui' mouth shut, and your een open. 
Keep yonr tongue within your teetb. 
Kitchen weel is come to town. 
Kias my foot, there 's nae Qe»h there. 
Knock a carl and ding a carl, and that 's the way fl 

Kiss the hare's foot, 
Kythe in your ain colours. 

Lang leal, laog poor. 
Lang atraea are nae mots. 
Lang sport tuma aft to earnest. 
Lang and sma, gude for naetbing ava. 
Lang mint, little dint. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 131 



Last to bed, best heard. 

Lang standing, and little offering, maks a poor priest 

Lang tarrowing taks a' the thanks awa. 

Langest at the fire, soonest finds canld. 

Leave aff while the play 's gude. 

Leeches kill wi* license. 

Learn your gudedame to mak milk kail. 

Let the warld shogg. 

Lay the head o' the sow to the tail o' the gryce. 

Lay the sib side undermost, and reckon when you rise. 

Lay the sweet side o' your tongue till 't. 

Leal folk ne'er wanted gear. 

Lean to the brose ye got in the morning. 

Let a' trades liye, quo' the wife, when she burnt her 

besom. 
Let aye the bell'd wether break the snaw. 
Let byganes be byganes. 
Let the eird bear the dyke. 
Let him that 's cauld blaw the ingle. 
Let him tak a spring on his ain fiddle. 
Let him baud the bairn that aught the bairn. 
Let him come to himsel, like MKjibbon's calf. 
Let him cool in the shoon he bet in. 
Let ilka tub stand on its ain bottom. 
Let ilka herring hing by its ain head. 
Let the horns gang wi' the hide. 
Let the mom come, and the meat wi't. 
Let the kirk stand in the kirkyard. 
Let the Lord's leather tak the Lord's weather. 
Let not the plough stand to kill a mouse. 



132 MISCELLANEOUS. 



Let them care that coma behind. 

hem grey Tvill be your mittens. 

Light lade» break nee baaes. 

Like the wabster, stealing through the world. 

Like the laird o' Caatlemilk's foals, bom beaaties. 

Little can a laug tongue lein (conceal.) 

Lick your loof and lay 't in mine, dry leather ji^ aychl 

Lie for him, and he '1! swear for you. 

Light lades mak willing horses. 

Lightly come, lightly gang. 

Like the Scotchman, aye wise behind the hand. 

Like the .Scotchman, sl«ek the stable door when 

steed 8 stowii. 
Like the man wi' the sair ffitn, nae getting quat o'' 
Like the wife wi' the mony dochters, tlie beat 'a 

hindmost. 
Like the hens, rin aye to the heap. 
Like the smitli's dog, sleep at the sound o' the hammeTi 

and waken at the crunching o' teeth. 
Like Orkney butter, neither gude to eat, nor criesh woo.j 
Like is an ill mark 'mang ither folk's sheep- 
Like Moses's breeks, neither shape, form, nor fashion. 
Listeners ne'er heard a gndo tale o" themsels. 
Little Jock gets the little dish, and that keeps him, 

lung little. 
Little ken'd and less cared fw. 

Little may nn auld horse do, if he inayna neicher. | 

Little kens tlie buIiI wife, as she sits by the fire, whaVi 

the wind ia doing on hurley-burley swire. 
Little tronbles tlw ec, bat leas the son). 



MISCELLANEOUS. 133 



Little to fear when traitors are true. 

Little winning maks a light purse. * 

Live upon love, as laverocks do on leeks. 

Loud coos the dow, when the hawk 's no whistling. 

Loud cheeps the mouse, when the cat 's no rustling. 

Mak a kiln o% and creep in at the logie. 

Mak a' virtue o' necessity. 

Mak the best o' a bad bargain. 

May that man ne'er grow fat that wears twa beards 

beneath ae hat. 
Mair by luck than gude guiding. 
Mair nice than wise. 
Mair whistling than red land. 
Malice is aye mindfiil. 
Masterfu' folk maunna be mensfa*. 
Mastery maws down the meadow. 
Mak not twa mows o* ae dochter. 
May-bee was ne'er a gude honey bee. 
May-bees flie not at this time o' the year. 
Maybe your pat may need my clips. 
Mint before you strike. 
Mistress before folk, gudewife behind backs; whare 

lies the dish-clout ? 
Mows may come to earnest. 
Mony time I hae got a wipe wi' a towel, but never a 

daub wi' a dish-clout before. 
Mony a dog will die ere ye &' heir. 
Many a dog is dead since ye was whelp'd. 
Mony cooks ne*er made gude kail. 



134 MISCELLANEOUS. 



.\ 



Muck and money gae thegither. 

Muckle din and little woo, qao' the deil, when be 

clippet the sow. 
Muckle mouthed folk are happy to their meat. 
My market *8 made, ye may lick a whipHshaft. 
My dancing days are done. 
My minnie has the lave ot. 

Nae man can live at peace unlesB his neigfahours please. 

Nae fiiuh that the cat hte a dean band, she sets a 
bonnet sae weel. 

Nae ferlie ye say sae to me ; ye aakl the same mony 
ijjiie to your ain mither. 

Naebody is riving your claes to get you. 

Nae ptfu^F* ^^^^^ pardon. 

Nae carrion will kill a craw. 

Nae sooner up, than the head *% in the ambry. 

Naething to do> but draw in your stool and nt down. 

Nae wonder ye 're anld likb, ilka thing fiaahes you. 

Nae man can seek his marrow in the kim^ sae weel as 

him that has been in *t himsel; 
Nae weather ill, if the wind be still. 
Nae equal to you but our dog Sorkie, and he s dead, 

and ye *re marrowless. 
Naething like stark dead. 

Name not a rape in the house o* ane that was hang*d. 
Nane but poets and knaves lay wagers. 
Nane can mak a bore, but ye 11 find a pin for 't. 
Near 's my kirtle, but nearer s my sark. 
Near s my sark, but nearer s my skin. 



I 



MISCELLANEOUS. 135 



Naething is a bare man. 

Ne*er was a wife weel pleased coming frae the mill 

but ane, and she brak her neck bane. 
Nearer e*en, the mae b^;gars. 
Nearer the kirk, the fieffer frae grace. 
Nearer God*s blessing than Carlisle faar. 
Neck or naething, the king likes nae cripples. 
Ne*er find £eiult wi' my shoon, unless yon pay my souter. 
Ne*er marry a pennyless maiden, idia*8 proud o* her 

pedigree. 
Ne'er run your enemy to the wa\ 
Ne*er rax aboon your reach. 
Ne*er show your teeth unless you can bite. ' 
Ne'er strive against the stream. 
Ne*er use the taws when a gloom will do. 
Ne'er sca'd your mouth 'mang ither folk's kail. 
Ne'er tak a forehammer to break an egg, when a nap 

wi' a knife will do. 
Ne'er throw the bridle o* your horse ower a fool's arm. 
Ne'er say Go, but gang. 
Ne'er let on, but lang^ in your ain sleeve. 
Ne'er gie me my death in a toom dish. 
Ne'er gang to the deil wi' the dish-dontcm your head. 
Ne'er bite unless you mak your teeth meat. 
Nineteen naesays is half a grant. . 
Now is now, and Yule *s in winter. 
Ne*er waur happen you than your ain prayer. 
Never is a lang term. 

Of a' the meat in the warld, drink gaes best down. 



i 



136 MISCELLANEOUS. 

Ont o' sight, out o' mind. 

Out o' the peat-pat into the mire : 
Out o' the frying-pan into the fire. 

Our boBoin fiienils are sometimcB our back-bitera. 

Ower muckle cookery fipoils the brocban, 

Ower holy wan hang'd, but rough and son«y wan aw 

Ower Htrong meat for your weak elaraach. 

On painting and fighting look adreigli. 

Ont the highgate is aye ftur play. 

Ower fine a purse to put a plack in. 

Own debt and craTe days. 

Onytbing bccomea a gude face, quo' the monkey, wl: 
be looked hjmsel i' the glass. 
On the 25th October, 
There 'a ne'er a aouter sober. 

Pay him bame in bis ain coin. 

Penny wise, and pound foolish. 

Pennyless sauls maun pine in purgatory. 

Pigs may whistle, bat they hae an ill month for 't. 

Pith h gude at a' plays but thresding o' needles. 

Poor folk seek meat for their atamachs, and rich foIK 

stamachs for their meat. 
Put a cow in a clout and she '11 eoou wear out. 
Put the saddle on the right horse- 
Put your shanks in youi' thanks, and mak gude gramd 

ashes o' them. 
Pat on your spurs, and beat your speed. 
Puddins and woit, are hasty dirt, 
Puddins and parotnours should be betly handled. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 137 



Pu* the rose and leave the thorn. 

Provision in season maks a rich house. 

Pretty man, I maun say ; tak a peat and sit down. 

Quey calfs are dear veal. 
Quietness is hest. 

Raw leather raxes weel. • 

Rah Gibh*8 contract — stark love and kindness. 

Raise nae mair deils than ye can lay. 

Remove an auld tree and it will wither. 

Remember me to your bedfallow when yon lie down. 

Reavers shoudna be ruers. 

Roose the fair day at e*en 

Roose the ford as ye find it. 

Rob Peter to pay Paul. 

Ride fair and jaup nane. 

Ride the ford as ye find it. 

Ripe fruit is soonest rotten. 

Rue and thyme grow baith in ae garden. 

Red wood maks nae spindles. 

Sair yoursel, and your friends will think the mair o' 

you. 
Sair yoursel till your bairns grow up. 
See for love and buy for siller. 
Set a beggar on horseback, and he '11 ride to the deiL 
Set your knee to 't and right it. 
She *s no to be made a sang about. 
She '11 be a gude sale wisp. 



138 MIGCELLANEOUS. 

Sfae 'II keep ber aia aide o' the house, and gang 

Sic thiugB will be, if we sell drink. 

She friske about like a cat's tail i' the sua. 

SaTt beddin 'e gnde for eait banes, quo' Howie, wh 

he Btreekit hirosel on the miilden-head. 
Satan reproving sin. 
Saut, quo' the soater, when he had eaten a' the i: 

but the tail. 
Send a thief to catch a thief. 
Send you to the sea and ye wadna get saut water. 
Shame fa' the dag, that when he hunted you, didna 

you rin faster. 
She 's greeting at the tijing that she langhecl at ft 

She bauds up her head like a hen drinking water. 

She has an ill paut wi' her hind foot. 

She bauds up her gab like an awmous dish. 

She brak her elbock on the kirk door. 

Short folk are soon angry — their heart 's n 

Sindle seen, soon forgotten. 

Skill is nae burden. 

Slow at meat, slow at walk. 

Sit on your seat, and nane will rise you. 

Some ane has tauld her she was boimie. 

Supp'd out wort ne'er made gude ale. 

Sit down and rest you, and tell us bow they drest y 

and bow you wan awa. 
Speak gude o' pipers, your father was a fiddler. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 139 



Sour plooms, quo' the tod, when he coudna climb the 

tree. 
Souters and tailors count hours. 
Some generations look up, and some look down. 
Strike the iron when it's het. 
Sup wi* your head, your homer is dead; he 's dead that 

made the Qiunsie. 
Sure bind, sure find. 
Sweet in the on-taking, but sour in the afi^-putting. 

Tak a mell and fell he that gies a' to his bairns and 

keeps nane to himsel. 
Tak a piece, ye 're teeth 's langer than your beard. 
Tak the bit and the buffet wi't. 
Tak a man by his word and a cow by the horn. 
Tak care o' that man whom God hath set his mark upon. 
Tak him up on his five eggs, and ane o' them rotten. 
Tak a spring on your ain fiddle, and dance when ye're 

done. 
Tappit hens like cock-crawing. 
Tary breeks pay nae freight. 
Tarry lang, brings little hame. 
Tell nae tales out o' the school. 
The banes o' a great estate are worth the picking. 
The Englishman greets, the Irishman sleeps, but the 

Scotchman gangs till he gets it. 
The drunken man gets aye the drunken penny. 
The lean dog is a' flaes. 
The friar preached against stealing, while he had the 

puddin in his sleeve. 



140 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



i better than tbe fire 



I Btaoding' o' 
a. poor mat 






E yard, and n 
a Dysart, and puddius ti 



Tlie reek «■ my ain liouse i 

my neighbours. 
T\ia death o' a wife, and the i 

beat thing ever c 
Tliat 'b a tee'd ba'. 
That H wnur and ma 
That's as ill Bs tbe< 

hnnt them. 
That's cft'ing sant to Dysart, and puddius to Tranra 
That 's gee luget drink. 

That 'a like seeking for a needle in a bundle o' strae^ 
That 's fellhig twa Aogn wi' ae Htane. 
That 'b Hackei^ton's cow, a' the tither way. J 

That's my tale: wliare 'a yours. ' 

That 's for yoD, and butter is for fish. 
That 'e tbe way to marry me, if ere you ehance I 

doit. 

That winna be a raot in your marriage. 
That bolt cam ne'er out o' your bag. 
The auld withie-tree should bae a new yett hung oii'4 
The back o' ane is the face o' twa. ' 

The e'ening brings a' hame. ' 

The farest way about is aft the nearest way hame. ' 
The first puff o' a fat hi^gis is aye the bauldest. 
The higher that tbe tree grows, the sweeter grows tl 

ploom,. 
The langer that the aouter works, the blacker groil 

his thumbs. ' 

The first gryce and the last whelp o' the litter, are ^ 

the best. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 141 



The greatest rogue aye first cries Fire I 

The goose pan aboon the roast. 

The goat gies a gude milking, but she ca's ower the 
cog wi' her feet. 

The grace o' a grey bannock is in the breaking o't. 

The hen's egg gaes to the ha', to bring the goose s egg 
awa. 

The mair the merrier ; the fewer, better cheer. 

The mair the camel is bowed down, the better it 
serveth. 

The next time you dance, ken wha you tak by the 
hand. 

The poor man's shilling is but a penny. 

The richer the souter, the blacker his thumbs. 

The thatcher said to his man — ^^ Let 's raise this ladder 
if we can," — ^^ But first let us drink, master." 

The thiefer like, the better sodger. 

The weak aye gaes to the wa'. 

The wife's ae dochter, and the man's ae cow. 
The taen is ne'er weel, and the tither's ne'er fou. 

The unsonsy fish aye gets the luilucky bait. 

There's kail in the cat's wame. 

There 's a day o' reckoning, and anither day o' pay- 
ment. 

There 's nae fay folk s meat in my pat. 

There 's nae remede for fear but cut aff the head. 

There 's a sliddrey stane before the ha' door. 

There 's a teuch sinnen in an auld wife's neck. 

There 's a whaup in the rape. 

There 's a bonnie reason, wi* a dout about the foot o't. 



112 MISCELLAN£OUii. 

There 's bs mony Johostona aa Janlines. 
TlierB 's life in a musael as lang as it can cheep. 
There 'e life in a moBBel although it be little. 
There 'a little wit in the pow that lights the candle 

the lowe. 
There 'a little wit in the head that lights the candle 

the red. 
There 'b mackle ado when domiuiea ride. 
There 'a maclile between the word and the deed. 
There 'e mackte hid meat in a goose's ee. 
There 's mnckle ado when butchers ride. 
There ne'er was a fire without sume reek. 
There ne'er was a silly Jockey but there was a tnl 

There 's af e a glum look whare there 's cauld crowd] 
There was ne'er ancugli whare naething was lefi. 
There was a wife whn kept her sapper for her break* 

fast, and she died ere day. 
There ne'er was a poor man in his kin. 
They 're for behind that may not follow. 
They're a bonnie pair, as the craw said o' his legs- 
They 're keen o' company that takn the dog on th«r 

back. 
They 're aye gude that gies. 
They 're aye gude that 's for awa. 
Tliey re aye gude will'd o' their horse that hae hbdp. 
They menae little when the month bites aff the nose. 
They ne'er saw dainties that think a haggis a feaat. 
They ne'er saw a haggis thai think a pnddin a feast. 
They that burn you for a witch, will lose their coals. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 143 



They ne*er gae wi' the spit but they gat wi* the 

ladle. 
They that never filled a cradle, shoudna sit in ane. 
They that finds keeps, they that losses seeks. 
They that bonrd wi' cats, maim count on scarts. 
They wha see you in daylight, winna rin awa wi* you 

when it 's dark. 
They were never fain that fidged, nor fou that licket 

dishes. 
They were never first at the wark, wha hade God 

speed the wark. 
They wist as weel wha didna speir. 
This and better may do, but this and waur will ne'er 

do. 
Thoughts beguile maidens, and sae fiEu*es wi' you that's 

nane. 
Thoughts are free, and though I say little, I yerk at 

the thinking. 
Touch not my sair heeL 
Threatened folk live lang. 
Three can keep a secret if twa be awa. 
Touch pot, touch penny. 
Tine needle, tine darg. 
Tine heart and a* is gane. 
Travellers' words are no aye to be trusted. 
Travellers hae liberty to lie. 
Tramp <m a snail and it will shoot out its horns. 
Tramp on a worm and it will stir its tail. 
True blue will never stain, but dirty red will dye 

again. 



144 MISCELLANEOUS. 

Tw& gadea seldom meet, what 'a pule for the plonta 

is i]l for tlie peata. 
Twa hftiidH in ae dish, but ane in a puree. 
Ttva heads are hetter than ane, quo' tlje wife, when 

she and her dog gaed to the market. 
Twine tow, your minnie waa a gnde spinner, 

Unaeen, unmed. 

Up hill spare me, down hill tak tent o' thee. 

Walie, waUel bairns are Iwnnie; ane's aneogh and 1 

We hoande slew the hare, quo' the mesgan. 

We will bark ourselves, rather than buy dogs sae dear, 

Weel 'h him, and wae 's hiai, that has a bishop ii 

Weel, quo' Wylie, when his ain wife dang him. 
Weel, quo' Wallace, and then he leugh. 
The king o' France has gowd aueugh, 
And ye 'II get it a' for tlie winning. 

Wealth in a widow's house, is kail without sanU 

Wha comes sae aften and beings sae little ? 

Wha canna gie will little get. 

Whare vice is, vengeance follows, 

What maks you sae nungunshach, and me sae cur 

What roay be done at ony time, is done at nae tin 
What hetter is the house that the daw rises soon. 
What puts that in your head, that didua put the st 



WLat the ee sees not, tlie heart rues not. 

What you want up and down, yon hae hither and yont. 

When ae door st^eke, anither ane npcnn. 

Wlieii a' men speak, n&e man hears. 

When a' is in, and the Blap dit, rise herd, and let the 



When horns and hair owergang the man. 

There 's little hope o' the creature than. 
When he dies a aiild age, ye may quake fur fear. 
Wlien it was, and not Where it was. 
When is there to he an end o't, qno' Wy)ie, when he 

wanchelt tlirnugh the midden. 
When lairds break, carls get land. 
When the tod preaches, tak care o' the lambs. 
When thievea cast out, honest folk come to their ain. 
Whtjn the hen gaes to the cock, the birds may get a 

knock. 
When the gudewife 'e awa, the keys are tint. 
When the guderoaa's awa, the board-clailli 's tint. 
When you 're sair'd, the geese are water'd. 
When you 're a' study, lie you still; 
When you 're a hammer, strike yom* fill. 
WTien you christen the bairn, ye ken what to ca 'l 
Where will you get a park to put your yeld kye in? 
Where the deer 's elaiii, flome bluid will lie. 
Whelps are aye blind that dogs get in haste. 
Whiles yon, and whiles me, sae gaea the baillierie. 
Whitely things are aye tender. 
Will and wit strive wi' you. 
Withont crack or flaw. 



