Part 2

I canna sell the cow and sup her milk.—I hae ither tow on my rock. I can see as far into a mill-stane as he that pick’d it. I hae a gude bow, but its in the castle. I had rather gae by your door than o’er your grave. I hae got an ill kame for my ain head. I hae mair ado than a dish to wash. I hae baith my meat and my mense. I hae seen mair than I hae eaten, or ye wadna be there. I ken by my cog my cow’s milked.—I ne’er sat on your coat tale. I’ll gar his ain gartens tye up his ain hose. I’ll ne’er lout sae laigh and lift sae little. I’ll ne’er put the rogue aboon the gentleman. I’ll ne’er keep a dog and bark mysel. I’ll tak the best first, as the priest did o’ the plumbs. I’ll ne’er brew drink to treat drunkards. I’m o’er auld a cat to draw a strae before. I’m no sae blind as I’m bleer-ey’d. I’m nae sae scant o’ clean pipes as to blaw wi’ a burnt cutty. I’m speaking o’ hay and you o’ horse corn. I’m neither sma’ drink thirsty, nor grey bread hungry. I ne’er lo’ed meat that craw’d in my crapin. I wad be scant o’ claith to sole my hose wi’ dockens. I wadna fother you for your muck. I wadna ca the king my cousin tho’ he were my uncle’s son. I wadna be deav’d wi’ your keckling for a’ your eggs. I wadna mak fish o’ ane and flesh o’ anither. I wish you readier meat than a rinning hare. If ae sheep loup o’er the dike a’ the lave will follow. _If_ and _and_ spoils mony a gude charter. If a man gangs down the brae ilk ane gies him a jundie. If he bind the pock she’ll sit down upon’t. If he be nae a souter he’s a gude shoe clouter. If I canna keep geese I’ll keep gaislins. If I canna do’t by might I’ll do’t by sleight. If it be a faut it’s nae ferly.—If it winna sell it winna sour. If stakes be gude to gie they’ll be gude to get. If the deil be laird ye’ll be tenant.—If ye lo’e me let it kythe. If the deil find you idle he’ll set you to wark. If wishes were horses beggars wad ride. If ye hae little gear guide it the better. If ye ca’ me scabbed I’ll ca’ you sca’d. If ye be angry, claw your wame, and cool in the skin ye het in. If you sell your purse to your wife, gi’e her your brecks to the bargain. If ye had as little money as ye hae manners, ye wad be the poorest man o’ your kin. If ye win at whoring ye’ll tine at naething. If ye serve the tod ye maun bear up his tail. Ill bairns get ay broken brows.—Ill bairns are best heard at hame. Ill beef ne’er made good broe.—Ill doers are ay ill dreaders. Ill counsel will gar a man stick his ain mare. Ill getting het water frae ’neath cauld ice.—Ill herds mak fat foxes. Ill hearing maks wrang rehearsing.—Ill news are aft owre true. Ill laying up maks mony thieves.—Ill payers are ay gude cravers. Ill to tak and eith to tire.—Ill weeds wax weel. Ill workers are ay gude to putters.—Ill-will ne’er spak weel. Ill won gear winna enrich the third heir.—Ill won, as ill wair’d. It cam wi’ the wind let it gang wi’ the water. It maun be an auld-farrant mouse that can kittle in a cat’s lug. It’s a bare moor that ye gang thro’ and no get a heather cow. It’s a cauld stammock that naething heats on. It’s a gude goose that draps ay.