Part 1

SCOTS PROVERBS,

ANCIENT AND MODERN,

SELECTED FROM

ALLAN RAMSAY AND OTHERS.

“An ounce o’ mither-wit, is worth a pound o’ clergy.”

_BRECHIN_: PRINTED FOR ALEXANDER BLACK, BOOKSELLER. 1834.

SCOTS PROVERBS.

A

A bairn may hae ower muckle o’ his mither’s benison. A bare moor maks a lean hirsel. A’ burdens are light except to the bearer. A blate maiden may mak a bardy gudewife. A blate suitor should hae a gude cause. A’ blews are no true blews. A borrowing man is a sorrowing man. A begun turn is hauf ended. A blate cat maks a proud mouse. A blythe heart maks a blooming look. A bit but, and a bit ben, maks a mim-mou’d maiden at the board en’. A bonny bride is soon busket, and a short horse is soon whisket. A borrowed len’ shou’d gae laughing hame. Abundance of law breaks nae law. A careless maister maks a lazy man. A club fit will no mak a gude shinty. A close mouth catches nae flees. A cock’s ay crouse on his ain midden-head. A cramm’d kyte maks a crazy carcase. A daft nurse maks a wise wean. A denk maiden maks a dirty wife. A drink is shorter than a tale. A dry summer ne’er made a dear peck. A dumb man wins nae law. Ae bird in the hand is worth ten fleein’ by. A fool may win money, but it taks a wise man to keep it. A greedy e’e ne’er had a leel heart. Ae gade turn deserves anither. Ae hour’s cauld will suck out seven yeer’s heat. Ae man may lead a horse to the water, but twenty winna gar him drink. Ae man’s meat is anither man’s poison. Ae swallow maks na simmer. Ae scabbed sheep will smit the hale hirtel. Ae hour in the morning is worth twa in the afternoon. A fidging mare shou’d be weel girded. A fleer wad aye hae a follower. A fool and his money is soon parted. A fool may gi’e a wise man a counsel. A friend in court is worth a penny in purse. A friend in need’s a friend indeed. Aft counting keeps friends lang thegither. After meat mustard. After a storm comes a ca’m. A fou man and a hungry horse ay mak haste hame. A fou purse never lacks friends. A rough bane maks a fou wame. A fou wame maks a stiff back. A black hen lays a white egg. A gaun foot’s ay getting. A gentle horse shou’d be sindle spurr’d. A gi’en horse shou’d na be look’d i’ the mouth. A gi’en game was ne’er won. A gude beginning maks a gude ending. A gude cow may hae an ill cauf. A gude tongue’s a safe weapon. A gude ingle maks a roomy fire-side. A gude word is as soon said as an ill. A gude tale is no the waur to be twice tauld. A gude name is sooner tint than won. A green turf’s a gude gudemither. A green Yule maks a fat kirk-yard. A great cry and little woo, quoth the deil, when he clippet the sow. A greedy e’e never gat a gude penny worth. A hantle cry murder, and are ay uppermost. A houndless hunter, and a gunless gunner, see ay routh o’ game. A hungry man’s ay angry. Ale sellers shou’d na be tale-tellers. A liar shou’d hae a gude memory. Alike ilka day maks a clout on Sunday. A light purse maks a heavy heart. A’s no gowd that glitters. A’ the truth shou’d na be tauld. A’ the corn’s no shorn by kempers. A’ the winning’s in the first buying. A’ that’s said in the kitchen shou’d na be tauld in the ha’. A’ cats are grey i’ the dark. A’s no tint that’s in hazard. A’s fish that comes i’ the net. A’ Stewarts are no sib to the king. A’ the speed’s i’ the spurs. A’s weel that ends weel. A’ things are gude untried. A red nose maks a raggit back. A kiss and a drink o’ water maks a wersh breakfast. A man’s ay crouse on his ain cause. A man may spit in his loof and do little. A man canna bear a’ his kin on his back. A man at five may be a fool at fifteen. A man is weel or wae, as he thinks himsel sae. A mouthfu’ o’ meat may be a townfu’ o’ shame. A muffled cat was ne’er a gude hunter. An auld mason maks a gude barrowman. An ill shearer never gat a gude heuk. An ill-willy cow shou’d hae short horns. An ill servant ne’er prov’d a gude master. An ounce of mither-wit is worth a pound o’ clergy. Ane may lo’e the kirk weel aneugh, yet no be ay riding on the rigging o’t. A Scots mist will weet an Englishman to the skin. As fu’ o’ mischief as an egg’s fu’ o’ meat. As gude may haud the stirrip as he that loups on. As lang runs the fox as he has feet. As lang lives the merry man as the sad. As lang as ye serve the tod ye maun bear up his tail. As the sow fills the draff sours. As the auld cock craws, the young cock learns. As the fool thinks, the bell clinks. As the market gangs the wares maun sell. As weel be hang’d for a wedder as a lamb. As ye lo’e me look in my dish. As ye do yoursel you judge your neibours. As ye mak your bed, sae ye maun lie down. A safe conscience maks a sound sleep. A sillerless man gangs fast through the market. A sinking master maks aft a rising man. A slothfu’ hand maks a slim fortune. As ye brew weel ye’ll drink the better. A spur in the head is worth twa in the heel. A sturdy beggar shou’d hae a stout naysayer. A tale-teller is waur than a thief. A taking hand will never want. A tale never tines in the telling. A wight man never wanted a weapon. A thread will tye an honest man better than a rape a knave. A tocherless dame sits lang at hame. A twapenny cat may look at a king. A wee bush is better than nae bield. A wee thing fleys cowards. Auld men are twice bairns. Auld sparrows are ill to tame. Auld springs gi’e nae price. A yeld sow was never gude to grices.