Wonla are bat wind, but donts are the deiL 
Wonder at your anld sboon, whea yoa l»e gotten y 

Work in God's name, and eae doeana the ddL 

Ye 're like Uie man that songhl bis borse, and hint tmM 

its back. 
Ye 're Hick, but no sair bandied. 
Ye 're aa daft ae ye 're days auld. 
Ye blush like a beggar at a bawbee. 
Ye breed o' tbe tod'a bairns, if ane be gode, they *r 

gnde. 
Ye breed o' awld maidena, yon look high. 
Ye breed o' the craw's tail, ye grow backwards. 
Ye breed o' nettte-kail and cock-Mrds, ye need mnckle 

service. 
Ye brBed o Sangster's swine, yonr neb la never out a' 



Ye breed o' the chapman, ye 're aye to hansel. 

Ye breed o' the laird, ye '11 do nae right, and ye 11 tdE 1 



Ye breed o' the herd's wife, ye busk a 
Ye breed o' the witcbea, ye 



Ye come to the gait's house to thigg n 

Ye come o' tbe M-Tacks, but no o' the M't 

Ye canna preach out o' your ain pu'piu 

Ye canna get leave to thrive for thrang. 

Ye cam a day after the fair. 

Ye cut lang whangs a£f ither folk's leather. 

Ye come in clipping time. 



le gude to yonrsd* ■ 



Ye dinna aye ride when you put on your epurs. 
Ye dinna aye ride when you saddle your horse. 
Ye drive the plough before the owsen. 
Ye fand it where the Highlandmsji fand the tan^ 
Ye got ower muckle o' your will, and you 're the waur 

Ye get baitli the akaith and the scorn. 

Ye gang round by Lanark, for fear Liuton dogs bite you. 

Ye hae a etreik o' carl hemp in yon. 

Ye hae a sa' (salve) for ilka sair. 

Ye hae a ready mouth fur a rips cherry. 

Ye hae brought the pack to the preens. 

Ye hae ca'd your hogs to an ill market. 

Ye hae been lang on little eird. 

Ye hae &sted lang, and worried on a midge. 

Ye hae gotten a ravell'd heap to redd. 

Ye bee gien the wolf the wethers to keep. 

Ye bae staid lang, and brought little wi' yon. 

Ye bae tlie wrang sow by the iug. 

Ye bae skill o' man and beast, and dogs that tak the 

Ye hae nae mair eenee than a heD would haud in her 

faulded neive. 
Ye hae nae mair aense than a sucking turkey. 
Ye hae ower fotd feet to come aae far ben. 
Ye hae utten your time, as mony gude hen 'a done. 
Ye faae the chapman's drouth. 
Ye hae wrought a yoken and loosed in time. 
Ye ken your ain groata amang ither folk's kail. 
Ye ken what drunkards dree. 



t iS MISCELLANEOUS. 

Ye ken naething but milk and bread, and that mool'd i 

Ye ken not whaae ladle may cog your ain kail yet. 

Ye look like a Lochober-axe new fTBe the grundetaD 

Ye look like a Mnrrayinan melting brass. 

Ye look like the deil in daylight. 

Ye look like a rimier, quo' the deil to the lobster. 

Ye look liker a deil than a bishop. 

Ye look aa bauld as a cuddie-ass in a lion's skin. 

Ye look as baald as a black fac'd wether. 

Ye loup like a cock at a groKset. 

Ye mak tne seek the needle, whare I stuck it not. 

Ye may dight your neb and flee up. 

Ye may tak a drink out o' the burn when you can: 

tak a bite out o' llie brae. 
Ye may be godly, but ye 'II ne'er be cleanly. 
Ye maun be auld ere ye pay a gnde wad. 
Ye met my peas wi' your ain peck. 
Ye ne'er bought saut to the cat. 
Ye needna put the water by your ain mill. 
Ye needna lay thereout for want o' a neet e^. 
Ye was ne'er boni at that time o' the year. 
Ye apeak unapoken to. 

Ye waa put out o' the oven for nipping the pies. 
Ye was never far frae your mither's hip. 
Ye watna what's behind your hand. 
Ye 're a corby messenger. 

Ye rin for the apurtie when the pat 's rinning ower. 
Ye ride sae near the rumple, ye '11 let nane loup 

ahint you. 
Ye 're the weight o' Jock's cog, brose and a'. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 149 



Ye would be a gude piper's bitch, ye smell out the 

weddings. 
Ye shape my shoon by your ain shachled feet. 

Ye seek grace at a graceless face. 

Ye shamia be nifferd, but for a better. 

Ye sair'd me as the wife sair'd the cat — ^first put her 

in the kirn, and then haid'd her out. 
Ye woidd mak muckle o* me if I was yours. 
Ye would gar me trew that spadenshafts bear plooms. 
Ye would be gude to fetch the deil a drink. 
Ye would lose your lug if it were loose. 
Ye '11 ne*er be sae aidd wi' sae muckle honesty. 
Ye '11 beguile nane, but them that trust you. 
Ye 're but beginning yet, as the wife did that ran wud. 
Ye 're a sweet nut for the deil to crack. 
Ye *re a deil and nae cow, like the man's bull. 
Ye 're a gude seeker, but an ill finder. 
Ye 're a man among geese, when the gander's awa. 
Ye 're a rich rogue, wi' twa sarks and a rag. 
Ye 're as lang tuning your pipes, as anither would play 

a spring. 
Ye 're at the lug o' the law. 
Ye 're ane o' Cow-meek's breed, you '11 stand without 

a bannock. 
Ye 're welcome, but ye *11 no win ben. 
Ye *re thrifty, and through thriying. 
Ye 're as muckle as half a witch. 
Ye 're new come ower, your heart 's nipping. 
Ye 're gude to fetch the deil a priest. 
Ye 're gude to be sent for sorrow. 



150 



H I fiCElXAJJ EO US. 



Ye 're B maidea mcnTowlesB. 

Ye 're seeking the thing that 'a no tint. 

Ye 're do sae far travelled, as you look like, quo' ; 

wife to the black i^hapmaa, when he waa trying M^fl 

cheat her. 
Ye 're as niim as a May puddock. 
Ye 're an honest mail, and I'm your uncle, — and thai 

twa great lies. 
Yo 're a' blawing tike a bursten haggis. 
Ye 're a' out o't, and into strae. 
Ye 're a' black about the mou' for want o' kisnng. 
Ye 're o' sae mony minds, ye II ne'er be married. 
Ye 're out aud in like a dog at a lair. 
Ye 're ower het and ower fou, like few o' thelturd's t 
Ye 're ower auld feiTen to be fleyed m bogles. 
Yo 're a day after the fajr. 
Ye 're bonnie enough to them that like yon, but n 

sae to them that tike you aud canna get yon. 
Ye 're cawking the claitfa ere the web be in the loom. { 
Ye 're come o' bluid and sae is a puddin. 
Ye 'iB Davy-do-little, and gude for naething. 
Ye 're fit for coarse country wark — ye 're rather strong'! 

BB handsome. 
Ye 're like the comcraiks — aftener heard than si 
Ye 're like the chapman — ne'er a£f your road. 
Ye 're like the miUer's dochter — speirs what tree 

Ye 're sleeping as the dc^ do, when the wives bake, j 
Ye 're like the stirk's twl — ye grow to the graund. 
Ye 're like the gowk — ye hae nae sang but ane. 



HI 8CEIJ.AKB0 US. 151 

Ye 're like the Kilbarchan calves — like beat to drink 

wi' the wiep iii your mouth. 
Ye 're like the miller's dog — ye lick your lipa or the 

pock be opened. 
Ye 're like the swine — ye 'II neither lead nor drive. 
Ye 're like lirackley's tup — yc follow the lave. 
Ye 're like Piper Bonnet's bitch — lick till ye burst. 
Ye 're like the alnget cHta — better than ye 're likely. 
Ye 're like the wife's dochter — better than ye 'rebonnie. 
Ye 're like Lcurd Moodie's greyhonnds — uoca hungry 

like about the pouch lids. 
Ye 're like Lamington's mare — ye break brawly aS, 

hot soon gies up. 
Ye 're looking ower the nest, like the young craws. 
Ye 're mmr fley'd than hurt 
Ye 're souple sark alane, some are inither naked. 
Ye 're ower strait shod. 
Ye 're no light where you lean a'. 
Ye 're ne'er content, — fou nor fasting. 
Ye 're nae chicken for a' your cheeping. 
Ye 're sair faab'd handing naething thegither. 
Ye 're ssir stress'd stringing the milsie. 
Ye 're there yet, and your bell hale. 

'11 get him whare you left him. 
Ye '11 drink before me. 
Ye 'U play a sma game before you stand out. 
Ye 'II get better when you mend. 
Ye 'II die without amends o't. 
Ye 're a foot behind the foremost. 
Ye 'II follow biro long or he let five Hbillings fa'. 



m 



152 MISCELLANEOUS. 



Ye 11 get your gear again, and they will get the widdie 

that stole 't. 
Ye 're up to the buckle, like John Barr's cat. 
Ye '11 ne'er get honey, whoreson, firae me. 
Ye 11 ne'er cast saut on his taiL 
Ye 11 gar him daw a sair haffit. 
Ye 11 gar him claw whare it 's no youky. 
Ye 11 mak him daw a poor man's haffit. 
Ye 11 let naething tine for want o' seeking. 
Ye 11 hang a' but the head yet. 
Ye '11 ne*er mak a mark in your testament by that 

bargain. 
Ye 11 ne'er craw in my cavie. 
Ye '11 ne'er rowte in my tether. 
Ye '11 hae the half o' the gate, and a' the mire. 
You canna fare weel but you cry roast-meat. 
You got your will in the first wife's time, and ye shanna 

want it now. 
You bum daylight 
You sell the bear's skin on his back, 
You hae fasted lang, and worried on a flee. 
You fyke it awa, like aidd wives baking. 
You hae mind o' your meat, though you hae little hap 

o't. 
You hae hit it, if you had a stick. 
You hae the bitch in a wheel-band. 
You tak a bite out o' your ain hip. 
You hae come to a peeFd egg. 
You hae sew'd that seam wi' a bet needle and a burning 

thread. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 153 



You didna draw sae weel when my mare was in the 

mire* 
Yon hae heen gotten gathering nuts, ye speak in dusters. 
You are weel awa if you bide. 
You may gang through Egypt without a pass. 
You may dance at the end o* a rape yet, without 

teaching. 
You will get your brose out o' the lee side o* the kail -pat. 
You will ne*er let your gear owergang you. 
Your een 's no marrows. 
Your head will ne'er fill your father's bonnet. 
You rave nnrocked, I wish your head was knocked. 
You shanna want as lang as I hae, but look weel to 

your ain. 
You hae lost the stang o' your trump. 
You hae a Scotch tongue in your head. 
You hae put a toom spoon in my mouth. 
You hae a foot-rut o' the lingeL 
Your lugs may hae youked. 
Your purse was steikit when that was paid for. 
Your minnie's milk 's no wrung out o' your nose yet. 
Your tongue gangs like a lamb's tail. . 
Your bread 's baken, you may hang up your girdle. 
Your feet will ne'er fill your father's shoon. 
Your mind 's aye chacing mice. 
Your mouth has beguiled your hands. 
Your musing mars your memory. 
Your wit will ne'er worry you. 
Your gear will ne'er owergang you. 
Youth ne'er cast for perils. 



WEATHER AND SEASONS. 



A dry simmer ne'er made a dear peck. 

A peck o' March dust is worth a peck o' gowd. 

A peck u' March dust is worth a kiflg's ransom. 
A peck o' March dust, and a sbowcr in May, 
Mak the com green, and the fields look gay. 

April showers biing summer flowers. 

A Scotch mist will weet an Englishman to the skin. 

A wet May and a windy, maks a fon bam-yBrd and li 

A rainbow in tlie morning is the sailor's warning, 

A rainbow at noon, will bring rain very soon. 

A rainbow at night is the sailor's delighu 

Drouth ne'er bred dearth. 

If there be a rq^bow in the eve, it will run and lear«i!J 

If there be a rainbow in the morrow, it will nd 
lend nor borrow. 

An evening red and a morning grey, 
Doth betoken a bonnie day : 
An OTening grey and a morning red. 
Put on yonr hat or ye '11 weet your head. 

He that wovdd hae a bad day, may gang out in a 
after a frost. 



WEATHER AND SEASONS. 155 



Clear in the south beguiled the cadger. 
Under water, dearth; under snaw, bread. 
Winter s thunder, bodes simmer's hunger. 
What Friday gets it keeps. 

A Saturday's moon, if it comes but ance in the seven 
years, comes ower often. 

Winter's thunder, and simmers flood. 
Ne'er boded Scotland good. 
Buchanan's almanack — ^lang foul, lang fair. 
Come it ear or come it late, in May will come the 
cow-quake. 

When the mist taks to the hill. 
Then gude weather it doth spill : 
When the mist taks to the sea, 
Then gude weather it will be. 
Sae mony mists in March ye see, 
Sae mony frosts in May will be. 
In the auld moon, a cloudy morning bodes a fiedr after- 
noon. 
March in Janavier, Janavier in March I fear. 
A kindly gude Janavier will frieze the pot by the fire. 
February fills the dike either wi' black or white; 
But if white the better to like. 
A' the months o* the year, curse a fair February. 
If Candlemas day be fair and bright. 
Winter will hae anither flight. 
If Candlemas day hae showers and rain. 
Winter is past, and will not come again. 
When Candlemas day is cpme and gane, 
The snaw lies on a bet stane. 



156 WEATHER AND SEASONS. 



The shepherd would as lief see his wife on a bier, 
As a Candlemas day to be pleasant and clear. 
If Candlemas day be clear and fair. 
The half o' winter 's to come and mair : 
If Candlemas day be dark and foul, 
The half o* winter 's past at Yide. 

On Candlemas day you maun hae 
Half your hay, and half your strae. 
As lang as the bird sings before Candlemas, as lang it 
sings after Candlemas. 

March winds and May sun, 
Mak claes white, and lasses dun. 
March grass never did gude. 
March comes in wi' an adders head, and gangs out wi' 

a peacok's tail. 
March comes like a lion, and gaes out like a lamb. 
March whisker, ne'er was a gude fisher. 
A windy March ne'er was a gude fish year. 
On the 22d o' March, the day and the night marches. 

The FurtiLchy or Borrowing Days. 

March borrows frae April, three days, and they are Dl; 
April borrows frae March again, three days o' wind 
and rain. 

March said to April, 

Lend me days three ; 
I see three hogs upon yon hill, 
1 11 try to gar them die. 
The first day was wind and weet ; 
The second day was snaw and sleet ; 



WEATHER AND SEASONS. 151 



The third day was sic a freeze. 
It froze the bird s nebs to the trees : — 
But when the three days were come and gane. 
The three little hoggies cam toddling hame. 

The first day of April, send the gowk anither mile. 

April showers bring milk and meal. 

When April blaws his horn, it is gude for hay and com. 

The third day of April, brings the gowk and nightingale. 

As the day lengthens, the cauld strengthens. 

Saw wheat in dirt, and rye in dust. 

The spring e*enings are lang and teuch. 
The har'est e'enings are soon ower the heugh. 
May showers bring milk and meal. 
May flood ne'er did good. 

Look at your com in May, 
And ye 11 come weeping away: 
Look at the same in June, 
And ye '11 be in anither tune. 
A leeking May, and a warm June, 
Brings on the har'est very soon. 
Cast ne'er a clout till May be out. 
It *s time to mak the bear-seed when the plane-tree 
covers the craw. 
When the slae bush is as white as a sheet, 
Saw your bear, whither it be dry or weet. 
If St. Swithin greets, the proverb says. 
The weather will be foul for forty days. 
As St. Swithin's day is fair or foul, sae is the weather 
for forty days. 



158 WEATHER AND SEASONS. 



A shower of rain in July, when the com begins to fill, 

Is worth a plough of owsen, and a* belangs theretiU. 
K the first of July be rainy weather. 
It will rain mair or less for four weeks t<^;ether. 
If the twenty-fourth of August be fair and dear, 
Then hope for a prosperous autumn that year. 

In hardest the lairds are labourers. 

Bamaby bright, the langest day and the shortest night. 

After Ijammas com ripens as much by night as by day. 

Oysters are only in season, in those months that are 
spelled with an R. 

Drouth never bred dearth in Scotland. 

WINDS. 

When the wind 's in the west, the weathers 's at the best. 
When the wind s in the east, it s neither gude for man 

nor beast. 
When the wind's in the south, of rain there will be fouth. 
When the wind s still, no weather 's iU. 



SCOTTISH PROVERBIAL PHRASES. 



jRekaing to Flattery and Promising. 

I hecht you a hire. 

I '11 gie you something that 11 no mool in your pouch. 
If ever I be rich and you poor, I ken what ye'se get. 
1 11 kiss you behind the lug, and that 11 no break the 

bluid in your face. 
1 11 kiss you when ye 're sleeping, and that '11 hinder 

me frae dreaming o' you when ye 're dead. 
Ye 11 ne'er be changed but for a better. 
Ye 11 be my dear till day. 
Ye re aye gude, and ye 11 grow fair. 
Leese me on thy bonnie mouth that ne er tauld a fooFs 

tale. 



In answer to the question^ How d'ye do? 

E'en a' the better that you *re weeL 
Very weel : I thank you for speiring. 
No that ill : how are you yoursel ? 

COMICALLY. 

Gayen weel, if my mouth was wet. 



160 SCOTTISH PROVERBIAL PHRASES. 



A' the better that ye Ve speir'd, ^>eir *t ower again. 

Loofle and liying, and bound to nae man. 

Liying, and life like. 

Bnwlfy finely, gaily, at least 

Living, and life thinking. 

Living, and lairds do nae mair. 

Meat hale. 

Heart hale, and sillerless: a hnndred pounds would do 

me nae harm. 
Weel enough, but naething to brag o'. 
Ab weel as I can, but not sae weel as I would. 

ILL-NATUREDLY. 

If I dinna do weel, do you better. 

E*en like yonrsel, poor, and proud, and something fanse. 



Relating to Threatening, 

'11 gie you a gab-stick. 

'11 gie you ane, and lend you anither. 

11 gie you the thing ye' re no wanting. 

'11 gie you a sark fou o' sair banes. 

'11 scum your jaws for you. 

'11 gie you a fluet on the cheek-blade, will gar the fire 

flee frae your een-holes. 
'11 gang as peaceably on you, as on the house floor. 
'11 gar the fire flee frae your een. 
'11 tak my hand aff your haffit. 
'11 gar you rin like a sheep frae the shears. 
'11 watch your water-gate. 



SCOTTISH PROVERBIAL PHRASES. 161 



'U gar yon mak twa o' that. 

'11 bring yonr Ynle belt to the Beltane bore. 

'11 tak a mot frae your Ing. 

'11 ca' the mist frae yonr een. 

'11 gar you blirt wi' baith yonr een. 

'11 gar your hams jaup. 

'11 gar you laugh water. 

'11 gar yon sing port-yowl. 

'U tak a rung frae the bongars o' the house, and rizle 

your riggin wi't. 
'11 gie ye on the ae cheek, and kep you on the ither. 
11 handle ye wi' the hands I handle mysel wi'. 



Relating to the Horse. 

A grunting horse and a graining wife nevelr fail'd their 

master. 
A naig wi' a wame and a mare wi' nane. 
A mare wi' a horse's wame, and a horse wi' a mare's. 
An eel-back'd dun ne'er left his master ahin. 
Horses are gude o' a' hues. 
Let your horse drink what he will, but not when he will. 

Up hill spare me, down hill tak tent o' thee; 

Up hill spare me, down hill bear me: 

Plain way spare me not; 

Let me not drink when I 'm hot 
He that lets his wife go to every wake, and his horse 

drink at every lake, will never want a whore or a 

jade. 

L 



162 MISCELLANEOUS. 



Chara^steristic points rf^a good Greyhaimd* 

A bead like a snake, 
A neck like a diike, 
A back like a beam, 
A belly like a bream, 
A foot like a cat, 
A tail like a rat. 