—It’s a hard task to be poor and leal. It’s a gude poor man’s blade, it will bow or break. It’s a lang lane that hasna a turning. It’s an ill wind that blaws naebody gude. It’s an ill cause that the lawyers think shame o’. It’s time to gie owre piping when youv’e lost the upper lip. It’s an ill pack that’s no worth the custom. It’s a mean mouse that has but ae hole.—It’s no a’ tint that fa’s by. It’s a nasty bird fyles its ain nest.—It’s a sin to lie on the deil. It’s a poor house whare thers’s neither a bairn nor a mouse. It’s a shame to eat the cow and worry on the tail. It’s a sorry hen that canna scrape for ae bird. It’s a sair dung bairn that mayna greet.—It’s gude to be sib to siller. It’s a’ tint that’s done to auld fo’k and bairns. It’s but kindly that the pock sa’r of the herring. It’s better to sup wi’ a cutty than want a spoon. It’s dear coft honey that’s lick’d aff a thorn. It’s eith crying Yule on anither man’s stool. It’s fair in ha’ where beards wag a’.—It’s gude sleeping in a hale skin. It’s gude maut that comes o’ will.—It’s gude to be side but no trailing. It’s gude gear that pleases the merchant. It’s gude to be gude in your time, ye kenna how lang it may last. It’s gude to hae twa strings to your bow. It’s hard to gar an auld mare leave aff flinging. It’s hard to sit in Rome and strive wi the Pope. It’s hard for a greedy e’e to hae a leal heart. It’s ill to be ca’d a thief and no found picking. It’s ill to bring out o’ the flesh what’s bred i’ the bane. It’s ill getting breeks aff a Higlandman. It’s ill taking corn frae geese.—It’s no tint that a friend gets. It’s ill making a silk purse o’ a sows lug, or a touting horn o’ a tods tail. It’s ill bringing butt what’s no there ben. It’s kittle shooting at corbies and clergy. It’s kittle to waken sleeping dogs.—It’s needless to bid a wren rin. It’s lang or the deil be found dead at a dike-side. It’s lang or ye need to cry, shou, to an egg. It’s lang or like-to-die fill the kirk-yard. It’s muckle gars the tailor laugh, for suitors girn ay. It’s needless to pour water on a drown’d mouse. It’s no the cowl that maks the friar.—It maun be true that a’ fo’k says. It’s nae sin to tak a gude price, but in gi’ing ill measure. It’s nae play when ane laughs and anither greets. It’s no what is she? but what was she? It’s nae laughing to girn in a widdy.—It’s weel war’d wasters want. It’s o’er far between the kitchen and the ha’. It’s o’er late to spare when the bottom’s bare. It’s past joking when the head’s aff. It’s weel that our fau’ts are no written on our face. It’s time enough to skreigh when ye’re strucken. It’s time enough to mak my bed when I’m gaun to lie down. It’s lang or four bare legs gather heat in the bed. It may come in an hour that winna come in seven year. It will be a feather out o’ your wing. It sets a sow weel to wear a saddle. It sets you weel to gab again wi’ your bannet on. It was ne’er for naething that the gled whistled.