B

Bare gentry, bragging beggars.—Bastard brood are ay proud. Be lang sick that ye may be soon hale. Beggars shou’d na be choosers. Beg frae beggars you’ll never be rich. Better a bit i’ the morning than fast a’ day. Better a clout than a hole out. Better a dog fawn on you than bark at you. Better a finger aff than ay wagging. Better a mouse in the pat than nae flesh. Better a tocher in her than wi’ her. Better a toom house than an ill tenant. Better a wee ingle to warm you, than a muckle fire to burn you. Better auld debts than auld sairs. Better sma’ fish than nae fish. Better be alane than in ill company. Better be blythe wi’ little than sad wi’ naethin’. Better be envied than pitied.—Better be idle than ill employed. Better be out o’ the warld than out o’ the fashion. Better be kind than cumbersome. Better buy than berrow.—Better day the better deed. Better eat grey bread in youth than in eild. Better flatter a fool than fight wi’ him. Better find iron than tine siller.—Better gi’e the slight than tak it. Better haud by a hair than draw wi’ a tether. Better ha’f egg than toom doup. Better hain at the brim than at the bottom. Better hand loose than in an ill tethering. Better kiss a knave than cast out wi’ him. Better keep the deil without the door than drive him out o’ the house. Better keep weel than mak weel. Better late thrive than ne’er do weel. Better live in hope than in despair. Better my bairns seek frae me than I beg frae them. Better my friend think me fremit than fashious. Better ne’er begun than ne’er ended. Better rue sit than rue flit.—Blude’s thicker than water. Better the end of a feast than the beginning of a fray. Better to haud than to draw.—Better twa skaiths than ae sorrow. Better wait on the cook than the doctor. Better wear shoon than sheets.—Black will tak nae ither hue. Between the deil and the deep sea.—Burnt bairns the fire dreads. Bid a man to the roast and stick him wi’ the spit. Bigging and bairns marrying are great wasters. Birds of a feather flock thegither. Birth’s gude but breeding’s better. Biting and scarting is Scotch fouk’s wooing. Blind men shou’d na be judges o’ colours. Boden gear stinks.—Bourd na wi’ Bawty lest he bite ye. Broken bread makes hale bairns. Butter and burn trouts are kittle meat for maidens. Buy a thief frae the gallows and he’ll cut your throat.