^ 



With a red man^jede thy read : 
With a brown man, break thy bread: 
With a pale man, draw thy knife : 
With a black man, keep thy wife. 



To travel safely through the world, a man would require, 

A falcon's eye, 
An ass's ears. 
An ape's face, 
A merchant's words, 
A camel's back, 
A hog's mouth. 
And a hart's legs. 

From the ItaUan. 



USEFUL EXTRACTS 



FROM 



THE WORKS OF THOS. TUSSER : Lond. 167S. 



Properties of the Winds at all Seasons of the Year. 

WINTER. 

North winds send hail, south winds bring rain ; 
East winds we bewail, west winds blow amain : 
North-east is too cold, soulJi-eaBt not too warm ; 
North-west is too bold, sonlJi-west doth no harm. 

SPRING. 

The north is a noyer to grass of all suites ; 
The east a destroyer to herb and all fruits. 

SUMMER. 

The south, with his showers, refiresheth the com ; 
The west, to all flowers, may not be forborne. 

AUTUMN. 

Whe west, as a father, all goodness dolJi bring ; 
The east a forbearer no manner of thing ; 
The south, as unkind, draweth sickness too near ; 
The north, as a friend, maketh all again dear. 



164 EXTRACTS FROM TUSSER. 



With temperate wind, we blessed be of God, 
With tempest we find we are beat with his rod ; 
All power, we know, to remain in his hand. 
However wind blow, by sea or by land 



Of the Months of the Year, 

A kindly good Janavier freeseth pot by the fire. 
February fill the dike with what thou dost like. 
March dust to be sold, is worth ransom of gold. 
Sweet April showers do spring May flowers. 
Cold May and windy, bam filleth fendy. 
Calm weather in June, bam fillelJi soon. 
No tempest, good July, lest com look ruly. 
Dry August and warm, doth harvest no-harm. 
September blow soft, till fruit be in lofb. 
October good blast, to blow the hog's mast. 
November take flail, let ships no more saiL 
O dirty December, for Christmas remember. 



BREWING.* 

Well brewed, worth cost ; ill used, half lost. 

BAKING. 

New bread is a drivell; much crust is as eviL 

COOKERY. 

Good cookery craveth; good turnspit savetb. 



* In the time when Tusser wrote, every respectable farmer 
was in the habit of brewing his own ale. I have somewhere 



EXTRACTS FROM TUSSER. 165 



DAIRY. 

Good dairy doth pleasure; ill dairy spends treasure. 

SCOURING. 

No scouring for pride : spare kettle whole side. 

WASHING. 

Take heed when you wash, else run in the lash. 

MALTING. 

Ill malting is theft; wood-dried hath a weft. 
Take heed to the kell, sing out as a bell. 
Best dried, best speeds ; ill kept, bowd breeds. 
Malt being well speered, the more it will cast. 
Malt being well dried, the longer will last. 



heard an account of the various qualities produced from one 
brewing:— viz. 

** Good ale, 
Very good ale, 
May go down, 
Must go down, 
Scour-gut, and 
Thin," 
This variety has been equalled by the Gudewife of Lochrin, 
Kinrosshire, who made a *' browst o* a peck o* maut,'* from 
which she extracted — 

Twenty pints o* strong ale. 

Twenty pints o* sma. 

Twenty pints o' hinkie-pinkie. 

Twenty pints o* ploughman's drinkie. 

Twenty pints o* splutter-splatter, 

And twenty pints was waur than water.— En. 



166 EXTRACTS FROM TUSSER. 



{ 



f 



A description of WomarCs Age, by six times Fourteen 

Yea/rs' Apprenticeship. 

14. Two first seven years for a rod they do whine ; 

28. Two next, as a pearl m the world they do shine ; 

42. Two next, trim beauty beginneth to swerve ; 

56. Two next, for matrons or drudges they serve ; 

70. Two next, doth come a staff for a stay ; 

84. Two next, a bier to fetch them away. 

; A Lesson, 

I Then purchase some pelf, 

I By forty and three ; 



] Or buckle thyself. 



A drudge for to be. 



i Man*s Age divided hy Apprenticeships, from his birth 

to his grave. 

7. The first seven years, bring up as a child ; 

14. The next, to learning, for waxing too wild. 
' 21. The next, keep under Sir Hobbard de Hoy ; 

I 28. The next, a man, no longer a boy. 

35. The next, let Lusty lay wisely to wive ; 

42. The next, lay now, or else never to thrive. 
^ 49. The next, make sure for term of thy life ; 

56. The next, save somewhat for children and wife. . 

63. The next, be stayed, give over thy lust ; 

72. The next, think hourly, whither thou must. 

77. The next, get chair and crutches to stay ; 

84. The next, to heaven, God send us the way I 



EXTRACTS FROM TUSSER. 167 



Who loseth their youth shall rue it in age I 
Who hateth the truth in sorrow shall rage. 



Another division of the Age and Nature of Man. 

The Ape, the Liouf the Fox, the Ass, 
Thus sets forth man as in a glass. 

Ape, Like apes, we he toying till twenty and one ; 

Lion. Then hasty as lions, till forty he gone : 

Fox. Then wiley, as foxes, till threescore and three ^ — 

Ass. Then, after, for asses accounted we be. 

Who plays with his better this lesson must know. 
What humbleness fox to the lion doth owe ; 
For ape with his toying, and rudeness 'of ass, 
Brings (out of good hour) displeasure to' pass. 



GLOSSARY. 



Abee, To let abee. To let alone, not to meddle. 

Ablins, Perhaps. 

Abone, Above. 

Addle, Foul putrid water. 

Adreich, At a distance. 

Ae, One. 

Aff, Off. 

Agee, To one side. 

AJUnd, AhuU, Behind. 

Aik, The oak. 

Aiver, A oart-horse. 

Ains, .Onoe. 

Aits. OatB. 

Air, Earlj. 

Airts. Airths. Quarters of the heavens, points of the 

compass. 
Ai^. Oaths. 
Alone. Alone. 
Aniaist. Almost. 
Among. Among. 

Ambry, A press for provisions in daily use. 
Ane, One. 



170 GLOSSARY. 



Atteuffh. Enoiigb. 

Aneth, Beneath. 

Ark, Meal^arlL A lai^ chest for hddiii^ meal, oom, &c. 

Aries. A pieoe of money given in oonfinnatioii of a 

bargain. 
Atteled. Etteled. Aimed. 
Aucht. Possessed. 
Auld. Old. 
Aumis, Alms. 
Ava. At alL 
Awe. To own. 
Ax. Ask. 
Ayont. Beyond. 

Backrsprent. Back-bone. — Sprent, Spring. 

Bauld. Bald. Bold. 

Bane. Bone. 

Banning. Irreverent exclamation, often used as distin- 
guished firom cursing. 

Bauchle. To put out of shape : an old shoe. 

Bawks. A strip of land left unploughed, about three feet 
broad. 

Bawbee. A hal^enny. 

Baith. Both. 

Bannock. Bread baked from dough rather wet, and 
toasted on a girdle. 

Ba. Baw, A ball. 

Baxter. A baker. 

Bear. Beere. Barley. 

Bearland. Land appropriated for barley crop. 

Beck, Bek. To curtsy. 

Beek. Beik. To bask. 

Beild. Bield. Shelter, refuge. 



GLOSSARY. 



171 



Beld. Bald : without hair. 

Belyve, Immediately, quickly. 

BeUwaver, To stroll, to straggle. 

Belt To gird. 

Beltane. Beltain. The first day of May, O. S. 

Ben. Towards the inner : the inner room of a house. 

But and ben, A house containing two apartments. 

Band, Bend, A ribbon, a fillet. 

Bein, Bien, Wealthy, comfortably provided, &c. 

Benk, Binh, A bench, a seat 

Bent, A coarse kind of grass growing on hilly ground. 

Bicker, A wooden dish for containing liquor. 

Bide, Byde, To wait for. 

Bide. To endure. 

Big, Bigg. Byg, To build. 

Bygone, Bygone. f 

Birh, Birch tree. 

Bim, The stronger stems of burnt heath which remain 
after the smaller are consumed. 

Birse, Birs. Birses, The bristles of a sow. 

Birsle, To bum slightly. 

Bit, A vulgar term used for food. — Bit and brat. Meat 
and clothing. 

Bittell, Beetle, Used for beating clothes. 

Blach-fooU A sort of match-maker : one who goes be- 
tween the lover and his mistress. 

Bladded, A blow given on the cheek. 

Bhit, Bhte, BashfiiL 

Blather, Blether, To talk nonsensically. 

Blaw, To blow. 

Blawflum. What has no reality in it : a sham. 

Blink, Blenk, A beam, a ray, a glance with the eye, 
particularly expressive of regard. 



172 






To Bake fM. .rr. . 
Bob. IW. To 

BocL To 

BwfiiL A 

B(M&. Boddle. A eopfflr eon of the Yihw of tin 

peoBM Sool^ or the third pnt dwm Eaglkh pem^. 
BogUL Bogie. A fpcctre, a hobfoUm. 
BornNrM^ dligFf- The three btt dap of Mardi, Ol 8. 
Bofe. Arfe. BeoL HelmadTBitii9e;oAeaBMdMaQBM 

tfain^ more than the price or baigaia , 
BoMgarg. Cros-span,foniii]ippoitofthennfofacotta0i 

instead of laths, on which wattliiigs* or twigs an 

pboedy and, abore these, diTots^ and then the straw a 

thatch. 
BomJL BtUL Thetninkofthebody. 
BowkiL Large, bolkj. 
Bowne* To make ready, to piepsre. 
BomUith. Something giren as a reward for servioe. 
Bowrockg, An incloenre, applied to the littie hooaei 

children build with sand in play. 
Bawat. A hand-lantern. 
Bourd, To jest 
Bautgate, A circuitous road. 
BawkaiL Cabbage. 
Bawstock. A cabbage. 
Braid, Broad. 
Br ah. To break. 
Brander. A gridiron. 
Brang. Brought 
Branks A sort of bridle, used in this country for a horse. 



GLOSSARY. 173 



Brash. A transieiit attack of mcknefls. 

Brat, A small apron: clothing in general 

Brawl. To threaten, to quarreL 

Brawly. Very welL 

Braxy* A disease in sheep. 

Breachame, The collar of a working horse. 

Broo. Bree. Juice, sauce, soup. 

Breihs. Breeks. Breeches. 

Breard, The first appearance of grain above ground. 

BreiijL Brede. To resemble. 

Brent. High, upright. — Brent-brow, A high biow. 

Brig, Bridge. 

Brochan, Oatmeal boiled into a consistence somewhat 

thidker than gruel. 
Broodie. Prolific. 

Broose, Bruse, A race at a country wedding. 
Brose, A kind of pottage made by pouring boiling water 

on oatmeal, and stirring them while the water is poured. 
Brothe, To be in a state of profuse perspiration. 
Brow, Opinion. Nae brow. No fayourable opinion. 
Brownie. A spirit, supposed to haunt some old houses, 

especially farm houses. 
Browst, Browest, As much malt liquor as is brewed at 

a tune. 
Bruckle, Brittle. 
Brtdzie. Brawl, firay, or quarreL 
Bubbly, Snotty. 

Buckie, Buchy, Any'spiral shell, of whatever size. 
Buckie. To unite in marriage, used in a ludicrous sense. 
Buff, A blow, nonsense. — To buff com. To give gnin 

half thrashing. 
Bung, The cork of a barrel 
Buffer. A foolish fellow. 



174 GLOSSARY. 



AuK^eA. UMbmunp beetle tint iiM IB the eTeniii^. 

BurtL Bvdt. BomnL Tabki 

Bum. A streamlet, a brook. 

Btuiet. DreHed. 

Bmt. Withoot 

Bmt. The outer apartment of a house of two rooms. 

CabbadL KMmck, A cheese. 

CiUnr. Kabor, A rafter of the house, oonpliii|r. 

Cadge. Caitch. To toas, to shoe. 

Ckiff> Cha£ 

Cavels. Caplis. Lots. 

CainL A gipsej. 

CkmUL Cold. Cold. 

Ci^. Caw. Caa. To drire. 

CaUan, A stripling, a lad. 

Ccmler, Caller. Co<^ fresh. 

Cankert. Cankenoit. Gross, ill conditioned. 

Connie. Kcamit, Caation% pmdent. 

CaMty, lively, cheerfoL 

Capstride, To drink in place of another. 

Carl, Carle. A man, as distingaished from a boy. 

CarUn. An old woman. 

Cattock, The heart of the stalk of colewort or cabbage. 

Cavie. A hen-coop. 

Causey. The street. 

Oawk. Chalk. 

Chafts. Chaftis. Chops. 

Chaft4)lade. Under jaw-bone. 

Chancy, Fortunate, hi4>py. 

Chap, A fellow. 

Chap. To strike. 

Chapman. A pedlar, a hawker. 



GLOSSARY. 175 



CheswelL A cheese vat 

ChieL ChieUL A servant, a fellow, a stripling. 

Chimley, Chimney. A grate. 

Ckuckie^tane, A small white pebble. 

Chuckie. A cant name for a hen. 

Clachan. CktucJumne, . A small village bordering on the 

Highlands, in which there is a kirk. ^ 

Claes. Claise. Clothes. 
Claith. Clayth. Cloth. 
Claiver, Claver, To talk idly or foolishly. 
Clap. To clap the head. To command, to flatter. 
Clargie. Clergy, Erudition. 
Clarty. Dirty, nasty. 
Clash. To talk idly, tittle-tattle. 
Clatter. To prattle, to act as a tell-tale. 
Cleck. To hatch. 

Clink. A smart short blow, money. 
Clips. Hooks for lifting pots off the fire. 
Clock. Clok. To cluck, to call chickens together. 
Clout. A cuff, a blow, a rag. 
Clung. Empty, applied to the stomach. 
Cockrlaird. A landholder who fiirms his estate. 
Cod. PiUow. 
Coft. Bought. 

Cog. A hollow wooden vessel for holding milk, broth, &c. 
Collie. Coley. The shepherd's dog. 
Common. To be in one^s common. To be obliged to one. 
Couper. Coper. A dealer. 
Corbie. Corby. A raven. 
Comcraik. The landrail. 

Cosie. Cozie. Warm, comfortable, well sheltered. 
Cottar. Cotter. One who inhabits a cottage, the servants 

who live in the cottages belonging to a fiurm. 



176 GLOSSARY. 



Coucher, A coward. 

Cowp, To ezchan^ to Imriear, to OTertum. 

Coiqfle, A nfter. 

Cout, Cowt, A 700111^ hone. 

Cow. To poU the head, to dip short 

Cow-guake. A disease in cattle, caused fimn doDness of 

the weather. 
Crab. Crabe, To fret 
Crack, Crak. To talk freely, fiuniliariy. 
Crap. The craw of a fowl, used ladicrooslj for the 

stomach of a man. 
Craw. To crow, a crow. 
Creil. Creel. An ozier basket: panniers are also called 

creels. 
Creish. Creesh, Orease, to grease. 
Creeshy, Greasy. 
Crme. Cryne. To shriveL 
Crooksaddle. Ladesaddle. A saddle for supporting 

panniers. 
Crowdie. Meal and water, or milk and water, stirred 

together in a cold state. 
Crummoch, A short staff with a crodced head. 
Cunyie. Cunzie. Coin, silver. 
Culye. Culyie. To coax, to soothe, to curry fiivour. 
Cummer. Kimmer. A young girl, a gossip. 
Curcuddoch. A dance among children, cordial 
Curple. Crupper. 
CutHe. A short spoon. 

Baffin. Folly in general 

Daft, Giddy, foolish, gay, wanton, &c. 

Daigh, Dough. 

Dainty. Pleasant, worthy. 



GLOSSARY. 177 



Darg, A day's work. 

Dander, To roam, to go about idly, to trifle one's time. 

Dang, Driven. 

Daud, A lai^e piece. 

Daw, A drab. 

Daut, Dawt, To fondle, to caress. 

Deave, To deafen. 

Denk, Dink, Trim, neat. 

Dike, Dyke, A wall. 

Dm. Noise. 

Dirk, Durk, A dagger. 

Dochter, Daughter. 

Docht or Dow. Could, availed. 

Dockin, Doken, A weed, dock. 

Dock, To cut short. 

Douge, Very, — Douge weel. Very weU. 

Doit. A small copper coin, formerly current. 

Dolour. Grie£ 

Dominie. A schoolmaster, a pedagogue, a contemptuous 

name for a minister. 
Donnard, In a state of stupor. 
Donsie, Affectedly neat and trim. 
Dorty, Pettish. 
Doup, Dowp, The breech, the bottom, or extremity of 

any thing. — Candledoup, 
Dour, Doure, Obstinate, stem, inflexible, bold. 
Dow, To be able ; to wither; a dove. 
Draff, Grain ; the refose of malt after brewing, &c. 
Drop, To drop ; a drop. 
Dree, To endure. 
Dreich. Dreagh, Slow. 
Dergy. Dregy. The funeral service; also, the meeting 

that takes phice after the foneraL See the old song 

M 



178 GLOSSARY. 



of the humble beggar, ** who ranted and drank at his 

ain dregee." 
Drouth, Brought. 
JDrumly, Muddy. 
Dwaum. Swoon. 

Dub, A small pool of rain water; a gattd*. 
Dud, Duddy, A rag; ragged. 
Dumbie, Dummie, One who is dumb ; also applied to 

a written document. 
Dwnt, A stroke, producing a hollow sound. 
Dut, A stupid person. 
Dwine, To pine. 

Ee, The eye. 

Earn. To coagulate. 

Ebb, Shallow. 

Eel. A nine^e'd eel. A lamprey. 

EelhackiU Having a black line on the back ; applied to 

dun horses. 
Efterhend. After. 
Eident, Diligent 
Eik. Each; an addition. 
Eild. Eld, To wax old, old, age, &c. 
Eir. Fear. 
Eith, Easy. 
Eithly. Easily. 
EBfoch. EUntck. Elbow. 
Eldin. Elding. Fuel of any kind. 
Elson. Ehyon. An awL 
Een, Eyes. 
Eneugh, Enough. 
Er, Air, Before. 
Erar. Earer. Sooner. 



GLOSSARY. 179 



Erd, Yerd, Yerth, The earth, (pronoimoed yirtL) 

Eiry, Eerie, Affected with fear. 

Erse, The dialect of the Celtic ; Irish. 

Ettle, EttiL To aim, to attempt; a mark. 

Fae, Foe. 

Faik. To lower the price of a oommodify. 
FaiUdyhe. A wall built of sods. 
Fallhy, To be lost 
Fallow, A fellow; to follow. 
Fawte, Fawt, Want. 
Fand, Found. 
Fciah, Faach, Trouble. 
FoMch. Faugh, To fallow ground. 
Faute, Fault 
Faw, Fa, To fall. 
Fazart, Fazards, Cowards, cowardly. 
Fecht, Facht, Fought. Fight 
Fech, Fek, A term denoting both spacer quantity, and 
number. — The feck o* them. The most part of them. 
Feckless. Weak. Applied to the body. 
Fee, Fie. To hire; hire; wages. 
Feerie, Firey, Clever, nimble. 
Feech. Feigh. Interjection, Fy. 
FeU. Denoting degne^^^BBjell^weelf very wdL 
FeU, To kill 

Fell, Hot, biting. — FeU cheese. 
Fend, To shift. 
Ferlie. A wonder. 
Fern-year, The preceding year. 
Fettle. FettiU Energy, power. 
Fyle, FUe, To defile. 
Filly. FiUock, A young mare. 



180 gijossaet. 



Fmdg. Fan, nbitiiitiaL 

FirhL Thefourtib-patof aboflof eon. 

FiL Feet 

Fbfte. TosooU. 

Fleg. Tofrigbten. 

Flack. FkUeh, To wbeedle; flittery. 

FUcUuT. Flidaer. To flutter. 

J%Mt A smart blow. 