J

Joke at leisure, you kenna wha may joke yoursel’.

K

Kail hains bread.—Kame sindle came sair.—Kamesters are ay creeshy. Keep woo and it will be dirt, keep lint and it will be silk. Keep your ain fish guts to your ain sea-maws. Keep your kill-dry’d taunts to your mouldy-hair’d maidens. Keep your breath to cool your crowdie. Keep your mouth close and your een open. Kindness comes a-will, it canna be coft. Kindness will creep whare it canna gang. Kindle a candle at baith ends it will soon be done. King’s cauff’s worth other fo’ks corn.—Kissing gans by favour. King’s cheese gaes hauf awa in pairings. Kiss a carl and clap a carl, and that’s the way to tine a carl. Kythe in your ain colours that fo’k may ken you.

L

Ladies and turkies need delicate upbringing. Laith to bed and laith to rise.—Lang straes are nae motes. Lang fasting hains nae meat.—Learn young, learn fair. Lang tongu’d wives gae lang wi’ bairn. Langest at fire soonest finds cauld. Lang speaking part maun spill.—Love me love my dog. Law’s costly, tak a pint and gree. Law-makers should na be law-breakers. Laugh at leisure, ye may greet ere night. Laugh and lay’t down again.—Let alane maks mony loons. Lay the head o’ the sow to the tail o’ the grice. Learn the cat to the kirn and she’ll ay be licking. Letna the plough stand to kill a mouse. Let a’ treads live, quoth the wife, when she burnt her besom. Let ay bell’d wathers break the snaw. Let by-ganes be by-ganes.—Let horns gang wi’ the hide. Let him tak a spring on his ain fiddle. Let him haud the bairn that aught the bairn. Let him cool in the skin he het in. Let ilka sheep hang by its ain shank. Let the muckle horse get the muckle wonlyn. Let the morn come and the meat wi’t. Let the kirk stand in the kirk-yard.—Live and let live. Lie for him and he’ll swear for you.—Little gear the less care. Light supper mak lang life-days.—Like’s an ill mark. Little winning maks a heavy purse.—Love o’erlooks mony fauts. Lightly come, lightly gane.—Little kend the less cared for. Like draws to like, as a scabbed horse to a fail dyke. Like Scotsmen, ay wise ahint the hand. Likely lies aft i’ the mire, when unlikely wins through. Like the maidens o’ Bayordine ye learn by the ear. Like hens, ye rin ay to the tap o’ the heap. Like the bairns o’ Falkirk, ye mind naething but mischief. Like frien’less dogs mair sleep than meat. Like the cat, fain fish wad ye eat, but ye are laith to weet your feet. Like the wife wi’ the mony daughters, the best comes hindmost. Lippen to me but look to yoursel’. Little Jock gets the little dish, and that hauds him lang little. Little said is soon mended, little gear’s soon spended. Little wit i’ the head maks muckle travel to the feet. Little may an auld nag do that maunna nicher. Live upon love as lavrocks do on leeks. Loud on the loan was ne’er a gude milk cow. Love and light winna hide.—Love me lightly love me lang. Love’s as warm among cotters as courtiers. Love o’er het soonest cools.

M

Maidens shou’d be mim till they’r married, then they may burn kirks. Maidens shou’d be mild and meek, quick to hear and slaw to speak. Maidens tochers and ministers stipends are ay less than ca’d. Mair hamely than welcome.—Mair haste the waur speed. Mair by luck than gude guiding.—Malice is aye mindfu’. Mak friends o’ fremit fo’k.—Measure twice, cut but ance. Mak the best o’ an ill bargain you can. Mak your hay when the sun shines. May-bees flee not at this time o’ the year. Maybe your pot may need my clips. Mealy-mou’d maids stand lang at the mill. Muckle may fa’ between the cup and the lip. Mills and wives are ay wanting.—Mony hands mak light wark. Mistress afore fo’k, gude wife behind backs, where lies the dish-clout? Money is welcome in a dirten clout. Mony a ane kisses the bairn for love o’ the nurse. Mony fair promises at marriage mak few at tocher-paying. Mony say weel when it was ne’er waur. Mony a ane serves a thankless master. Mony ways to kill a dog tho’ ye dinna hang him. Mony cooks ne’er made gude kail. Mony irons i’ the fire part maun cool. Mony a ane opens their pack and sells nae wares. Mony a ane speers the gate they ken fu’ weel. My son’s my son ay till he get a wife, my daughter’s my daughter a’ the days o’ her life.

N

Nae fool like an auld fool.—Nae friend like a friend in need. Nae man can thrive unless his wife lets him. Nae sooner up than her head’s in the am’ry. Nae safe wading in unco water.—Necessity hae nae law. Nae wonder ye be auld like, ilka thing fashes ye. Naething sae crouse as a new washen louse. Naething’s ill to be done when will’s at hame. Naething’s to be done in haste but gripping of flaes. Naething to do but draw in your stool and sit down. Naething venture naething win.—New lords hae new laws. Nane but fools and knaves lay wagers. Nane can mak a bore but ye’ll find a pin till’t. Nane can play the fool sae weel as a wise man. Near’s my sark but nearer’s my skin.—Ne’er ower auld to learn. Nearest the heart nearer the mou.—Ne’er rax aboon your reach. Nearest the kirk the farthest frae gude. Neck or naething the king loes nae cripples. Need will gar an auld wife trot, and a naked man rin. Ne’er draw your durk when a daunt will do. Ne’er find faut wi’ my shoon unless ye pay my cobler. Ne’er gae to the deil wi’ a dish-clout about your head. Ne’er gae me my death in a toom dish.—Ne’er quat certanty for hope. Ne’er let on but laugh in your ain sleeve. Ne’er marry a widow, unless her first man was hang’d. Ne’er scad your lips in other fo’k’s kail. Ne’er seek a wife till ye ken what to do wi’. Ne’er shaw your teeth unless ye can bite. Ne’er strive against the stream. Ne’er take a fore-hammer to break an egg, when ye can do it wi’ a pen-knife.—Nipping and scarting’s Scotch fo’k’s wooing. Ne’er let the nose blush for the sins o’ the mouth. Nineteen naesays o’ a maiden are ha’f a grant.