C

Cadgers are ay fond o’ creels. Cast a cat o’er the house rigging ’twill fa’ on its feet. Cast a bane in the deil’s teeth. Cats an carlins sit in the sun. Cauld cools the love that kindles ower het. Changes are lightsome. Charity begins at hame. Come unca’d sits unserv’d. Comes to my hand like the boul of a pint stoup. Come wi’ the wind and gae wi’ the water. Confess’d faut is hauf amends. Confess debt and crave days. Confess and be hang’d. Corn him weel, he’ll work the better. Count again is not forbidden. Count siller after a’ your kin. Count like Jews and ’gree like brethren. Credit is better than ill won gear. Credit keeps the crown o’ our causeway. Crocked carlin, quoth the cripple to his wife. Cut your coat according to your claith. Corbys will no pick out corby’s een.

D

Daffin and want o’ wit maks auld wives denard. Damming and laving is gude sure fishing. Daughters and dead fish are nae keeping ware. Dawted bairns dow bear little. Day-light will peep through a sma’ hole. Dear bought and far sought is meat for ladies. Death and marriage break term-day. Death defies the doctor. Ding down the nest and the rooks will flee away. Dinna gut your fish till ye get them. Dit your mouth wi’ your meat. Do as the lasses do, say no and tak it. Dinna meddle wi’ the deil and the laird’s bairns. Dogs will redd swine. Dows and dominies leave ay a foul house. Double charges rive cannons. Drink he sought, but draff was his errand. Draff’s gude enough for swine. Drive a cow to the ha’ she’ll rin to the byre. Drink and drouth come na ay thegether. Drink little that ye may drink lang. Drunken at e’en and dry in the morning. Dummie winna lie.

E

Early master soon knave.—Eat your fill but pouch nane. Eat pease wi’ the prince, and cherries wi’ the chapman. Eat in measure and defy the doctor. Eat weel’s drink weel’s brither. Eating and drinking wants but a beginning. Eild and poortith’s sair to thole. Eith learning the cat to the kirn. Eith working when will’s at hame. Either win the horse or tine the saddle. Either the tod or the fearn bush. E’ening red and morning grey, is a taiken of a bonny day. E’ening oats are gude morning fodder. E’en as ye win’t say ye may wear’t. Embro’ justice, the greater the crime the sma’er the fine. Eneugh’s as gude’s a feast. Every ane creeshes the fat sows tail. Every ane loups the dike where it’s laighest. Every craw thinks hir ain bird whitest. Every dog has his day. Every man can guide an ill wife weel but he that has her. Every man bows to the bush he gets bield frae. Every man’s tale’s gude till anither’s be tauld. Every man at forty is a fool or a physician. Every man has his ain draff pock. Every miller wad wyse the water to his ain mill. Every thing has an end, and a pudding has twa. Experience teaches fools.

F

Faint heart never won fair lady. Fair exchange is nae robbery.—Fancy kills and cures. Fann’d fires and forc’d love ne’er did weel. Far away fowls hae fair feathers.—Far frae court far frae care. Far behind that may not follow.—Fast bind, fast find. Fat paunches bode lean pows.—First come first ser’d. Feckless foek are ay fond of ane anither. Fiddler’s wives and gamester’s ale are free to every body. Fiddler’s dogs and flesh-flies come to feasts unca’d. Fight dog, fight bear, wha won deil care. Fine feathers mak fine birds.—Fools’ haste is nae speed. Fire and water are gude servants, but ill masters. Flaes and a girning wife are waukrife bed-fellows. Fleying a bird is no the way to grip it. Flitting of farms mak mailings dear.—Friends ’gree best sindry. Fools shou’d nae hae chapping stieks. Fools ravel and wise men redd.—Fumblers are ay fond o’ weans. Fools and bairns shou’d nae see a ha’f done turn. Fools mak feasts, and wise fouk eat them; the wise mak jests, and fools repeat them. For fashion’s sake, as dogs gang to the market. Fore-warn’d, ha’f armed.—Foul water slockens fire. Fresh fish and poor friends grow soon ill-far’d. Friends are like fiddle-strings, they mauna be screw’d owre tight. Frost and fausehood hae baith a dirty waygang.