FUL FlyL To remove, to tnmqport^ to change^ — ^Bftoit 

common as denotiiig remoYing residence. 
FhuL Fbidt, Flood, inandation. 
FbmJde. A livery servant. 
Fog, Fogue, Moss. 
Foolzie. Gold leaf. 
Foul, Wety rainy. 
Fow. Fu. Full, tipsy. 
Fro, Frete, From. 
Fraik. To flatter.^ JVociUfi. Flattery. 
Frai$e. A ciyoling discourse. 
FreU, Freet. A superstitions notion with respect to good 

or bad omens. 
Fremift, Framet, Strange, foreign, acting like a stranger. 
Fry. Fray. A tumult 
Fuff. To puff. 
Fulye. Fulzie. The dung of a town. 

Oae. To go. 

Oab, Mouth. 

Gab. Prating. 

Chid. Went 

Oay. Moderately. 

Oaislin. A young goose. 

Oaist The soul, a ghost 



GLOSSARY. 181 



Gate, Crait A way, a road. 

Ckiit A goat. 

Gang, To go. 

Gang, A walk for cattle. 

Cktttnt, Gant, A yawn. 

Chr, Ger, To cause. 

Chrtane, A garter. 

Crash, To talk in a confident way, shrewd in oonvef' 
sation. 

Crauqf, Ch,wsy, Plnmp, jolly. 

Gaukie, Gawky, A foolish person. 

Gcno, TogalL 

Chwd, A goad. 

Geek, To sport 

G^e, To takthe gee. To become pettish. 

CUiyly, Creily, Chylies, Pretty well. 

Geyze, Geisin, Gizzen, To become leaky for want of 
moisture. 

Genty, Neat, elegantly formed. 

Gear. Creir, Money, goods, booty, waiiike accoutre- 
ments. 

Geit, Geat, Geti. A contemptuous designation for 
children ; a child. 

cubbies. Tools of any kind. 

Gie, To give. 

Giff^ Gaff, Mutual giving. • 

Geyieynaur, A deceiver. 

Gilpy, Gu^. A roguish boy; frolicsome boy or giri. 

Gilt, Money. 

Gynu Qymie, Neat, spruce. 

Gimp, Jimp, Slim, ddicate. 

Gimply. Scarcely. 

Gin. If, 



182 GLOSSARY. 



> 



Gird. Gyrd, A hoop ; also a girr. 

Girdle, A circular plate of iron, for toastang cakes oyer 

the fire. 
Gim, To gim. To snarl. 

GimalL Gimeil. A large chest for holding meal. 
G$fte, To gang Gyte. To act extravagantly; hite. 
Glaikit. Light, giddy. 
Giamer, Glamour. The sttpt»osed influence of a charm 

on the eye, causing it to see objects differently from 

what they really are. 
Glar. Glaur. Mud, mire. 
Gled. The kite. 

Gleg. Keen, quick of perception. 
Glei/. Glye. To squint. 
Gleid. A burning coal; a spark of fire. 
Glent. Glint. To glance ; to get a glance at. 
Glisk, A transient view. 
Gloamin. Ghming. Twilight. 
Gloum. Gloom. To frown ; a frown. 
Glowr. Glour. To stare. 
Glowring. Staring. 
Ghinch. To pout 
Crob. The mouth. 

Croldspink. Growdspinh. The goldfinch. 
Gouck. Crolk. The cuckoo; a fool. 
Cromerell. A stupid fellow. 
Crood, Crudin. Dung ; to manure. 
GooL Gule. Yellow. — *^ As yellow as a gtile's footi" 
Gorby. A raven. 

Go-summeTy or Go<i'-the-year. Latter end of the year* 
Croud, Gold. 
Gowpin. Goupin. Both hands held together in fenn of 

a round vessel. 



GLOSSARY. 183 



Gowan. The daisy. 

Chraf, A grave. 

Crraine, Grane, To groan. 

Graip. To grope. 

Graith. Apparatus of whateyer kind. — Horse graith. 

Hi(»te harness. 
Gree. To agree. 
€h-6m. Grein. To long. 
Gr€it. Greeting, To cry; the act of oying. 
Greiv, A greyhound. 
Grieve. To oyersee ; an overseer. 
Gryce. A pig. 

Grist, Fee paid to a mill for grinding; thickness. 
Groats. Oats with the husk taken off. 
Groset, Groser. Grosert, A gooseberry. 
Groufe, Grufe. On Groufe. To be flat with our £M3e 

to the earth. 
GrunUy. Muddy. 
Chrumph, To grunt. 
Gruvnphie. A vulgar name for a sow. 
Gude, Good. 
Guddame, Grandmother. 
Gudsher, A grandfather, (pronounced gutsher,) 
Guddle, To mangle, to haggle. 
Gf(/f. A savour, a smelL 
GuUy. A large knife. 
Gunqttion, Undentanding. 
Guseham, Guissem. Gisiard. 
Gust A relish. 
Gusty. Savoury. 
Gutters. Mire. Dirt 
Gutty* Thick; applied both to persons and things. 



184 GLOSSARY. 



Hour, A fog". 

Hack, A chop in the hands or feet — Murk hack. A A"^ 
fork. 

Htie, To have. 

Haffit. HaffeU The side of the head. 

Haggis. A pudding, made in a sheep's rtomaefa, with oat* 
meal, snet, the heart, liver, and longs, minoed down and 
seasoned with salt, pepper, and onions, and Ixnled, ftr 
use. Bum's terms it— '^ Great chieftain o' the pnddiaf 



race." 



Hairst Harvest. 

Hold. Hauld. A hold. 

Hallacked. Halokat Crazy. 

Halland. Halkm. Hallen. The division, partition be- 
tween the inner and outer doors. 

Hawse, The throat, the nedc. 

HamaliL HaimakL Domestic. 

Home, Home. 

Handsel, The first money received. 

Handset-Monday, The first Monday of the year, O. 8. 

Hain, Hane, To spare. 

Hantle, A considerable number* 

Hapity, Lame. 

Hark, To whisper. 

Harle, To trail ; to drag with force. 

Hames, Hams, The brains.— JSornpofi. TheakuU. 

Hash, To hash ; a sloven, a fodish fellow. 

Hotch, To move by jerks. 

Hather, Heather. Heath. 

Haugh, Hauch. Low flat gronnd, on the banks of a 
river that is sometimes overflowed. 

Haver. To talk foolishly. Haveril, One who t^H 
habitoally in a foolish manner. 



GLOSSARY. 185 



Havings. Havins. Good manners. 

Haup, To torn to the riglit; lang^uage used to hones in 

the yoke. 
Hawgh. To spit; to force up phlegm. Eng. hawk. 
Hee, High. 

Head4aee, A ribbon for binding the head. 
Heal, Heild. To oonceaL 
Hearty, Cheerful; liberaL 
Hech, Hegh. To 'pant; to breathe hard. 
Hecht To promise ; to offer ; a promise. 
Hack, Hech, A raxk for cattle.' 
Heckle, To dress flax; a severe examination.. — A heckling 

comb, A comb for dressing flax. 
Heer, Hier, Of yam ; the sixth-part of a heap or hank. 
Heft, To confine ; applied to a cow, when not milked for 

some time. 
Heis, Heeze, To lift up; aid; the act of swinging. 
Hem, Haims, A horse-collar. 
Hempy, A tridcy wag; a rogue; one for whom hemp 

grows. 
Hench, To throw stones, by bringing the hand alongst 

the haunch. 
Hen^en, The dung of fowLsu 

Harboary. Herbery, A dwelling^laoe; lodging; a mi- 
litary station. 
Here-yesterday, Here-yestreen, The day before yesterday. 
Herry, Hirrie, Harrie, To rob; topiflage. 
Hersket, Heart-scald, Heart-bum; a disgust 
Het. Hot. 

ffeugh, Heuch, The shaft of a ooal-pit; a steep hilL 
HeddiL Hidlins, Secretly. 
IfyJinks, High Jinks, An amusing game, in which it 

was determined by the dice who ahould sustain some 



186 GLOSSARY. 



fictitious character, or repeat a certain muhber of loose 
verses, under penalty of eith w swallowing an additiobal 
bumper, or payings a small sum to the reckoning^. 

Hilt and Hair, The whole of any things. 

Himest, Humest Uppermost. 

Hinder. Hinder-encL Last; tennination; extremity. 

Hint. Behind. 

Hip, To miss ; an omission. 

Hippen. A towel used for wrappixig about the lower parts 
of children. 

Hird. Hyrde, One who attends cattie. 

Hire. To let; reward. 

HirpU, To halt 

Hirsell, HyrsuU. A multitude; a flock; to move, rest- 
ing on the hams. 

Hissie, Hizzies, Housewife; women. 

Ho, Hoe, A stocking. 

Hoamed. Humphed. Having a fusty taste. 

Hobbel. To dance. 

Hod, Hode. To hide. 

Hodden-^ey. Course cloth worn by the peasantry, the 
natural colour of the wool. 

Hogar, Hogger. Stockings without feet. 

Hogmanay. Hogmenay. The kst day of the year. 

Holine, Holyn, The holly. 

Hcuk. Howh. To dig. 

Howe, Hollow. 

Hemyil, HwnmiL Haviug no horns. 

Hoolie, Slow. 

Host. Hoist. To cough. 

Houff, A haunt 

Hcu. Hoe. A hood or coif; a hoe. 

Howdy. A midwife. 



GLOSSARY. 187 



Howtowdt/. A hen that has never laid. 

Hudderin, Huderen, Slovenly and flabby in person, 

(pronounced hutherin,) 
HuUien. A sloven. 
Hum, A sham. 
Hunker. To squat down. 
Hurchecn, A hedgehog. 
ffurdies. Buttocks. 
Hurkle. To draw the body together. 
^irle-barrow, A wheel-barrow. 
Hurlie-hacket, Sliding down a precipice. 

Jag. To pierce; to rob. 

Jay-pyet. A jay. 

Jak. Jauk. To spend time idly. 

Jaudie. The stomach of a hog. 

Jau:p. Jaup. A dash of water; a spot of mud or dirty 

water. 
Jee. To move ; to move to one side. 
Jeog, To creak. 
Jillet. A giddy girL 
Ire^e, A great-grand child. 
Jiffie. A moment. 
Jimp. Neat, slender. 

Jmk, To elude a person who tries to lay hold of one. 
lUta. Hk. Every, each. 
Ill'deedie, Mischievous. 
Ill-wiUie. Ill-natured. 
Immick. An ant. 
Inby. Nearer an object 
Lieh. Inche. An island. 

L^fidd. Land continually cropped, receiving manure* 
Bngan, Onion. 



188 GIX>SSART. 



Ingle. IngiL Fire. 

IntOL In. 

Liwiih, Outwith. Indimng in or oat. 

Jo, Joe, A sweetheart 

Jocky-coat, A great-coat 

Joch4o4eg, A folding knife. 

Jogill. To jog. 

Jog-trot, A slow motion on horsebftdc; one's peculiar 
habit. 

Jordeloo, A cry which servants in the higlier stories in 
Edinburgh were wont to give after ten at nighty when 
they threw over their dirty water from the windows. 
Tabitha Bramble describes it as meaning — ^ The Lord 
have mercy upon you." 

Jo, Jot, To take notes. 

Jouk, Jock, Jowk, To bend; to avoid a blow; toahifti 

Jaundie, Jundie, To jog with the elbow. 

Jow, To move from side to side. 

Irh, To tire. 

Im, Irne, Iron. 

Ise, I shalL 

Isechohile, An isicle. 

IsiUis, Embers. 

Iskie, The word used in calling a dog. 

Jitga, Jougs, A kind of pillory ; the criminal being fas- 
tened to the wall or post, by an iron ocular. 

Junt, A large piece of any thing. 

Jupe, A female's bed-gown. 

Justicoat, A waistcoat with sleeves. 

Jutt, A term of reproach used to women. 

JToe. Kay, A jackdaw. 

KaU, Broth made of greens ; colewort. 



GLOSSARY. 189 



Kail-^Uy* A large knife for cutting down colewort 

KaiUyard, Kitchen-garden. 

Kame. Kaim. To comb ; honey-comb. 

Kamester, A wool-comber. 

Kain. Kainrfowls. Rent or dntj paid to landlords in 
kind. 

Kiesart A cheese-vat. 

Kar. Left-handed. 

Kavie, A species of crab. 

Kebhre. A rafter. 

Kebbuck, Cabbach, A cheese. 

Ked. A sheep-louse. 

Keek, Keik, To look with a prying eye; to peep. 

Keel-Ruddle, To mark with ruddle. 

Keelivine-pen. A black-lead pencil. 

K^tch, To toss. 

KekkU. Kekle. To cackle. 

Keli, A woman's head-dress. 

Kelpie, Water-kelpie, The spirit of the waters, who is 
vulgarly believed to give previous intimation of the 
destruction of those who perish within its jurisdiction, 
by lights and voices, and even assist in drowning them. 

Keltie, KeUy, A bumper imposed for refusing to drink 
fair. Keltie* s^mends took its rise from Kelty, a collier 
village in Kinrosshire, where there is only inland 
consumpt. The coals were cheap, and when any per- 
son got the regular measure, they also received a quan^ 
tity to the mends, which was frequentiy as much as 
the quantity purchased. 

Kemp, To strive. 

Kemper, One who strives; generally applied to reapers. 

Ken, To know; to be acquainted. 

KenJt, A long staff. 



192 GLOS8AKT. 



Lameier, A cr^|de. 



Lamp, To tike lrOD|^ itqM. 

XaadL A hoose ooiisistiii|^ of diffc iei it staiei^ genenUy 

oocnpied bj different tenantii, 
Lomdrlamper, One who fireqoenflj flits firoB one piftoe 

to another. 
home. Alone; lone. 
Ijmg, To long^. 
lAmgtSL To entangle; the rope bj which the fore and 

hinder feet oS. a cow are fitftened together. 
Ltmffer, Wearineea. 
Idmggyne* Long since. 
Langsome, Slow; tedions. 
Lap, Leaped. 

Lear. Lore. To teach; to learn. 
Larick. Laverock. A lark. 
Lass. A sweetheart 
Lawm, Lowing. Lanch. AtayemhilL 
Z«. Lie. Lee. Shelter; warm. 
Law. A designation given to a hill or mount, either 

artificial or naturaL 
LavD-horrois. Law^orrows. The legal secnrity which 

a man is obliged to give, that he wiU not do any injmy 

to another's person or property. 
Leather. To flog; to lash. 
Leche. To cure. — Leiche. A physician. 
Liefu\ Leefow. Lonely. — Lie-fou^-lane. Quite alone. 
Lee4ang. Live long. 

Leet. To nominate with a view to election. 
Leglin, Laiglin. A milk-paiL 
Zteif. Beloved. — As leif. As soon. 
XetV. Loyal; faithfuL 



GLOSSARY. 198 



Leis^me. Leese-me. Leif-is-me, Dear is to me; expreft- 
siye of strong affection. 

Leisch, Lesche. A lash ; to lash ; to scoui^e. 

Leister, Lister. A spear, with three or more prongs, for 
striking fish. 

Leit. Leet, To give a hint — Never kit. Never men- 
tion. 

Lemane, Sweetheart, male or female. 

Len, To Lend. 

Lent. Lenit. Leaned; also, abode. 

Lentryne. Lent Still used to denote Spring. 

LentrinFhail. Broth made without beef. 

Leip. Lepe. To par-boil; to heat 

To let on. To seem to observe any thing. 

To let wit. To make known. 

Letter-gae. Precentor of a church. 

To let gae. To raise the tune. 

Letteron. Lettrin, The desk in which the clerk or pre- 
centor officiates. 

Leugh. Leuch. Laughed. 

Levin. Lightning. 

Levingis. Remains. 

Lew, To make tepid. 

Liart. Lyart. Having gre j hairs intermixed. 

Lycht. Merry. 

Lichtlie. To undervalue; to slight 

Lychtnis. Lungs. 

Lick. To strike; to beat; a blow. 

Lifey. Lively. 

Lift. To lift. To cany off by theft; also, the atmo- 
sphere. 

Lykly. Having a good appearance. 

Lyhe-waih. The watching of a dead body. 

N 



194 GLOSSARY. 



Lilt. To sing cheerf ally ; a cheerful air. 

Limmar, Limmer, A scoundrel; a loojse wmiuui. 

Lin, Lyn, A pool u^der a cataract* 

Lind. Lynd. A lime tree. 

Link, To walk smartly. 

LingeL Lingle, A shoemaker's thread. 

LingelrtaiVd, Applied to a woman whose clothes hang 

awkwardly, from the smallness of her shape below. 
Links, The windings of a river; also sandy barren ground. 
Lintwhite, A linnet. 
Lippie, The fourth part of a peck. 
Lippen, Lippin, To trust ; depend on for. 
Lirk, A rumple ; a crease ; a fokL 
Lish, Ldsh, The groin. 
Lit, Litt, Dye; to dye; to tinge. 
Litstar, A dyer. 

Lith, A joint; to separate the joints from one another. 
Idttleane, A child. 
Littlegood. Littlegudy, Suns-purge. 
Loan, Lone, Loaning, An opening between fields of 

com for driying cattle homewards, or millfing cows. 
Loch, Louch, A lake ; an arm of the sea. 
Lockman, The public executioner. 
Lome, Loom, Utensil of any kind. 
Loopie, DeceitfuL 
Louching, Bowing down. 

Loun, Lowne, Serene; calm; denoting the state of the 
air. 

Loun, Loon, Loum, A worthless person, male or female. 

Loum, A boy. 

LourCs-cut, LourCs'piece, The first cut of a cheese, or 

loaf. 
Launder, A swinging stroke; to beat with severe strokes. 



GLOSSARY. 195 



Loup, To leap ; a leap or springf. 

Loupifiron^tane. A short flight of stone steps to assist ia 
getting upon horseback : mostly used for Ictmales, or 
when riding double. ' 

Lourie, Name given to the fox. 

Lozeju A pane of glass. 

Luck. To have a good or bad fortune. 

Luckie. Lucky, A designation given to an elderly woman. 

Lucki&daddie, Grandfitther. 

Luve, Love. 

Lufe, Loof, Laif, The palm of the' hand. 

Lug, The ear. 

Luggie, Loggie, A small wooden vessel made of stacves^ 
for holding meat; one of the ' staves, lieklg contimiddy 
acts as a handle. ^ ' '' 

LuWt, A match. '- ' 

Lum, Lumb, A chimney. 

Lunkit, Lukewanu. 

Lurdane, Lurdon, A worthless person; conjoined with 
sloth. 

Lure, The udder of a cow ; property when ns^ as fbdd. 

Lusty, Beautiftil. 

Mae, More in number. 

MaadU Mawd, A plaid worn by riiepherds. 

Magg, A cant word for a halfjpenny. 

Maggs, A gratuity which servaints expect from those to 
whom they drive any goods. 

Maideiu An instrument for beheading, similar to the 
guillotine; the hist handful of com cut down in harvest; 
that, being dress^ with, ribbons, resembles a youfag 
woman; also, the honorary dtaignation given* to ihe 
oldest daughter of a fiuner ; a bride's maid. 



196 GLOSSARY. 



May, A maid ; a Tirgin. 

Math, A cant name for a hal^nny. 

MaiL Male. A spot in cloth from rust; to stain; rent 

paid, in whatever way, for a &rm. 
Blackmail. A tax paid by heritors, for the security oi 

their property, to those freebooters who were w<»it to 

make inroads on their estates. 
Mam. Moan ; to bemoan. 

Mains. Moines. The farm attached to a mansion-house. 
Mair. More. 
Mairt. Winter proyidon; a cow fed and killed for the 

purpose. 
Maist Most 

Maister. Master; a landlord. 
Maister. Stale urine. 
Mah. Make. Mack. To compose poetry. 
Making. Poetry. 
Makar. Makhar. A poet 
Malison. A curse. 