O

Ower haly was hang’d, and rough and sonsy wan awa’. Ower muckle o’ aething is gude for naething. Ower mony grieves but hinders the wark. O’ twa ills choose the least.—Out o’ debt out o’ danger. Out o’ the peat-pot into the gutter.

P

Pay him hame in his ain coin.—Penny wise and pound foolish. Pennyless sauls may pine in purgatory. Pleying at law’s like fighting through a whin buss, the harder the blows the sairer the scar. Poortith parts gude company.—Possession is eleven points o’ the law. Pride ne’er leaves its master till he get a fa’. Poets and painters hae liberty to lie. Put a coward to his metal and he’ll fight the deil. Put your hand nae farther than your sleeve will reach. Put your hand i’ the creel, and tak out an adder or an eel.

Q

Quey caufs are dear veal.—Quick returns mak rich.

R

Rackless youth maks ruefu’ eild.—Raw leather raxes. Raise nae mae deils than your able to lay. Rather spoil your joke than tine your friend. Raw dawds mak fat lads.—Rich fou’k hae routh o’ friends. Rich fo’k’s wit rives puir fo’k’s jaws.—Rob Peter to pay Paul. Ride fair and jaup nane.—Right wrangs nae man. Rob Gib’s contract, stark love and kindness. Rome was nae bigget in ae day.—Royet lads may mak sober men. Rooks and writers are ay to be found about ruined houses. Roose the ford as ye find it.—Rue and time grow baith in ae garden.

S

Sair cravers are ay ill payers.—Satan reproving sin. Saut, quoth the sutor, when he had eaten a cow a’ but the tail. Seethe stanes in butter the broo will be gude. Second thoughts are best.—Ser’ yoursel till your bairns come in age. Set a beggar on horseback he’ll ride to the deil. Set a stout heart to a stay brae.—Shame’s past the shade o’ your hair. Sharp stomachs mak short graces.—Stown dints are sweetest. Shallow waters mak maist din.—Sinle seen soon forgotten. She’s as leal a maiden as her man left her. She hauds up her head like a hen drinking water. She brack her elbow at the kirk door.—Standing dubs gather dirt. She’ll wear like a horse shoe, ay the langer the clearer. Short fo’k are soon angry, their heart’s soon at their mou. Slaw at meat slaw at wark.—Sorrow and ill weather come unsent for. Some hae a hantle o’ fauts ye’er only a neer-do-weel. Souters and tailors count hours.—Speak o’ the deil and he’ll appear. Speak gude o’ pipers, your father was a fiddler. Speak when your spoken till, and drink when you’re drucken till. Strike the iron as lang as it’s het.