G

Gaunting bodes wanting.—Gie the deil his due. Giff-Gaff makes gude friends.—Gie you an inch ye’ll tak an ell. Gie a dog an ill name and he’ll soon be hang’d. Gie the deil his due.—Glasses and lasses are bruckle ware. God help great fowk, the poor can beg. God ne’er sent the mouth but he sent meat wi’t. God send you mair wit and mair siller. Great barkers are nae biters.—Greening wives are ay greedy. Gie a beggar a bed and he’ll pay you wi’ lice.

H

Haud a hank in your ain hand.—Hae gars a deaf man hear. Hair and hair makes the earl’s head bare.—Hale-sale’s gude sale. Hame is hame if it were ne’er sae hamely. Hang them that hae nae shift, and them that hae owre mony. Hang a thief when he’s young, and he’ll no steal when he’s auld. Hanging’s nae better than it’s ea’d.—Hardships sinle come single. He begs frae them that borrow’d frae him. He brings a staff to break his ain head. He does na ay ride when he saddles his horse. He fells twa dogs wi’ ae stane.—He had his finger in the pye. He gangs awa to an ill tune that never comes again. He has a bee in his bannet lug.—He’s like a flea in a blanket. He has gotten a bite o’ his ain bridle. He has nae as muckle sense as a cow can haud in her faulded nieve. He has faut of a wife that marries mam’s pet. He has mair wit in his little finger than ye hae in a’ your bouk. He has feather’d his nest, he may flee when he likes. He has need of a lang spoon that sups wi’ the deil. He has a slid grip that has an eel by the tail. He kens na a B by a bull’s foot.—He’s no sae daft as he lets on. He kens his ain groats amang ither fouks kail. He’ll soon be a beggar that cannot say nay. He loo’d mutton weel that licked where the ewe lay. He’ll no sell his hen on a rainy day. He may weel swim that has his head hadden up. He never lies but when the holly’s green. He needs maun rin that the deil drives. He’s wise that kens whan he’s weel, and can haud himsel sae. He’s scant o’ news that tells his father was hanged. He’s an Aberdeen’s man, he taks his word again. He’s a wise bairn that kens his ain father. He’s uneo fou in his ain house that canna pike a bane in his neibour’s. He’s a proud horse that winna bear his ain provender. He’s like a singet cat, better than he’s likely. He’s a worthless gudeman that’s no miss’d. He stumbles at a strae and loups o’er a won-lyne. He speaks like a prent-book.—He that comes unca’d sits unserv’d. He that aught the cow gangs nearest her tail. He that buys land buys stanes, and he that buys beef buys banes. He that buys nuts buys shells, he that buys ale buys naithing else. He that canna mak sport shou’d mar nane. He that deals in dirt has ay foul fingers. He that can near Dumback may bear Dumbarton. He that keeps the cat’s dish keeps her ay crying. He rises owre soon that’s hanged e’er noon. He that gies a’ wad gies naithing.—He that has muckle gets ay mair. He that has muckle wad ay hae mair. He that has a gude cramp may thole some thistles. He that has nae siller in his purse shou’d hae silk on his tongue. He that hides is the best at seeking. He that has a muckle nose thinks ilk ane speaks o’t. He that hews aboon his head may get a speal in his e’e. He that’s ill to himsel will be gude to naebody. He that laughs at his ain joke spills the sport o’t. He that speers a’, only gets wit o’ part. He wad skin a loose for the tallow. He that sleeps wi’ dogs maun rise wi’ flaes. He’s no sae daft as he’s daft like.—His egg has ay twa youks. He that winna when he may, he shanna when he wad. He that woos a widow should woo her day and night. He that wad eat the kirnel maun crack the nut. He that will to Coupar will to Coupar. He wad gang a mile to flit a sow.—He wad rake hell for a bodle. He wats na whilk end o’ him’s uppermost. He wad gar you trow that the moon’s made o’ green cheese. He wad tine his lugs if they werna tacked to him. His bark is war than his bite.—Hooly and fairly gangs far in a day. Hungry dogs are blythe o’ bursten puddings.

I