Mammie. A childish term for mother. 
Man. Maun. Must 
Monk. Want 

Manse. The parsonage-house. 
Mant. Mount. To stutter. 

MantUlis. Large shields used as a covert for archers. 
Mar. Hindrance. 

Marche. A landmaric dividing properties. 
Mare. A hod or mason's trough. 
Mark. Mirk. Dark. 
Marrow. A companion; to equal. 
Marrowless. Without a match. 
Mashlin. Mashlie. Maishhch. Mixed grain. — Ground 

Mashlum. Bannock. 



Maik. To infiiie. 

Maach. Mack. Monk. A maggot 

Maadvy. Dirty ; filthy, 

JVauchlless. F«eble. 

MauAin. A hare. 

Matan. To soften sad awell hy means of water. 

Maumie. Mellow. 

Maic. To mow. 

Mawsie. A drabj a trollop. 

Mown. A basket. 

Mede. A meadow. 

MeeUaa-bTee. Brose. Aberdeenshire. 

Megirkie. A wodIIod uloth worn by old r 
for dafendiog the bead and throat. 

Meia. Jtfene. Commoo ; an attempt. 

Meaae. Mese. Meis. To mitigate; to become calm. 

Meiih. Might 

Meiiie. Muciie. Great, respeoting sixe ; much, respect- 
ing quantity. 

AfelL A maul; to mix. 

Melder. The quantitj of maal pvund at once. 

Melt. The spleen. 

Melteth. Meltith. A meal (Mete*. North of Scotland.) 

MeniU. Atonement; over and aboTe. 

Mean. Meen. To intend. 

Menoun. Menin. A minnow. 

Mense. Menck. Dignity; hooonr. 

Maueftil. Manly. 

MenteiesB. Void of discretion. 

Mergh. Morrow. 

Merh. An ancienteilver coin, Talue thirteen sbiUingsaud 
fourpenoe. Soots; equal to U. 1^ Sterling. 

Merit. The blaokbird. 



198 GLOSSARY. 



Merry'begotten, A bastard child. 

Merry-dancers, Aurora Borealia 

Messan, Messin, A small dog. . 

Mes, Mass. 

Met. Mett, Measure. 

Midden, A dxirigh\\\,~^Midden4u)ie, A diiiigb«tead. 

Mtdrinan, A mediator. 

Mildrop, Foam that ialls from a horse's mouth ; mnoas 
from the nose; the drop at the end of an idde. 

Milk, An annual holiday in a schodl^ on whieh the 
scholars present a small gift to their master ; h^ £a 
Lanark and Renfrewshire on the Ist of May:* wfai^ 
has at first received its designatioii'from mWtj as form- 
ing the principal pmrt of the ^entertainment. — Tb mUk 
the tether. To carry «ff the milk from any one's oows 
1^ milking a- hair tether; a superatitioii preyaktrtUi 
many parts of Scotland. i 

MUh-ayth. MtUie, JHUs^, Also Sey-dish. A milk- 
strainer. 

Mill, To steal. — To mill one out of a thing. To procore 
it in an artful way. 

MUl, Mull, A snuff-box. 

ilfjfm. Prim; proudish; ^affecting great moderation in 
eating or drinking. 

Mind, To remember; to recolleot-«ill^iu2fe». Foiget- 
fiiL 

Minnie, Minny. Mother; a fondling term. 

Mint, To aim ; to take aim. 

Mirk, Merk, Mark. Dark; darkness. 

Mirl, Murle, A crumb. 

Mirles, Measles. 

Mirlygoes, Merlygoes, One's eyes are said to be m ^ 
merlygoes, when they see indistinctly. 



GLOSSARY. 199 



JUiss. My 88, A fault — Mubehadden, Unbecoming. 

MUcaU, Mi8ca\ To call names. 

My8cJumcy, Unlucky. 

Mi8chanti Wicked; a worthless person. 

My8eU, Myself. 

MUfare, MUfayr. My8f<dL Tomisoarry. 

Mi8hanter, Misfortune. 

MUken, Not to know. 

Muleard, Mi8leird. Unmanneriy. 

MUhppen, To disappoint; to fbiget. 

Mi8luck, l^fisfortune. 

Mismarrow, To mismatch. 

MifmaggU, To spoil; to disorder. 

Mister. My8ter. Craft; art — To Mister, To need; to 
want; to be necessary. 

Mistryet, To break an eng;agement 

Mistrow, To suspect ; to mistrust 

Mittens, Woollen g^ves. 

Mittle, To hurt or wound. 

Mixtie-Maztie, In a state of confosiAn. 

Mizzled, Having different colours. 

Moch, Mochy, Close ; misty ; mdst u >l*o <^ b^* 

Mochre, Mokre. To heap up; to hoard; to work in 
the dark. 

Mode, Courage. — Mody. BM.; also pensire; melan- 
choly. 1 

Modywart, Moudiewort, A mole. 

Moggans, Long sleeyes for a woman's arms; hose with- 
out feet 

Moiher-wdted Stark-naked. 

May. Moye, Gentle; mild ; affecting great moderation 
in eating or drinking. 

MoUygrant, MoUygrub. Whining; complaining. 




Moyen. Interest; temporal substance. — To Mogen, 

accomplish bj the use of means. 
Many. Many. 
Moniplies. That part of the tripe of a beast which c< 

aists of many folds. 
Mool. Mule. To cramble. 
Moosewtb. Mmiseweh. The gonsamer; improperly, t 

spider's web. 
Mom. MoTne. Morrow. 
Mart. Died or dead; fatal. 

Mbti-chfh. The paJl carried over the corpse at a fimenl. 
Mortar. Coarse clay of B reddish colour. This clay ■■ 

prepared for building. 
Mortar-stone. A stone hollowed out; formerly used ai 

morlar for preparing barley, by separating it from tl 

husks. 
Mortify. To give in mortmain. 
Mosine. Moiine-hale. The toaobhole of a piece of ordi ' 

Moss. A marshy place. 

Moga-troopers. Banditti who inhabited the marshy It 

of Liddisdale, .and subsisted chiefly by r^ine. 
Mote. A little hill or barrow. — To mote. To pick moM 

out of any thing. 
Molher-mit. Common sens^; discretion, 
Mouliz-heele. Chilblains. 
Mouligh. To whimper; to whine. 
Moup. Moop. To nibble ; to mump. 
Motue. The bulb of desh on the estremity of a shank dl 

mutton. 
MoM. To moult — To motit awa. To take away piee 

Mouler. To take ranlture for gTtn£ii{[ com. 



GLOSSARY. 201 



Mow, The mouth. — Mcfw, Movie, Ahei^>. 

Mowch, A spy; an eave-dropper; also a motioii. 

iUbzy. Dark in complexion. 

MudL To carry out dung; dung. 

Muddle. To overihrow easily; to be busy at w<Nrk of a 

trivial kind, while making little progress. 
Mudge. To stir; to budge. 
Muffles, MujffUies. Mittens without fingers, either 

leather or worsted. 
Moots, Muldes. Pulverised earth, in general; the earth 

ai the grave ; the dust of the dead. 
Mull, Maoil, A promontory ; also a mule^ 
Muller, To crumble. 

Multure, Mouter, The fee for grinding oom. 
iUknip. To hint; to aim at. 
Mun, Must. 

Munks, A halter for a horse. Fife. 
Mure, Muir, A heath ; a flat covered with heatL 
Mure4mm, The burning of heath. 
Mureland, Of or belonging to heathy ground. 
HiRirlan, A round narrow-mouthed basket 
Murriow, Murriown, A helmet 
Mush, One who goes between a lover and his mistress. 

fife. 
MuslixiFhail, Broth made with water, barley, and greens. 
Must, Mouldiness, Musk, Hair powder. 
Mutch, A head-dress for a female 
Mutchkm, A measure equal to an English pint 

Na, Nae, Ne, No; not 

Na, Nae, Neither. 

Nab, To strike. 

Nachet, Nacket, An insignificant person. 



202 OLOSSAflT. 



Noes. Is not 

Naig, A ridings luH«e. 

NaU, Aff at the nail, DMiitate of anj regard to pro- 
priety of conduct. 

Nay9ay, Nct-aay, A refusal. 

Naiprie. TaUe linen. 

Naithly. Industriously. 

None. None. 

Nappie. Brittle. 

Nor, Nigher. 

Naethmg, Nothing. 

Near-gawn. Near-be^vm, Niggardly. 

Nease, The nose. 

Neb^ The nose, ludicrously used ; the beak of a fooL 

Nece. A grand-daughter. 

NeerdoweU, One whose conduct gives reason to think 
he will never do weU. 

Neeae, To sneese. 

Neffit A pigmy. 

Neide. Necessity. 

Neid^fyre, Fire produced by the friction oi two pieces of 
wood. 

NeidnaiL To fasten by clenched nails. 

Neigre, A term of reproach, borrowed from Fr. negrcy 
a negro. 

Neirs. The kidneys. 

Nei8, Nes, The nose. 

Neist Niest Neyst, Next; nighest. 

Neive. Neif. The fist 

Neivefu\ A handful. 

Neiffer, Niffer, Nieffer, To barter; properly, to ex- 
change what is held in one fist, for what is held in 
another. 



GLOSSARY. 203 



Nephoy. Nevoy, Nephew. Agrandnson; a great*gnukd- 

son ; posterity though remote ; a brother's or sister's 

son. 
Ner. Nere. Near. — Nerehand, Nearly. 
Nersichtet Short-sighted. 
Nes, A promontory. 
Neth, Below. 
Nethehs. Nevertheless. 
NmchddL With calf. 
NeuchaL A cow newly calved. 
NeveU, To strike with the fist; a blow with the fist. 
Newlingis. Newly. 
Nyaff. To yelp ; to bark. Applied to the pert chat of a 

saacy child, or diminutive person. 
Nicher, Neigher, To neigh; to laugh in a ridiculous 

manner. 
NychtydL Drew to night; benighted. 
Mckstick, A tally. 
Nicket Notched. 
Nicknack, A gim-crack. 
Nicneven. Mother-witch. 
Niddle, To trifle with the fingers. 
Niffnaffs, Small articles of little value. 
Nignayes, Nignyes, Gim-cracks. 
Nip. Nip up, Nip awa. To carry off cleverly by theft, 
Nippit Niggardly. J 

NirL A crumb. — NirledL Stunted. Applied to trees. 
Nirles, A species of measles. 
Nisbit, The iron that passes across the nose of a horsey 

and joins the branks together. 
Nyte, Nnoit. To strike smartly. 
Nither, Nidder. Nether. 
Niz, Nose. 



204 GLOSSARY. 



Nodge, To strike with the knuckles. 

N<M. Nawt. Black cattle. 

Nor. Than. 

Nories. Whims. 

Narlan, Narlin. Belongring^ to the north. 

Notour. Nottour. Notorious. 

Nouvelles. News. 

Noy. To annoy. 

Nule4meed. Knock-kneed. 

Nuse. To knead. 

Oam. Steam, vapour. 
Objusque. To darken. 
Observe. A remark. 
Odoure. Nastiness. 
Oe. O. Oye. A grandson. 
Overcome. The overplus. 
Oil^f-Hcuel. A sound drubbing. 
Oylrdolie. Oil of olives. 
Olye. Ulye. OH 
Ofdie^ig. (Ml vessel 
Olite. Olight. Nimble; active. 
Omast. Uppermost. 

Omne^atherum. A miscellaneous cpllection; a medley. 
Oncome. A fall of rain or snow. 

Onding. A fall of rain or snow, but especially the latter. 
Ony. Any. 

On-waiter. One who waits patiently. 
Oo. WooL — Aw at oo. All to the same purpose. 
Oon. Une. An oven. 

Oop, Oup, Wup. To bind with a thread ox cord. 
Oorie, Ourie, Otorie. Chill; bleak; having the sen- 
sation of cold ; tendency to shivering. 



GLOSSARY. 205 



Or^ Before; ere. 

Or, Lest. 

Ord, A steep hill or mountaiii. 

Ore, Grace; feyour. 

Or lege. A dock; a diaL 

Orlang, A complete year. 

Omtren, The repast taken between dinner and sapper. 

Orp, To fret; to chide habitually. 

OrpU, Proud; fretfuL 

Ora, Orraw. Not matched; what may be yiewed as 

an overplus; not eagaged. 
Orrows. Things that are supernumerary. 
Ort, To throw aside provender. 
Osnaburghs, Coarse linen doth manufactured in Angus, 
from its resemblance to that which is manufactured at 
Osnabui^h in Germany. 

Ostler. An innkeeper. 

Ostre, An inn. 

Othirane, Either. 

Ouer, Ouir Ovir, Upper; over. 

Ouerhede, Without distinction; in the gross. 

Ouermest, The highest 

Ouer-raucht, Overtook. 

Owreman, Oversman, A supreme ruler. 

Ougsum, Horrible. 

Oure, Owre, Over; beyond. 

Ourcame. Overplus. 

Ourgae, Owrgang, To overrun; to master. 

Ourloup. An occasional trespass of cattie. 

Ourtane. 0?ertaken. 

Ourthart, Athort, Athwart. 

Ourward, Any word frequently repeated. 

Otuen, Owsen, Oxen. 



206 GLOSSARY. 



Outing. A vent for eommodities. 

Out-abomL Oat of doors. 

Om^^. AlNH>ad; withoat. 

Out-breaking. An emption on the skin. 

Outcast A quarreL 

Outcome. Egress; product. 

Outfield. Arable land, which is not manured, but con- 
stantly cropped. 

Outgait. Outgate. A way for egress. 

Outhame. A horn blown for summoning the lieges to 
attend the king. % 

Outhouse. An office-house. 

Out-iaik. Out-lack. The superabundant quantity in 
weight aqd measure. 

Out. To issue. 

Outler, Not housed ; a beast that lies without 

Out-the^ait. Honest; one who keeps the straight road. 

Out-cur. Out-ower. Over; out from any pkce. 

Outshot. A projection. 

Outspoken. Given to freedom of speech. 

Outwaile. Outwyh. Refuse. 

Outwith, Abroad; outwards. 

OwUy. Weekly. 

Owt. Exterior. 

Oxter. Armpit. 

PaaV. Paale. A post 
Pab. Pab-tow. The refuse of flax. 
Pack, Intimate. 

Packhouse, A warehouse for receiving goods. 
Paddock-hair. The down that covers unfledged birds* 
Paddock-rude. Paddockrgender, The spawn tf frogs; 
also, Paddockrride. Ramsay. 



QLOSfiARY. 201 

Paddoch^ipes. Marsh hon«-ta»l. 

Paddock-stool. The Agorieua in g«neraL 

Pade. A toad; t^parentlf a bvg. Wyatowa, 

Paffte. A amall poasession of land. 

Pay. SotiBlikCtion; drubbing! 

Paih. Paak. To beat; danihbing, 

Paihie. A piece of double skin used for defending . the 

thigha trom the Ktroke of the jiauchterspad£, by those 

who caat divots or turfs. 
Paiher. Cakay-paiAer, A atpeet-waikar. 
Paikit-like. Having the appearaace of ft truU. 
Pailiii. Failing. A feaoe made of stakes. 
Paiachea. Tripe. 

Paip, Thistledotni; alaoBcbeny-atoue; theBeedoflruit. 
Pais. Pose. To poise ; retribution. 
Pae. PiiBch. Eaater. 
Pat/n-egijs. Eggs dyed Tarious colours, given to childrea 

to amuae themselves with at the time of Eaater. 
Paiatier. Idle talk. 
Pale. An inBtnuuent used for tiding tlie qaalily of cheese, 

ham, butter, he. 
Palyard. A leFher; a rascal. 
Pallall. A game of children. 
Pullet. A bull; a sliEfpp'x skin not dresBed. 
Pandoor, A la^ ojatcr caught at the doors of salt-pana. 
Pang. To throng ; to cram in general 
Paug. The timbers of a house, o:[tendiiig between the 

couples, puallel to the walls ; laths ; shingles. 
Panst, Covering for the knee. 
Pap^ay. Papingag. Papingoe. A parrot; a wooden 

bird which archers iu the West shoot at, as a mark. 
Papple. To bubble up like wat^ r; the effect of heat on 

any fat substance routed. 



Pop of the Hats:. The utuU. 

Paregale. Pariffal, Completely equal. 

Park. To perch; a wood, as Fir Park, 

Parle. Speech. 

Parpane. Perpen. A wall in general, or a partitioD>4 

Parian. Common sea crab. 

Partrik. Pairtrkk. A partridge. 

Posh. The head ; a ludiuroos term. 

Pat. Put. 

Path. Peih. A ateep narrow way. — Pathit. PavodJU 

Patrell. Defence for the neck of a war-horse. 

Patron. A pattern. 

Pattle. Pilule. A atiok or small spade, with which i 

ploughman clears away the earth that adheres to the 

plough ; also a plougph-spade 
Pauchtie. Haughty. 

Pavie. Pau>. Lively motion ; fantaitio air. 
Pauls. Pavix. A large shield used in sieges. 
Pau^. Pawig/. Sly; artfoL— PoipAj Pale. Sly P«| 
Paul. To paw ; a stroke with the forefoot. 
Pawn. Pawn of a bed. A llarron' curtain fixed t 

roof, or lower part of a bed. 
Pawmer. One who goes Irom place to place, i 

shabby appearance. 
Paiomie. A stroke on the hand with the ferula. 
Pearie. A pegtop, resembling a pear. 



Pearlin. Pearling. 



<s of thread lace. 



PealiloTK. The comer stone at the top of the wall of m 

house. 
Pech. Peath. To puff; to pant; to breathe hard. 
Peel. A place of strength. 

Peelie. Thin; meagre^, — Peclie-wallie. Thin; sickly,^ 
Peer. To equal; match. 



GLOSSARY. 209 



Peerie, SmalL — Peeriewirrie, Very small. 

Peesweip. Peeweip. A lapwing. 

Peff. To go off; a stroke. 

PeUour, Peilour, A thief. 

Peltfy. Paltrie, Vile trash. 

Pench, Penche. BeUy-penches, Common name for tripe. 

Pend, An arch. 

Pendice of a buckle. That which receives the one latchet, 

before the shoe is tightened by the other. — Tongue 

and pendice of a buckle. 
Pendicle. A small piece of ground ; an inferior tenant. 
Penmy-wedding. Pemny-brydaL A wedding at which the 

gaest contributes money for his entertainment. 
Peimy-dog. A dog that constantly follows his master. 
Penny'-maill. Rent paid in money; a small sum paid as 

acknowledgment of superiority. 
Penny-'Stane. A flat stone used as a quoit. 
Permywheep. Small beer. 
Pennon. A small banner. 

Pensy. Penaie. Spruce; self-conceited in appearance. 
PenUand. The middle part of Scotland. 
Penty. To fillip; a fiJlip. 
Peep. Pepe. The chirp of a bird. 
Perde. Verily. 
Perdews. The forlorn hope. 
Perfite. Perfect 
Perjink. Precise. 
Perlie. The little finger. 
Permuated. Scented. 
Pemiekitie. Precise in trifles. 
Pershittie. Precise; prim. 
Pet. Pettle. To fondle ; to treat as a pet 
Pyat. Pyot. The magpie. 

O 



210 GLOSSARX. ^^1 

Pfbroch. A Hi^Iand air, suited to the partivulnr pas^on 

which the musician would either excite or assuage; 

generallf applied to martial mnuv. 
PitAie. The weakest kind of table beer; the smallegt 

candle that is mode 
Pinner. A female head-dress, having lappets pinued to ' 

the temples reaching down to the breaat, and fastened 

Pipes. To time on^spiptt. To cry. 

Pirlieiiig. Pitmcr-pig. A small circular earthen veeael, 
which has no opeuing tane at the top, oo larger than 
Ut reoeiTe a haUpennj ; naed by children for keei[nitg 
their money. 