T

Tak your will o’t as the cat did o’ the haggis. Tak the bit and the buffet wi’t.—Tak me not up before I fa’. Tak your ain will and then ye’ll no die o’ the pet. Tak a hair o’ the dog that bit you.—That’s Halkerton’s cow. Tak nae mair on your back than you’re able to carry. Tak a man by his word and a cow by her horn. Tarry breeks pay nae fraught.—Tapped hens like cock crawing. Tell nae your fae when your foot’s slipping.—That’s a tee’d ba’. That bout cam ne’er out o’ your bag.—The best is ay cheapest. That’s carrying saut to Dysart and puddings to Tranent. That’s the piece a step-bairn ne’er gat.—Time tries a’. That winna be a mot i’ your marriage.—The deil’s ay gude to his ain. The back and the belly hauds every ane busy. The bairn speaks i’the field what he hears at the fireside. The bird maun flighter that flees wi’ ae wing. The better day the better deed.—The warld is bound to nae man. The blind man’s peck should be weel measur’d. The cure may be waur than the disease. The death o’ ae bairn winna skail a house. The dorty dame may fa’ i’ the dirt.—The deil’s bairns hae deil’s luck. The deil ay drives his hogs to an ill market. The deil’s gaen o’er John Wabster.—The e’ening brings a hame. The farthest way about is aft the nearest gate hame. The richer the souter, the blacker his thumbs. The first fuf o’ a fat haggis is ay the bauldest. The gravest fish is an oyster, The gravest bird’s an owl; The gravest beast’s an ass, And the gravest man’s a fool. The kings errand may come in a cadger’s gate. The langer we live we see the mair fairlies. The mae the merrier, the fewer the better cheer. The masters e’e maks the horse fat.—The still sow eats up the draff. The simple man’s the beggar’s brither. The subject’s love is the kings life guard. The smith’s mare and the souter’s wife are ay warst shod. The thiefer like the better sodger.—The tod’s whelps are ill to tame. The thing that lie nae in your gate breaks na your shins. The thing that’s in your wame’s not in your testament. The thrift o’ you was the death o’ your gude-dame. The tod keeps his ain hole clean. The worth o’ a thing is best kend by the want o’t. The wife’s ay welcome that comes wi’ a crooked oxter. There’s mony a true tale tauld in jest. There’s mukle to do when burghers ride. There’s nane sae blind as them that winna see. There’s naething ill said that’s nae ill tane. There’s nae place like hame, as the deil said when he fan’ himsel in the Court o’ Session. There was ne’er a silly Jocky but there was as silly a Jenny. There’s beild aneath an auld man’s baird. There is a teugh sinew in an auld wife’s heel. There is a differ betwixt the piper and his bitch. There is a wawp i’ the raip.—Thole weel is gude for burning. There is a sliddery stane before the ha’ door. There is as gude fish i’ the sea as e’er cam out o’t. There grows nae grass at the cross.—Thoughts beguil maidens. There is life in a mussel as lang as she cheeps.—Time tries a’. There is little for the rake after the shool.—Tine heart and a’s gane. They are ay gude that are far awa.—True blue will ne’er stain. They are like the grices, if you kittle their wame they fa’ on their backs. They hae need o’ a canny cook that hae but ae egg to their dinner. They ne’er saw great dainties that think a haggis a feast. They shou’d kiss the gude-wife that wad win the gude-man. They that see you a’ day winna break the house for you at night. They that get a word o’ soon rising may lie a’ day. They that laugh in the morning may greet ere night. They that drink langest live langest. They that hae routh o’ butter may lay it thick on their scone. They that lie down for love shou’d rise for hunger. They were scant o’ bairns that brought you up. They were never fain that fidg’d, nor fa’ that licked dishes. They ne’er ga’e wi’ the speet but they get wi’ the ladle. Three can keep a secret if twa be awa. Time and tide will tarry for nae man. Touch a gawd horse on the back and he’ll fling. Tramp on a snail and she’ll shoot out her horns. Twa blacks will ne’er mak a white. Twine two, your minny was a gude spinner.

U

Up hill spare me, down hill tak tent to thee. Use makes perfectness.

W

Wanton kittens mak douce cats.—When drink’s in wit’s out. Wae’s the wife that want’s the tongue, but weel’s the man that gets her. Weans maun creep ere they gang.—Women’s wark’s ne’er done. Wedding and ill wintering tame baith man and beast. Weel kens the mouse when the cat’s out o’ the house. Welcom’s the best dish in the kitchen. We’ll ne’er ken the worth o’ the water till the well gae dry. We’re ay to learn as lang’s we live.—We canna baith sup and blaw. We’ll bark oursels ere we buy dogs sae dear. We may ken your eild by the runkles o’ your horn. We may ken your meaning by your mumping. What’s gotten owre the deil’s back will gang awa under his belly. When ae door stecks anither opens.—Wilfu’ waste maks waefu’ want. When friends meet hearts warm.—Woo sellers ken ay woo buyers. When the tod preaches tak tent o’ the lambs. When the wame’s fou, the banes wad be at rest. When petticoats woo, brecks come speed. When you’re serv’d a’ the geese are water’d. While the pow’s shaving the lice maun flit. When ye’re gaun and coming the gate’s no toom. Where the dyke’s laighest it is eithiest to loup. Where there’s owre muckle courtesy, there’s little kindness. Winter thunder bodes simmer hunger. Work for nought maks fo’k dead sweer.

Y