PiTo. A quill, or reed; yam wonnd on a reed for n 
weaver's shuttle; ^so, the pirn of a spinninf-wlujel ; 
pirn of a fishing rod. 

Pimie. Having unequal threads of different oolonrs. •i--.<i^ 

Pirr. A gentle breeze. ■ J^^ 

Pirzie. Conceited. -^Wt 

Pit and gallowa. A privilc^ conferred on a baron, Moaf^ * 
ding to old laws, having on hie ground a pit for drown- 
ing women, and a gallows for hanging men, convicted 
of theft Bellenden. 

Place. The mansion-house on an estate ; a castle. 

Placeboe. A parasite. 

Plack. Plak. A billon coin ; copper coin formerly tx 
equal to the third-part of an English penny. 

Placklesl. Moneyless. 

Plaid. An outer loose weed, worn hy Highlander! 

Plaiden. Plaiding. Coarse woollen doth, twaeled. ' 

Plaimtaaee. The pavement. 

Plaint. To oomplain, 

Playotaii. Plaj^airs. Toys; play-things. 



GLOSSARY. 211 



Plane4ree. The maple. 

Plash, To make a noise by da8hi]ig> water; to splash; 

also, a heayy fall of rain. 
Plat. Plet. To plait; flat; level; a pkn; a dash. 
Plede. PUid. Pleyd. Debate. 
Pledge. To invite to drink, by promising to take the cup 

after another. 
Plen^s. PUnish. To famish a house; to stock a farm. 
Pleach, Pleugh. A plough. 
PleughrgcUe, Plenghrgang, As much land as can be 

properiy tilled with one plough. 
Pleuch4me8, The iron instruments belonging to a plough. 
Pliahf, A trick, properly of a mischievous kind. 
Ploy. A hannless fi^lic' * 
Plot. To scald. 
Plotcoch. The devil. 
Plout A heavy shower of rain. 
Plauter, To make a noise among water ; engaged at wet 

dirty work. 
Phiffy. Flabby; chubby. 
Pluke. Plouk. A pimple. 
Phtme^boMs. A damasosBe phunb. 
Plump. A heavy shower. • 
Phaik. Tc plump ; to |day the truant. 
Pockr<irrs. Marks left by the small-pox. 
Pockmanteau. Literally, a doakbag* . 
Pockshakings. The youngest child <^ a fiunily. 
Podle. A tadpole. 
Poind. Poynd. To distrain. 
PoUie-coch, Pounie^odL Bubbly Jock, A turkey. 
Poortith. Poverty. 
Por, A thrust with a sword. 
Porridge. Hasty-pudding. 



812 GLOSSARY. 



PorUyoul, To sing port-youl. To cry. 

Portioner, One who possesses part of a property whidi 
has heen originally divided among' co-heirs. 

Pose, A secret hoard of money. 

Poss, Pouss, To push. — Pouss one's fortune. To posh 
one's fortune. 

Pot To stew in a pot; moss, hole from whence peats 
have heen dug. 

Pottingar. An apothecaiy. 

Pourin, A small quantity of any liquid. ' 

Pout Pouter, To poke; to stir with a long instrument. 

Pouzle, To trifle. 

Pow, The head; a slow-moving rivulet^ in flat lands. 

Powsowdte, Sheep's-head hroth ; milk and meal boiled 
together. 

Prctp, A mark. — To prop. To set up as a mark. 

Prat, Pratt, A trick. 

Prin, Prene, A pin made of wire. 

PrevfHiod, A pin-cushion. 

Prent, To print ; print. 

Pretty, SmalL 

Prick, A wooden skewer seeming the end of a gut con- 
taining a pudding; to fasten by a wooden skewer. 

Prickmedainty, One who is finioJ in dress or carriage. 

Pridefow. Proud. 

Prig, To haggle; to importune. 

Primsie. Demure; precise. 

Prinkie. To thriU ; to tingle. 

Prints, Newspapers. 

Prize up. To force open a lock. 

Prog, Progue, A sharp point. 

Propyne, Propine, A present; to present a cup to 
another. 



GLOSSARY. 213 



Propone. To propose. 

Provost The mayor of a royal burg^h. 

Prunyie, To trim. 

Ptarmigan. White game. 

PMiC'house, Animi; a tayem. 

Pud, A fondling designation for a child. 

PuddiU, A pedlar's pack or wallet. 

PuddingfiUar, A glutton. 

Pug, Apnll;topulL 

PuMer, Powder; dust 

PuUisee. Pullishee, A pulley. 

Pultring. Rutting. — Poultre, A horse-colt. 

Pump, To break wind softly behind. 

Punch. To jog with the elbow. 

Pundie, A small tin mug for heating liquids, originally 

containing a pound weight of water. 
Puir, Poor. 
Purjied, Short-winded. 
Purl. Dung of sheep or horses. 

Purpose4ike, Apparently well qualified for any businefljk 
Pursy, Short-breathed and Ifat 
PurS'pyK A pickpocket. 
Put, To push with the head or horns. 
Put, Putt, A thrust; a push; to throw a heavy stone 

above-hand. 

Quaich, Quegh, A small shallow drinking^nip with 

two ears. 
Quaking ash. The asp or aspen. 
Q^at, To quit. 
Queet, The ancle. Aberd. 
Quey, A cow of two years old ; the female calf. 
Queyn, Quean, A young woman. 



214 GLOSaARY. 



Queme, To fit exactly. 

Quent. Familiar; acquainted. 

Quhayng, Whang, A thong. 

Quhtmg. Whang, To flog; to cut in lai^ slices. 

Quhaup, Quhaap, A corl^jr; a pod in the earliest state. 

Quhene, Wheen, A small quantify. 

Quhemele, Whommd, To torn upside down. 

Q^hew. To whiz ; to whistle. 

Quhid, Whud. To whisk; to move nimbly; a lie. 

Quhig, Whig. The sour part of cream, that separates 

from the rest. 
Quhiies. At times. 
Quhtlk, Which; who. 
QuhiU. Until 

Quhirr, The sound of an object moTing, (sounded whurr,y 
Quhyte, Wheat. To cut with a kuife. 
Quicken. Couch-grass. 
Quod. Quoth; said. 

jRabil, A disorderly train. 

Rack. A frame fixed to the wall for holding plates. 

Jtackel. Hackle. Rash; fearless. 

Racket. A dress frock fbr a child; a smart stroke. 

Rackmereesle. Higg^edy-}»ggeldy. Fife. Perth. 

Rackstick. A stick used for twisting ropes. 

Rad, Counsel. 

Raid. An inyasion;' an attack by violence. 

Roe. A roe. 

Ray. To rally ; to reproach. 

Ragmasis roWy or roU. A collection of those deeds l^y 
which the nobility and gentry of Scotland were con* 
strained to subscribe allq^^ce to Edward L of Bng* 
land, 1296. 



GL08&ABY. 215 



Ragweed, Ra^ort. 

Ray, Ree. Bfad; wild^ tipsy. 

Rath. Re^k, Rake. Extent of a oonrae or walk. Hence, 

sheqf-raiky catil&^mk. 
Rati, RaJu Rack, Care; reckoning. 
RaUL To jest 
Raing, To rank up. 
Raip, Rape, A rope. 
Rair. A roar. 
Raise, Raize, To excite. 
Raith, Reath, The fourth-part of a year. 
Raith, Sudden; (juickly. 
R(Mk. RawK Rook, A thick mist or fog. • 
Rack, A shock; a blow. 
Rake, Wreck. 
Rakket, Uncertain. 
Ramagiechan, A krge raw4M>ned person, speakiug^ and 

acting heedlessly. ^ 
Rumfeezled. Fatigued; exhausted. 
Rumgunshoch, Rugged. Kelly. 
Rommel, Branchy; mixed grain. 
Rammer, A ramrod. 
Ramp, To be rompish; riotous. 
Rampage, To prance about with lory. 
Ram-rais, Ram-race, The race a person takes befora 

making a leap. 
Ramsh. Harsh to the taste ; strong; robust 
RamfeianL. Forward; thoughtless. 
Ranee, To prop with a stake; to fasten the door with a 

stake. 
Randy. Scolding; quarrelsome^— JBonci^Je-d^^l^vir. One 

who exacts alms by threatttnng* 
Rane. To cry the same thing oyer and oyer. 



216 GLOSSARY. 



Raing, A row ; a rank. 

BaiUle-tree. Bandle-tree. The beam that reaches acrosB 
the chimney on which the crook is suspended. 

Rap, A cheat — In a rap. Immediately; quick. 

Raplacfu Coarse woollen doth, homespun, and not dyed. 

Rapple, To do work in a hurried and imperfect manner. 

Rare, Rair, To roar; a roar. 

Rasps. Raspberries. 

Rat, Rati, To scratch ; a cart>>rut; also wart. 

RatdescuU, One who talks much without thinking. 

Ration, A rat. 

Rauchan, A plaid worn by men ; any thing gray. 

Raucht, Reached. 

Rave. To take by violence. 

Ravelled, A raveUed hesp, A troublesome or intricate 
business. 

Raude. Rash. 

Raun. Ravm. Roe of fish. 

Rauns, The beard of barley. 

Raw. Damp and chill ; a row; a rank. 

Rax, To extend the limbs; to stretch. 

Readily, Probably. 

Ream, Reyme. To cream ; cream. 

Rebaldale. The rabble. 

Rebcdd. A low worthless fellow ; vulgar. 

Recountir. To encounter. 

Red. Rede, To counsel. 

Red. To disentangle. — Reder. One who endeavours to 
settle a dispute. 

Redd, Clearance ; to put in order. 

Reddmg-stroke. A stroke one often receives in endeavour- 
ing to separate two fighting. 

Redcap. A name given by the vulgar to a domestic spirit. 



aLOSSARY. 217 



Med land. Ground turned by the plough. 

Jtee, Half drunk ; a small riddle. 

Beefart. Bij/fart, A radish. 

jReekim. A smart stroke. 

jReeUrcdL Topsy-turvy. 

Reel^ee, ReveUtree. The piece of wood which the 

ox's stake is fixed to. 
Heenn, A reesinjire. A fire that bums welL 
Reid, Rede, The fourth stomach of a calf, used for runnet 
Reid^wocL Redrwod, In a violent rage. 
Reif, Refe, An eruption on the skin. 
Reaver, A robber. 

Reik, To reach; to dress out; also to smoke. 
Reird, Rerde, To make a loud noise; to break wind. 
Reissil. To make a loud clattering noise; a blow; to 

beat soundly. 
Reist To dry by heat; to become restive. 
Rendal. Retinal, Rtav-dale, A division of land equivalent 

to runFTtg, 
Renye, A rein. 
Renk, Rynk, Rink, A course; a course in the diversion 

of curling. 
Resett. To harbour; to receive stolen goods. 
Resp. Risp. To make a noise like that of a file. 
Reatyn, To rest 
Restinff-chair, A long arm chair like a settee, used in 

fiurm houses. Perth. 
Renk. Atmosphere. 
Rew. To repent 
Beuih, Cause for repentance. 
Riach. Dun; brindled. 
Rib, To rib land, To give it half a ploughing. 
Ribband. St. Jobnitan^s Ribband. A halter. 



218 GLOSSARY. 



Rice, twigs; branches. 

Mich. To become rich. .. 

Richt, To put to rights. 

Richie* A heap of stoDes. — A rickle qf hones. A .th: 
person. 

Riff-raff. The rabble. 

Rift. To belch. 

Rig. A frolic ; a tumult 

Rig. Rigg. RygeiL The back. 

Riglan. An animal half castrated. 

Rigwiddie. The rope or chain that supports the cart c 
the horse's back. 

Rin. To nm. 

Rind. Rynde. To dissolve any &t substance. 

Ring. To reign ; a circular fort 

Ringle-ee*d. Wall eyed. 

Rink. Rynk. A strong man. 

Rmo. Ready money. 

Rip. Ripp. A handful of com on the straw. 

Rip. Any thing base or useless; a cheat 

Ripe. Rype. To search. 

Rippet. Rippat. The noise of great mirth. 

Ripple. To separate the seed of flax from the stalks. 

Ripplvng4uxme. A flax comb. 

Rigp. To rub with a file. 

Ritmaster. A captain of horse. 

Rive. A rent or tear. 

Rizzer-berries. Rizards. Currants. 

Rocking. A friendly visit, on which neighbours ^^m^ 
during the moonlight of winter or spring, and gwma 
the night alternately in one anotherfs houses. Sim- 
posed to have its name frt>m the girls bringing thflir 
rocks or distaffs with them. Ayrshire. 



GLOSSARY. 219 



Rochlay. Rohely, A short doak. 

Moden^ree. The mountain ash. — Roun4ree% 

Royet. Moyit Wild; romping; given to sport 

Hoip. To sell by auction. 

Moist. A roost. 

RoUochin, Lively; free spoken. — Mallack, Taromp. 

Mame^akaris, Those who pretend to bring relics from 

Rome. - • 

Bone. Sheep's-skin dressed so as to appear likb goafs- 
skin. 
Rone. A spout for carrying water £rom the roof. 
Roof-tree. The beam which forms the angle of the roof. 
Rook. A sort of uproar. 
Roose. To extoL 
Roos&fish. To throw a large quantity of salt among 

fishy allowing them to lie in that state for some time» 

before salting. 
Roost. The inner roof of a cottage, composed of spars 

reaching from one wall to the other, where the hens 

roost 
Roove. Ruve. Torivet; to dinoh. 
Ropeen. A hoarse cry. 
Rose. The erjrsipelas, a disease. 
Roset. Rosin. 
RosigneU. A nightingale. 
Rotcoll. Horse-raddish. 
Rote. An instrument; hurdygurdy. 
RoucK Rough, Hoarse; plentiful; immoral conduot 
Roudes. Haggard; an old, wrinkled, ill-natured woman. 
Rove. To be in delirium ; to card wool iato flakes^ and 

roUit 
Round, Abundant 
Roung, A cudgel 



220 GLOSSARY. 



Roup, Hoarseness ; the disease of croup. 

jRousty. Rusty. 

Rowt, The act of beUowin^. 

Mouth, Mowth, Plenty. 

Bauthless. Profiine. Fife. 

Bow. To roll. 

Bawitn, A flake of wool 

Baumie, To roam; to clear; space; large. 

Bttde. 8trong; stout. 

Rtule, Spawn; the cross. 

Buff. To roll a drum. 

Buffy, A wick clogged with tallow. 

Bug, To pull roughly. 

Bullion, A shoe made of untanned leather; a coan 

made masculine woman. Fife. 
Bum, An excellent fellow :— cant. 
Bumblegarie. Disorderly. 
BummUgumtion, Common sense. 
Bumil, Bumle, To make a noise. 
Bumple, Bumpin, The rump. 
Bunches. Wild mustard. 
Bung, Any long piece of wood. 
Bunkle, To crease; to crumple; wrinkle. 
Bunt, An old cow. 
Bushie, A hroil. Fife. 

Sad, Grave; heavy; to become solid; to make sad. 

Sapiens, Since, or so. 

Soft, Soft; pleasant; to mollify. 

SaUdess, Ouiltless. 

Sain. To bless. 

Saip, Soap. 

Sair, Painful; a sore; a wound. 



GLOSSARY. 221 



Sairly, Sorely. 

ScJte. Blame; guilt. 

Saelike, Similar; of the same kind. 

Salerife. Saleable. 

Samin, The same. 

SanMhruL Having a weakness of sight, which often 

accompanies a fair person. 
Sang, Song. 

Sanguane, Having the colour of blood. 
Sans, Without. 

Sap, Any kind of liquid taken for aliment. 
Sar, To vex ; to galL 
Sare, A sore ; to savour. 
Saty» Sairy, Sorrowful; wretched; poor. 
Sark, A shirt 

Sarking, Cloth designed for shirts. 
Sauch, Sough, The willow. 
Saucht, Tranquility; peace; ease; reconciled. 
Saul, The souL 
Saut, Salt 

Saw, Sawe, A proverb; a saying; to sow. 
Sau^, Sour, Sare, To savour; smelL 
Sax, Six. — Saxtie, Sixty. 
Scad, Any colour seen by reflection. 
Scadlips, Thin broth. 
Scaff, Food of any kind. 
Scalp, Scawp, Land of which the soil is thin ; a bed 

of oysters or muscles. 
Scam, To scorch. 
Scamp, A cheat; a swindler. 
Seance, Skance, To reflect on; a cursory calculation; 

a rapid sketch in conversation. 
Scant, Scarcity. 



224 GLOSSARY. 



Seethe, To be nearly boiling. 

Seg, Segg, The yellovr flower-de-luce. 

Seg, A bullseg. An ox that has been gelded at fall i^. 

Set/, To assay. 

Sei/. To strain liquid. 

Seibow. A young onion. 

SeiL To stain. 

Seindle. SeyndUl, SmcUe, Seldom; rare. 

Seker, Sicker. Firm. 

Self. Self. Same. 

Semblant. Appearance; show. 

Sen. Since. 

Sensyne. Since that time. 

Serum. A sinew. 

Serd. Served. Vide Sair. 

Servite. Servyte. A table napkin. 

Set To lease; to lay snares; to become, as to dress. 

Seuch. Sewch. A furrow; to diyide. 

Shable. Shabble. A crooked sword; an old rusty sword. 

Shock. To distort from the proper shape. 

Shackle-bane. The wrist 

Shaft. A handle. 

Shak afa\ To wrestle; the pit sunk for reaching ooals. 

Shangie. To inclose in a deft stick ; also a shacUe that 

runs 01^ a stake, to. which a cow is bound in the byre. 
Sham. Sheam. The dung of oxen or cows. 
Sheamey-peat, or daw. A cake of cow's dung mixed 

with coal-dross. 
Shave. Sheeve. A slice. 
Shaver. A wag. 
Shaup. The husk. 

Shows. The foliage of esculent plants. 
Sheal. To put sheep under cov^r. 



GLOSSARY. 225 



Sheal, Sheiling. A hut, or residence for those who 
have the care of sheep. 

Shear. To cut down com with a sickle. 

Shellycoat, A spirit, supposed to reside in the wators. . 

Sheltie, A horse of the smallest size. 

Sheuch, To lay plants in the earth before they are plant- 
ed out 

Shevel. To distort 

Shilfcom, SeUthom, A thing which breeds in the skin, 
resembling a smaU maggot. 

Shilling. Shillen. Grain that has been freed of the husk. 

Shilpie. Shilpit. Insipid; applied to fermented liquors. 

Shinty. An inferior species of golf. 

Shinty. A dub stick used in playing the game. 

Shit. A contemptuous designation for a child. 

Shoes. The rind of flax. 

Shoot. To push off. 

Shot. A stroke or move in play. 

Shot-bled. The blade from which the ear afterwards issues. 

ShottU. Short and thick ; a drawer; a box in a chest 

Showl. To showl amis mouth. To distort the fooe. 

Shuchen. Mill-dues. 

Shue. To play at 9ee-ww. 

Shuggie^hue. A swing. 

Sib. Related by blood. 

Sic. Such« 

Sicken, Such kind of. 

Siclike. Of the same kind; in the tame manner. 

JSlgcht. Sight 

Sicht. Sight. To inspect 

Sicker. Secure; firm. 

Side. Syde. Hanging low. 

Sidelim. Side by side. 

P 



826 GLOSSARY. 



Sikinff. Sigfaing. 

Sile. Syh. To strain; to blindfeid. 

SiUer, Silver. 

SiUy, Lean; weak from disease; timid. 

SympilL SempiU. Lowborn; mean; Tulgar. 

JSHmL Synd. To wash sligbdy. 

Sinder. To sunder; to part; to separate. 

Syne, Afterwards. 

iS^iii^. To single. 

Singwreen. The last night of the year. Fife. 

Single* A bandfol of gleaned com« 

Synle, Seldom. 

Sinsyne. Since. 

Sipe, Seip. To ooze. 

Sirple. To sip often. 

SUt, To stop; a suspension of diligence; to cite; to sum 

mon. 
Siver, Syver, A covered drain. 
Shaicher, A term of gentle reprehension applied to i 

(Md. 
SkaiL Skah, To disperse; to dismiss; to spilL 
Skaillie, Blue slate. 
Skaith, Hurt; damage; injury supposed to proceed fron 

witchcraft. 
Skaivie. Ebur-brained. 
Skamble, SkamylL A bench; shambles. 
Skant, Scant. Scarcity. 
Skar, Share* To take fright. 
Skaude* To scald. 
Skaum, The act of singeing doUies. 
Sheeg* To lash. 
Sheely, Skilful 
Sketch, Skeigh, Apt to startle. 



QLOSSART. 98/7 



S^ej^. To more nimbly m walkiagf. 

Sheitcher, A scaler. 

Skelb, A splinter. 

Shelf. A shelf. 

SkeUie, To squint; a squint look. 

Skelp. A stroke ; to strike with th* open hand. 

Skeu, Skew, llie oblique part «f a gable. 

Skiff. To cause a flat stone to skip on the sur^Me of 

water. 
Skift. A flying shower. 
Skiny. Packthread. 
S^/nk, To pour out liquor for drinking. 
Skinkle. To sparkle. 
Skipper. A shipmaster. 
S^^rim, Shining. 
SkirL To cry with a shrill' Toice. 
Skite. Skyte. To eject any liquid forcibly. 
*Skl(mt. SkUmter. Cows' dung in a thin stale. Fife. 
Sklute. Large clumsy feet 

Skon. Scone. A thin cake of wheat or bariey mcaL 
Skonce. To guard. 
Skrae. A thin meagre person. 
Skraik, The screediing of fowb. 
Skran. A phrase used by children when they find any 

thing eatable. 
Skranfy. Lank; slender. 
Skrunfy, Meagre; raw4xmed. Fife. 
Skug. Scoug. A shade ; a shelter from storm. 
ShudL A shallow basket of a semidroolar form. 
SkuU. To beat 
Slabber. A slovenly feOow. 
Slack, Blow ; slow to make payment 
SUu. Bloe. 



{ 



228 GLOSSARY. 



Sloff. A portion of any soft sabstanoe lifted iq» from the 

rest 
Siaiger, To waddle in the mud. 
Slaik, Slake, To cany off and eat any thing dander 

tinely, especially sweetmeats. 
Slairg, Slairy. Slary, To bedaub. 
Slaister, To do any thing in a dirty awkward way. 
Shnk, To wade through a mire. 
Slake, A blow on the chops. Kelly. 
Sk^, A breach in a wall or hedge. 
Slash, To give a slabbering kiss. 
Skuhy, Applied to work that is both wet and diriy. 
Slaw, Slow. 
Sle. Sley, Sly. 
Sleek. Mire; slime; a measure of fruits, oontainii^ 

forty pounds. 
Sleekit, DeceitfuL 
Sknk, A piece of low craft. 
Slerg, To bedaub. 

Sleuth, The tract of man or beast, as known by the scent 
Sleuthrhund, Slough-dog, A blood-hound. 
Slidder. Slipperiness; unstable; yariable. 
Sliddery, Slippery; loose. 

^tjii. Slight; not sufficient; to do a thing carelessly. 
Sling, To walk with long steps. 
SUhk, Not fed; unfed veal in generaL 
Slinkie, Tall and slender ; lank. 
Slinkin, Deceitful. 
Slippery. Sleepeiy. Causing sleep; overpowered wilh 

sleep. 
Slogan. A war-cry, or gathering-word of a clan. 
Slokin, To quench, in regard to fire ; to allay thirst. 
Slong, Sloung. Slung. A sling. 



Slot. T 


^ 1 

^^mS^^^ 229 


D &Bten by a bolt; a sum of money ; uncertain. 


Sioller. 


Slouter. To pan time sluggiahly. i. 


Stounge. 


To go about in an indolent way. 1 




SloHpe. 


A Btnpid ailly feUow. |l 


Slubber. 


To swallow BO as to make a. noise with the 


throat 


, Sludda-g 


. Soft; flaccid. Fife. 


, Slump. 


Taken in the grom. 


Shuch. 


Sbuh. Pluhy ground i snow in a liquid state. 


Slule. Slovenly. 


Sma. S 


mail 


Smachn/. 


, Trash; a hodge-podge. 


Smad. • 


To stain; to discolour. 


Simickei 




able to th« palate ; a fondling tertn for a chUd. 


Smaik. 


A mean fellow; smalli puny. 


Smairie. 


To besmear. 


Smash. 


To shiver; to beat severely; to hew down in 


batUe 




Smatchet 




Smalters. 


Trifles ; to be btuUy engaged about trifles. 


Srneddum. The powder of ground raalt; Hpiritj mettle. 


Smeek. 


To smoke ; to dry by smoke ; smoke. 


Smiddy. 


A smith's shop. 


Smikktr. 


To sinile in a sednoing manner. 


Smiriiin. 


SmeeriAin. A hearty kiss. Fife. 


Smirhle. 




Smil. To stain; to infect— 5>»i*rt/e. Infoctioui. 


Smj/lrie. 




Smore. 


Smart. Smoir. To smother with smoke; to 


choke 


} to suffocate. 


STntmlter. 






T*ta& 



AedL Smeg, To est widkm 

itiiwl; ifao^lkeklck^m 
HmtdirdrwKtr, One, who from loap 



Cfft 



hjM 



^SwdL To pnm«; to lop off; to 

JShe^. Tbo act of inhaktioii St tlw 

9mee$hin, 8011C 

iftieflL Koen; aeute; inwJafioato 

^Eni&. To fiMton witii a nail boh. 

Smjfie. To be slow ia modon or aotioD. 

Snifter, To fmiff; atoppago of the noatrib; a aerere Uast 

Snippy. Tart in qMocb. 

Snippit. Applied to a hone with a white Ihoe; abo, a 

•nub note. 
Snite, To muff; applied to a eandle. 



GLOSSARY^ 2S1 

Snod. Neat; trim; lopped; pnmed; to prime. 

iSnoit. Mnciu from the nose. 

Snoke* Snook Snowk, To smeU at olijeats like a iog; 

pryiag^ into every comer. 
Snood, A short hair line, to which a fialiiDgphook is tied. 
Snood. Stmde, A illet with which the haiv of a youngs 

woman's head is hqnnd np. . 
SnooL To subjn^fate by I^TaBmcal means; to aubmit 

tamely. 
Snoove. To more smoothly and constantly. 
Snotter. Snot at a child's nose. .• 
SnurL To eontzaot lika hard twisted yvra. 
Sob^. Sobyr, Poor; mean; an iU state of health. 
Sober, To compose ; to keq^ nnder. 
Soc Sock, Sok, The right of a baron to hold a Dooirt 

within his own domains. 
Socher, To make mnoh of one's self; to liye delicately. 
Sock, Sok, A plough-iron. 
Sodds, Soddis, A sort of saddle need by the lower clnssei^ 

made of doth stnflfed. 
Sudroun, Sothroun, Englishmen; the English language, 

as distinguished from the Scottish. 
Soitk. Truth. 
Soland^oose, The gannet 
Sonsy. Having a pleasant leek; plnsip; thriTing. 
Sooch, To swill; a copious draogfai. .. 
Sooth, True. 
Som, Some, To obtrude one's jMlf on another for a bed 

and board; to lodge forcibly. 

Somer, One who takes free ^partsra. 

Sorrow, A term unwarrantably used in imprecations, 

equivalent to plague, pox, — Sorrom tak you. 
Son, To mix in a atnage naaner ; a mixtnue. 



2S8 6LOS8AET. 



I 



Sotier. To boil tlowly. 

Sauch. Soogh, Swouch, To emit a nuhing sound; i 

breathe lonf, as in sleep; silent;. also, to oon OTeratw 
Souks. Soukies, The flower of red or white doTer. 
SauU. A BwireL 
Smmu The rdatiTe portion of catde or she^ to pastor 

— A soum of sheep. Five sheep; in some plaoes ten^ 

8oum and romiu Ptatove in sonuner, and fodder i 

winter. 
Soop, Soup, To sweep; the quantity of spoon-mei 

taken into the month at once* 
Souple, The part of a flail that strikes the grain. 
Sour'kit A dish of eoag^nlated cream. 
Sourock, Sourack, SorreL 
Soustfeet, Cow*heeL 
Soutar, Souter, A shoemaker. 
Sow, To stack. — May sow. Hay erected in an oblong 

fonn. 
Sow, To smart; to feel a tingling pain. 
Sowens. A paste used by wearers for stiffening the yam 

in working. 
Sowme, To swim. 
Sowme, Soyme, The rope or chain that passes between 

the horseSy by which the plough is drawn. 
Space, To measure by paces. 
S^Hie. Spay. To foreteL 
Sjpaywife, A female fortuneteller. 
Spaik, Spake, The spoke of awheel 
Spain, Spane, Sean, To wean. 
S^Htining-braslL A disorder in children, in conseqnenoe 

of being weaned. 
Spent, Sjpate, A flood. 
SpawL The shoulder. — Black spauUL A disease of cattle. 



GLOSSARY. 233 



S^fole, ^ SpaU, SpeaL A chip ; a shaving of wood. 

Spang, The act of springing. 

iSjfMuiiL To move with quickness and actiyitj. 

Spare. Opening of a gown or petticoat. 

Spare, The slit formerly used in the fore part of breeches. 

Spark, To soil, by throwing up small spots of dirt or mire. 

Sjparlmff. A smelt 

Spartle, To move with inconstancy. 

SpauL A limb. 

SpeciaUe, Peculiar regard. 

Spede, To speed. 

Slpeennirift, Snow drifted by a whiriing motion. 

Speice. Pride. 

SpeU, To climb. 

Speir, To ask. 

Speld, To expand. 

Speider, To spread open. 

SpeU, To tell; to narrate. 

SIpence, The place where provisions are kept; the in- 
terior apartment of a country house. 

Spere, To ask; to search out 

Spetit, Pierced. 

Spice, Appropriated to pepper. 

SpUgie, A tali meagre person; long and slender. 

SpiU, SpyU, To destroy. 

SpyndiU, Thin; slender. 

Spyndle, Spindle, Four hanks, or twenty-four cuts of 
yam. 

Spink, The maiden pink; denoting pinks in generaU 

JSjnnkie. A glass of ardent spirits; jFlfe.— Slender, at the 
same time active. 

Sjnniie, Lean; thin. 

^Sfptre. The stem of an earth«&tt couple, reaching from 



2S4 GLOSSART. 



the floor to the top of the wall, putly ioMrted] 
partly staodingp out of the wall; a wall betwec 
fire and the door witii a teat ea it^ alao oalb 
tpirewa. 

Sjpite, To proToke. Kelly. 

S^Mtter, A Teiy slight ihower. 

SpUndris, Splinters. 

Spleuchan» A tobacoo pondi. 

Split-new, That which has never been uaed or wor 

Sphre, A frolic. 

tS^fHmh. Spark. 

Sponsible. Admissible as a eorety. 

Spout. A boggy spring in ground. 

Shackle. To damber. 

Sprayng, Spraing, A long stripe ; variegated, 

Sprainged, Striped; streaked. 

SprecKled. Speckled. 

Spree, Innocent merriment; trim; apmce. 

Spreith. Spreth. Pirey; booty. 

Sprig, A thin nail widioat a head. 

Spring. A quick and cheerful tnae on a mnsical iai 
ment. 

SpringalcL A stripling. 

Sprit-new. Entirely new. 

Sprose, To make a great show. 

Sprush, Spruce. 

I^fmle. A weaver's shuttle. 

Spule-bane, Shoulder-bone. 

Spulye. To lay waste ; to cany off prey. 

Spung, A purse with a spring; a fob. 

Spung, To pick one's pocket 

Spunk, A spark of fire; a match; spirit 

Spunkie. Mettlesome; also, an igmsfiUmu. 



6L086ART. 285 



SjpttrtiU, SpirtU, A wooden or iron spatde, for taminf 

bread ; a stick with which pottage or tnreth is stared 

when boiling^. 
SquadL A party; a squadron. 
Squatter* To flutter in water like a wild duck. 
Stab» A stake. 

Stacker, Staucher, To stagger. 
Stackyard. An enclosure in which com and haj are erected. 
Stay. Stey, Steep. 
Staig. A horse of one, two, or three y^ars old, not yet 

broken, nor employed in woik. 
Staive, Staiver, To stagger; %o go about with an im- 

stable motion. 
StaJker, A huntsman. 
Stalwart* Braye; strong. 
Stammack, The stomach. 
Stammer, To stagger. 
StammereL Friable stone. 
Stamp, A trap. 
Stance, A station. 

S^and, Th^ gaol; a stall in a market; a barrel set on end. 
Stone, A stone. 
Stang, To sting; to thrill with acute paua; a long pole. 

Stang o* the trump. The best member of a iamily. 
Stangril, An instrument for pushing in the straw in 

thatching. 
Stank, A pool or pond ; the ditcih of a fortified town. 
StappiL A stopper. 
Stark, To strengthen. 
Stam, A star. 
Stathel. The prop or bottom of a stack of grain, to raise 

it from the ground. 
Stave, To thrust. 



286 GLOSSARY. 



StaumreL Half-witted. 

Stow, To Biufeit 

Stead. Steading, Fann house and offices. 

Stech, Stegh, To cram. 

Steek. To shut 

Steer. Stir. To meddle. 

Steeve. Firm ; referring to a baigain j tnutjm 

Steik. Steke. To pierce with a sharp instmiiiaiit; to 
stitch; to fasten. 

Steik. To shut dose. 

SteUbonet. A kind of helmet 

Steir. Stout; to govern. 

Stem. To staunch. 

Stend. A spring; to spring. 

Stent. To stretch ; valuation of property, in order to tax- 
ation. 

Stere. Steir. Commotion. 

Sterh. A young bullock. 

Sterling. A term used to denote English money. 

Steug. Stewg. A th<nii; any thing sharp pointed. 

Steuin, The voice; the prow ofadbip; also, judgment 

Stew, Stewe, Vapour; djiisL-^MiU-atew. The dust that 
flies about a milL 

Stibble. Stubble. 

Stickle. To rustle. 

Stick. To bungle. — Stick and stawe. Completdy. 

Stiff enm. Starch; linens stiffened by it 

Styk. A stitch. 

StUe. Style, A sparred gate. 

Stilt, To go on crutches; to halt; to cripple. 

StUt of a plougk. The handles of a plough. 

Styme, The faintest form of any object; to look as one 
whose vision is indistinct 



GLOSSARY. 237 



Stinff. A pole ; an instrument for thatching. 

Sting and ling. To carry off sting and ling. To carry off 

entirely; to carry with a long pole resting on the 

shoolders of two persons. 
Stinger. The mender of a thatched roof. 
Stirling. The starling. 
Stive. Firm. — Stivage. Stont; fit for work. 
Stob-feathers, The short unfledged feathers which remain 

on a fowl after being plucked. 
Stock. To become stiff; the hardened stem of a plants as 

a kail-stock. — Bed-stock. The forepart of a bed. 
Stock and ham. A musical instrument composed of a 

stock, which is the hinder part of the thigh-bone of a 

sheep; the horn of a cow, and an oaten reed;— also 

oailed & chanier-hom. 
Stock-home, A horn used anciently by foresters in Soot- 
land. 
Stockie, A piece of cheese, or a bit of fish, between two 

pieces of bread. Fife. 
Stoip. A measure. 

Stoit. Stot. Stoiter. To stagger; to stumble. 
Stohitn, As much ink as a pen takes up. 
Stoo, To crop. 

Stook, Stouk. Twelve sheayes of com put together. 
Stoop. Stoupe. A support; a post fiistened in the earth. 
Story. A softer term for a lie. 
Storm, ^now.'—r Storm-stead. Stopped in a journey by 

a storm. 
Stot. To rebound from the ground. 
Stove. To stew ; a vapour. 

Stound. To ache; an acute pain, affecting one at intervals. 
Stoup, A deep narrow vessel for holding liquids. 
Stoi^ and roup. Completely. 



{ 



288 GliOSSABT. 



SUmr. Stowr* Doit in motion; baittle. 

Stowrie, Dostj. 

8tou$9ie. A fltrong healthy child. 

Stauih. Theft; stealth. 

Stouthrie, Proyision; famitore. Fiiik. « 

Stamns, The tender shoots of ooleirort, or anj odMr 

vegetable. 
Stown, Stowin, Stolen. 
Strae. Straw. 

Sira&deatIL A natural death on one'a bed. 
StrabUe, Any thing hanging loose. 
Siralmsh, Stramash. Tumult; uproar; to hurry up and 

down. 
Sire^. Astray. 

Straik, To stroke ; a blow ; an extent of country.- 
StrttmuUion, A strong muscular woman. Fife. 
Strand, A gutter ; a rivulet 
Strang, Strong. 
Strange, To wonder. 
Strapping, Tall and handsome. 
Strath, A valley through which a river runs. 
Stravaig, To stroll; to go about idly. 
Straucht, Straight; also, immediately ; directly. 
Streamers. The Aurora Borealis. 
Street, To urinate forcibly. Fife. 
Streik, To stretch; to lay a dead body out; to extend; 

to go quickly; speed. 
Strein, Streen, Yesternight. 
Strick, To tie up flax in handfuls for being milled. 
Striddle, To straddle. 
StricMegs. Astride. 

String, To hang by the neck ; to be hanged. 
StrinhU. Strinkil, To sprinkle. 



GLOSSARY. 289 



Stroup, Stroop, The spout of a pump, toa^^ettle, ke, 

Strane, Stroan, To spoat forth as a water pipe; to 
urine; to stale. 

Strow. Hard to deal with. Kelly. 

Strum, A pettish humour. 

Strunt, Spiritu<)us liquor oi any kind. Boms. — A p«t; 
a sullen fit Ramsay. 

Study, Studdie, An anvil. 

Stuff, C!om or pulse of any kind. 

Stun^figh, Strong; rank; applied to grain when growing. 

tS^ump, To go on one leg. — Stutnpie. Any thing mutilp 
ated. 

Sturdy, A vertigo ; a disease in cattle and sheep. 

Sture, Stur, Stoor, Strong; rohust; hoarse. 

Sturt, To vex; to startle; wrath; indignation. 

Succur, Succre, Sugar. 

Suddil, SuddU, To sully; to defile. 

Sugh, Whistling sound. 

Summer-blink, A transient gleam of sunshine. 

Summer'Couts, The exhalations seen to ascend fixmi the 
ground in a warm day. 

Sumph, A hlnnt soft fellow. 

Sunhets, Provisions of whatever kind. 

Sup, To take food with a spoon. 

Swack, A laige quantity; limber; clever; pliant 

Sway, Swey, To incline to one side. 

Swayb, Sweab, To swaddle. 

Swaites, Swates, Ale or wort 

Swak. To throw; to cast with force. 

SwalL Swally, To devour. 

Swanky, An active young fellow. 

Swap, To exchange; the cast of Uneamenti of the coun- 
tenance. 



240 GLOSSARY. 



Swarf. Tofidnt 

Swash. A noise made <m fiilliog upon the gronnd; to 

8well; one of a oorpolent habit. 
Swatch, A pattern. 

Swattie, The act of swallowing with ayiditjr. Stiriingsh. 
SweaL To swaddle. 
Sweatbread. The diaphragm in animals. 
Sweeties. Sweetmeats. 
Sweir, Sweer. Lazy; indolent. — Dead^sweir, Eztremelj 

hay. 
Sweuin. A dream. 
Swick, To deceive; to elude. Fife. 
Swicky. Deceitful. 
Swidder, Swither. To hesitate. 
Swingle. To separate flax from the core by beating it. 
Swirl. To whirl like a vortex. 
Swauch. To emit a hollow whistling sound. 

Tabetless. Benumbed. 

Tabrach. Animal food, nearly in a state of carrion. 

Tackt. Tight 

Tack. Tah. Act of seisure; a slight hold. 

TacK Tdkk. Take. A lease. 

Tacket. A nail of a shoe. 

Toe. The toe. 

Tag. A latchet 

TaicL A toad. 

Taidrel. A puny creatore. 

Taigie. Taiget. A cow with some white hairs in her taiL 

Fife. 
Taigie. To detain. 

TaU4U. An inflammation of the tail of catde. 
TaiU. Tailye. An entail; a covenant 



GLOSSARY. 241 



Tailzie. A piece of meat 

Tainchell. A mode of catching deer. 

Tame, A cup. 

Taissle. Teasle. The derangement of dress, by walking 

against a boisterous wind. 
Tatt, A wee tait, A small portion. 
Taiver. To wander; to rave as mad. 
Taivert, Fatigaed. 
Tak, To take. 
TaJe. Account. 
Tale-piet. A talebearer. 
Tone, One. 
Tone, Taken. 

Tangle. A tall person; an icicle. 
Tangs, Taings, The tongs. 
Tannerie. A tan-work. 
Tantrunu. High airs. 
Tap. To top; head; a pla3ring top. 
Tctpe. To use sparingly. 
Tappie-4ou8ie. A play among children, exhibiting a 

memorial of the feudal mode of receiving a person as 

a bondman, by taking hold of the hairof his fordiead. 
TappUoorie. Any thing raised high on a slight tottering 

foundation. 
Tappit-hen. A crested hen; a measure oontMnirig a 

quart 
Tiyifsalteerie* Topsyturvy. 
Tarans. The sods of unbaptixed children. 
Tary. To distress; delay. 
Tarraw. To delay. 

Tartan. Cloth chedcered with 8trq>e8 of various colours. 
Task. To soil; a stain. 
Tate. Teat, A small portion of any thing not Uquid. 



24S GLOSSARY. 



Tath. Taith. Cow's dung; to dmif. 

Tatter-wallops. Flutteing ngs. 

Tawty. Tatty. Matted ; to tease wooL 

Tauchey. Gveasy. 

Tawpie. A foolish woman. 

Tawie. Tame; tractable. 

Taws. Awhip;ala8lL 

Taionle. Taanle, A large fire kindled at Bight aboot 

Midsommer, at the time of Beltein. 
Tee. A mark set up in playing at coits. — To tee a bd. 

To set it on a little nodule of earth, and giiriii^ it tbe 

proper direction. 
Teet To peer. 

Teethy. Crabbed; ill-natured; to ahx^w one's teeth. 
Tehee. A loud laugh. 
Ticker. Ticker. A small spot. 
Teil. To cultivate the soil. 
Teind. To tithe. 
Teyne. Rage ; to irritate. 
Teir. Fatigiie. 
j7^«m|Mrf»fs. A wooden acrew'^o* used for t^apaing 

tlie notion of m apimiiiig wheeL 
Tender, fitckiy; delicate. 
Tenement. A house which includes several sefAnate 

dw«Uiiigg. 
Tent. To stretch out; care; to be attentive. 
Tentie. Watchful; careful. 
Teuck. Teugk. Tough; tediooa. 
Tkack. Tkatck. Covering of strav, rushiBS^ faaath^ &c« 
Tkai. Tkay, Plural oi ke or ske. 
Thane. A tide of honour an0Qg the iSeots. 
Tkegitker. Together. 
TkeiL To give a vo^ of whatever kisd. 



GLOSSARY. S48 



TheiviL A stick for stirring a pot Fifa 

Thetis, Thetes. The ropes or traoes by whidi a hone 

draws in a carriage, plough, or harrows. 
Thewleu, Thieveless. Unprofitable; inactive. 
Thick, Intimate; familiar. 
Thigg, To ask; to beg. To go about reofliring snpplj, 

not as a common mendicant. 
Think shame. To be abashed ; to have a sense of shame. 
Thir, These. 

ThirL To thrill; to pass with a tingling sensation. 
Thirl. A term used to denbte those lands, the tenants of 

which are bound to bring all their grain to a certain 

mill. 
Thochty, Thoughtful 
Thole, To bear; to suffer. 
Thone, Yonder. 

Thought. A moment, as respecting time. 
Thow. To thaw. 
ThaweL Thowd-pins, The pins between whidi the oars 

of a boat act 
Throve, Twenty-four sheaves of com, including two 

shocks. 
Throng, To throng. Crowded; intimate; pressed. 
ThrappU. To throttle, or strangle. Hie windpipe. 
Thraw, To wreathe; to twist; to distort Anger. 
Thrato-cruk, An instrument fat twisting ropes of straw. 
Threap, A pertinacious affirmation. 
Thrimhle, To press; to squeeae ; to wrestle. 
Thrisle, The thistle. 
Throioither, Promiscuously; oonfuaedly. 
Throwgong, A thoroughfiuv; a passage. 
Thruchrstane, A flat grave-stone. 
Thrunland, Rolling; tumMing ahout 



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244 GLOSSARY. 



Thrush. The rush. 

Thud» The fordhle impression made by a tempestiu 

wind« To beat; to strike. 
Thumbikms. An instrument of torture, i^pHed as 

skrew to the thumbs. 
Thwayng. Whang. Athongf. 
TicK To click as a watch ; a dot of any kind. 
Tid. Proper time or season. 
Tydie. Neat 

Tift, Condition; p%ht; to put in order; to quaff. 
Tig, To touch slightiy ; to dally. 
Tyhe, A dog; a selfish snarling fellow. 
TUl, To. 

Tyld, To cover. Tile. 

TiU, While; during the time. Cold unproductive d 
Time-^bout, Alternately. 

Timmer, Timber. 

Timming, A coarse thin woollen cloth. 

Tin, Loss.— IVfte. To lose. 

Tynd, To kindle. A harrow tooth. 

TynselL Loss. 

Ting, To ring. 

Tip. A ram ; to take the ram. 

Tippenize, To tipple small beer. 

Tirl, To uncovor. 

Tirless, A lattice ; a wicket 

Tirliewirlie, A whirligig. 

Tirrivee, A fit of passion. 

Tirwirring, Habitually growling. 

Tyte. A quick pull; soon. 

Title. To prate idly. 

Titlar, A tattler. 

Titlene, The hedge sparrow. 



GLOSSARY. 245 



Titty. Diminutive of sister. 

Tocher, The dowry brought by a wife. 

T(hcum, To approach. 

Tod. The fox. 

Tod and Lambs, A game phjed on: a perforated board 

with wooden pins. 
Toddle, To walk with short steps. 
'ToofalL A building annexed to the wall of a larger house. 
Toy, A head-dress of linen or woollen, that hangs down 

over the shoulders, worn by old women of the lower 

class. 
Toit, A fit, whether of illness or bad humour. 
Tohie, An old woman's head-dress, resembling a monk's 

cowL 
Toll, A turnpike. 

To4ucJu Boot; what is given above bai^n. 
Toober, To beat; to strike. 
Toolye. A broil; to quarrel 
Toot, To blow a horn. 
Toothfu\ A glass of strong liquor. 
Xore of a saddle. The pommell. 
Tosch. Neat; trim. 

Tosie. Tipsy; intoxicated in some degree. 
Tothir. The other. 
Tottie, Warm; snug. 
Tovie, Tipsy. 

Touk. A tug; to beat; to emit a sound by beating. 
Tousie* Disordered; rough. 
Tousle, Rough dalliance. 
Toot. To take a long draught. 
Towt, To put in disorder. 
Tow, A rope of any kind. 
Towmond, A year. 



S46 OLOS8ABT. 

TrauchU. To draggle ; to tnIL 

Traik. To go idly from plioe to place; m plagae; to 

in ill health. 
Traigt, An appointed meeting. 
Trmm. TlMdiaft ofaeMrtorcaniage. 
Traaqf, To tread with force ; to tread witha lieavyat 
Trance, The passage within « hooaa. 
Trangnm^fy. To tvanalbni. 
Tre^ A diort bidder. 
IVahif. Abeam. 
Thrawart* Penrerse. 
Tree. A barrd. 

Trevisi. Adiyision; anythinghudaarosaybywayof h 
Trews. Trousers. 
Trig. Neat; trim. 
Trim. To beat somidly. 
Trinketing. Clandestine oorrsspendence with aa opp 

posite party. 
Trintle. To trundle, or roll 
2Vtp. A flock of a considerable number. Trip qfmk 

geese, 
Traggers. The designation given to i»e speoiea of ini 

vagrants. 
Trohe. To bargain in the way of exdiai^ie. 
Trotcosie. A piece of woollen doth, whidi oovom tl 

back part of the neck and shoulders, with straps acra 

the crown of the head, and buttoned from the dii 

downwards to the breast^ for defence against the w« 

ther. 
Trotters. Sheeps' feet. 
Trow, A wooden spout, in which the water is carrie 

to the mill-wheel. 
Trow. To believe. 



GLOSSARY. 247 



Trowih. Tnitb. 

Trump. A Jew's harp; to decMTc 

Trunscheour, A plate; atreocher. 

Tuck, Tuck of drum. Beat of dram. 

Tug, Raw hide, of which traces were fonneriy made. 

Tuilyxe, A quarrel ; a broiL 

Tume, Empty; to empty. 

Tun^fie, Dull and stupid sort of fdkvw. 

Tup, The oommoB name for a rsM. 

Tusker, An iron instrument^ with a wooden hftwill^^ for 

cuttings peats. 
Twa, Two* 

Twin, To part; to separate. 
Twitter, That part of a thread that is spmi toa smalL 

Ug, To feel abhorrenoe. 

Ugertfou, Nice; squeamish. 

Ugsum, Frightful; exciting abhorrenoe. 

Umquhile, Sometimes ; at times, 

UnMomn, Not safo. 

Unchancy, Not lucky; not fortunate.. 

UncQ^ Unknown; Tery^— l^ncoi. Used aa news. 

Undo, To cut off. 

Unbissum, Unlovely. 

Unsonsie, Unlucky. 

Unm Unto. 

Uppish, Aspiring; ambitious. 

Upstraucht, Stretched up. 

Upwiih, Upwards. 

Uver, Upper. 

Vaig, To wander; to roam. 
Vogie, Vain. 



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248 GLosftAmT* 



i| Valenime. A billet folded in « partiadbr jBaiiMr» ip 

l| sentbyoneyomigpewonto ■nortwy on SL YdbaatM 

day, 14th Febnuuy. 
|l VencJL Analley; akne. 

VenL A chimney. 
Vere. The spring. 
Vertue* Thrift; industry. 
j VictuaL Orain of any land. 

Virk, Ferrule, A small ring put round any body ti 
make it firm, 
j Vive, lively; representing to the life. 

I Veivers, Provisions for the sustenance of life. 



Woe unnrtk you. Wo beM you. 

Wa, Woe, Sorrow. 

Wabran leaves. Great plantain or waybread. 

Wacht. To qaaff. 

Wad. Wed. A pledge; a wager; to bet 

Wadd, Woad used in dying. 

Wcufye. To brandish; to shake in a threating 

Wae. Woe, Waeness, Sorrow; vexation. 

Waff. Worthless conducts— TTq/^/ufce. Having a shaUiy 

worthless appearance. 
Waff, Waif. To wave; a hasty motion. 
Waft. The woof of a web. 
Wargang, A departure; a disagreeable taste after a tfaii^ 

is swallowed. 
Waggle. A bog; a marsh. 
Waigle. To waddle ; to waggle. 
Waih, To watch ; to enfeeble. 
Wair. To spend. 
Wait, Wat, To know. 
Waith, The act of hunting ; raiment; wandering. 



GLOSSARY* 249 



Waithman. A huntsman. 

WaM. The plain; wold. 

WclU, To avail ; the act of choosing. 

WdUe. Excellent; large. 

Waly, Prosperity. — Walyfa. May good fortune befrL 

Waktrife. Wakeful; watchful 

WcM, To heat two masses into one. 

WaOees. Saddlebags. 

WaiUtbrag. A feeble ill-grown person. 

WdUop, To move quickly with mudi agitation of the 
clothes. 

WaUow, To wither ; to &de. 

Walsh. Insipid to the taste. 

Walter, To oyertum. 

Wame, The womb ; the belly ; the stomach. 

Wamble. To move with an undulating motion. 

Wamfle, To move like a tatterdemaUioUy with rags flap- 
ping. 

Wamfler. A rake; a wencher. 

Wan, Dark-coloured; black; deficient. 

Wanchande, Unlucky; dangerous. 

Wam^e. A wain; a habitation; opinion; maimer. 

WanUr. A bachelor; a widower. 

Wamocrih. Undervafaie; unworthy. 

Wap. To throw quickly; a smart stroke; to wrap. 

War, Wone; were; aware; to expend. 

Waur, To overcome; to outdo. 

Warrand, To protect; a place of shelter. 

Warydraggel, The youngest of a brood. 

Wark, Werk, To ache. 

Warkloom, A to<^ or instrument for working. 

Warlock. A wiaard. 

Warsche, Insipid to the taste. 



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i 260 OLOSSART. 



*, WarsdL To wrestle; straggle. 

i ' WdrtweiL The skin above the naB, wim fireCtecL 

, Wash. Stale urine. 

j ! Wasting, A consumption ; a dmlme. 

:j WamNe. Toswii^; toreeL 

Waught. A lai*ge draught o£ lifnicL 
Waver. To wander. 

I 

Wauk. To full cloth; to shrink, from being wettodL 
. \ Wauker, A fuller. 

Wee. Small; little; a abort time. 

Wean. Wee-ane. A child. 

Wear in. To gather with cautioB. 

Wecht. An utensil for winnowing oom» made in i 

form of a sieye, of sheepskin. 
Weddir^gaw. Ptert of one side of a lainbow, appem 

immediately above tibe horizoiB^ prognoaticatiii^ h 

weather. 
Weebo. Common ragwort 
Weem. A natural cave. Fiife. 
WeicL A child-bed fever. 
WeigMauk. A balance. 
Weik. A comer; an angle.— -TAe weik^ qf ih^ mmii 

The corners of the mouth. 
Weil. Prosperity. — Weil is me. Happy am L 
WetHfarand. Having a goodly ^pearance. 
Weird. Fate; to destine. 
Weirdless. Unprosperous. 
Weise, Wyse. To use policy in obtaining an ot^ect; 

lead ; to incline. 
Weit. Rain; wetness. 
Welcome-home. Repast presented to a bride, when al 

enters the door of the bridegroom. 
Welter. To roll ; to overturn. 



GLOSSARY. 251 



Wer. Wary. 

Werdie. The youBgest bird in a nest Fife. 

Werry. To strangle. 

Westlin. WesUands. Westward; weetern. 

WeU^. That part of a quagmire where there is a spriiDg*. 

Whaisle. To wheeoe in breathing. 

Whauk, To thwack. 

Wheq[)le» An ineffectual whistle; a shrill intermittent 

whistle. 
Whid, A lie. 
WhiOy. To gulL— TFM/ttcAo. A person who deals in 

ambiguous promises. 
Whiltie^wludtie, In a s^te of palfntation. 
Whmger, A short hanger, used as a knife at meak, and 

as a sword in broils. 
Whijhaff. To fly off with Telocity. 
Whish, To hush.— WhishU Be silent. 
Whistle. To weet oneU whistle. To take a drink. 
Whistle4nnkie. One who attends a penny-wedding witii- 

out paying any thing. 
White4fOttnet. One who^ in a sale by auction, bids for 

his own goods, or who is employed by the owner for 

this purpose. 
Whitie-whatie. A silly pretence, from a design to pro- 
crastinate. 
Whitter. A hearty draught of liquor. ■ 
. Whittle. A knife. 
Whittret. The weaseL 
Whorle. A very smaU wheel; the fly of aqiinning rock, 

— made of stone or wood. 
Wicht. Strong; powerful; actiye; clever; a person. 
Wick. To strike a stone obliquely, in curling. 
Wicker. A wand; a twig. 



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252 GLOSSARY. 



i Widdie. A rope made of twigs of willow, used to d 
ji note a halter; yalgarlf, the gallows itself 

\' Widdijbw. To fill a widdie or halter. 

j! Widdle. Towaddk. 

'j. Wie. little. 



Wife. A woman, married or wunanied, generally. 
[ Wyle. To possess by artfiil means. 

WiOawhu. Welladay. 
. [ Wimblebore. A hole in the throat, which prevents oi 

from speaking plain. 
Winqde. To move in a meandrous way, genemlly applic 

to a stream. 
Win, To dwell ; to dry com, hay, peats, kjc 
Win, To quarry; to lutye a thing in one's power, &c. 
Wynd. An alley; a lane. 
WindU-^trae. Smooth-crested grass. 
Winlyne, A bottle of straw or hay. 
WindocL Window. 
WinL Jfo a wink. In a moment 
Winkers, Eye-lashes. 

Wmraw, Hay or peats, in a long row, for dryiag. 
Wtnaome* Gay; merry; dieerfiiL 
Wtnth, To stagger ; to reeL 
Winze, A curse. 

Wirry'cow, A bugbear ; a scarecrow. 
Wiach, Washed. 

Wisen, To wither; to become dry and hard. 
Wishie^DOshie, Shuffling language. 
Wise, To wish; to direct; to guide. 
Wit, To know. 
Wite, To blame ; to accuse. 
Witter, The barb of an arrow or fish-hook. 
Wittins, Knowledge. 



OLOSSARY. 253 



Wittis, The senses. 

Wizen, The throat. 

Wod, Wud. Mad; furious. 

Woo, WooL — lt*8 a* ae uhh). It is all one. 

Wooerbab, The garter4aiot below the knee. 

Worlin, A puny and feeble creature. 

Worrie, To strangle. 

Worset Worsted. 

Wouff, To bark. 

Worsunu Purulent matter. 

Wow. Woo, To make love to. 

Wraith, An apparition, in the likeness of a person. 

Wratch, To become niggardly. 

Wreist, To sprain. 

Wrig. The youngest of a nest or family. 

Wroul, An ill-grown person. 

Wurdy, Worth; deserving. 

WuUcat. Wildcat 

Yahhle. To gabble. Fife. 

Yad. Yaud, Properly, an old mare. 

Yaff, To bark; to talk pertly. 

Yald. Sprightly. 

Yetmer, To yell; to shriek; to whine. 

Yape, Hungry; to be hungry. 

Yard, A garden. 

Yark, To beat 

Yarr. A weed, found in poor land. 

Yaup. To yelp; denoting the incessant crying of birds. 

Yaws. The disorder called Syphilis. 

Yeald. Yeld. Barren. 

Yieldins. Eildins. Of the same age. 

Yish. To hiccup. 



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■ • 




Yeaitam. Ta^wikdM«? 
Yird. EMfli; fofl; to Wij. 
Fct Agite; topov. 

YUL Ale^Tm^e. A 

ale. 
l^R. Apvtide; tlie 
]>■. TokeepL 

JinB. To wlniie; tocampfauB. 
Tyrmc To cnrdle; to ooagiibte. 
Tote, No engage in diqmte^ 
Fotak Hm period in wbiA a Man and hofse are 

gaged in ploogliing at one tana. 
FoiSL The centre of a flash of crown glaai. 
YonL Beyond. 

Yank, Toitdi.— Fo«i^. Itoby. 
Youl. Tohowl;to7elL 
Yont. Farther.— Fonlmiuw/. Still fiurther. 
Yaut To ay; to scream. 
Yaw. Yowe. A ewe. 
Yowde. Went. 

Yule. The name given to Christauis. 
Yule^en. The night preceding Christmas. 



ERRATUH 

Page 224, line 11 from bottom, dde Oke pUnmkfor reat^mg^ codls, i 

insert in the Hne above. 



GLASGOW: PRINTED BT BELL AND BAIN.