Chapter 10
"Spoken in jest when we forget to lay down bread at the table, as if we had done it designedly, because it will be long ere new bread come."--_Kelly._
It's like Truffy's courtship, short but pithy.
It's little o' God's might that makes a poor man a knight.
It's muckle gars tailors laugh, but souters girn aye.
It's nae laughing to girn in a widdy.
To "girn in a widdy" is to laugh or girn when a halter is round the neck--meaning that it is no joke to be placed in a difficult or dangerous position.
It's nae play when ane laughs and anither greets.
It's nae shift to want.
It's nae sin to tak a gude price, but in gieing ill measure.
It's nae mair ferlie to see a woman greet than to see a goose gang barefit.
"Mattie had ill will to see me set awa on this ride, and grat awee, the silly tawpie; but it's nae mair ferlie to see a woman greet than to see a goose gang barefit."--_Rob Roy._
It's nae wonder wasters want and lathrons lag behint.
It's needless pouring water on a drowned mouse.
It's neither a far road nor a foul gate.
It's neither here nor there, nor yet ayont the water.
It's neither rhyme nor reason.
It's no aye gude i' the maw what's sweet i' the mouth.
It's no easy to straucht in the oak the crook that grew in the sapling.
It's no for nought that the gled whistles.
"'I think,' said John Gudyill, while he busied himself in re-charging his guns, 'they hae fund the falcon's neb a bit ower hard for them--it's no for nought that the hawk whistles.'"--_Old Mortality._
It's no lost what a friend gets.
It's no safe wading in unco waters.
It's no the burden, but the owerburden, that kills the beast.
It's no the cowl that maks the friar.
It's no the gear to traike.
"'Wha kens what would be the upshot o' a second marriage?'
"'That's looking far ben,' replied the laird; 'my wife, to be sure, is a frail woman, but she's no the gear that 'ill traike.'"--_The Entail._
It's no the rumblin' cart that fa's first ower the brae.
It is not the oldest or most likely person that dies first.
It's no tint that comes at last.
It's no "What is she?" but "What has she?"
It's no what we hae, but what we do wi' what we hae, that counts in heaven.
It's ower far between the kitchen an' the ha'.
It's ower late to lout when the head's got a clout.
"It is too late to throw water on the cinders when the house is burnt down."--_Danish._
It's ower late to spare when the back's bare.
It's ower weel hoardet that canna be found.
It's past joking when the head's aff.
It's sair to haud drink frae drouth.
It spreads like muirburn.
"Muirburn," furze on fire. Said of ill news.
It's stinking praise comes out o' ane's ain mouth.
It stinks like a brock.
"Our gentry care sae little For delvers, ditchers, and sic cattle; They gang as saucy by poor folk, As I would by a stinking brock."--_Burns._
It's the barley pickle breaks the naig's back.
It's the best feather in your wing.
It's the best spoke in your wheel.
It's the laird's commands, an' the loon maun loup.
Orders from those in authority, no matter how ridiculous or unreasonable, must be obeyed. "There's nae bailie-courts among them.... But it's just the laird's command, and the loon maun loup; and the never anither law hae they but the length o' their dirks."--_Rob Roy._
It's the life o' an auld hat to be weel cocket.
It's the wanton steed that scaurs at the windlestrae.
"Ghaist! my certie, I shall ghaist them--if they had their heads as muckle on their wark as on their daffing they wad play na sic pliskies--it's the wanton steed that scaurs at the windlestrae. Ghaists! wha e'er heard of ghaists in an honest house!"--_St Ronan's Well._
It's the waur o' the wear.
It's time enough to mak my bed when I'm gaun to lie down.
It's time enough to skreigh when ye're strucken.
It's weak i' the wow, like Barr's cat.
It's weel that our fauts are no written in our face.
It's weel won that's aff the wame.
Or well saved that is won from the belly.
It was but their claes that cast out.
"That is, the quarrel was not real, but only with design, in order to accomplish some end."--_Kelly._
It was my luck, my leddy, and I canna get by it.
It wasna for naething that the cat licket the stane.
It were a pity to put a foul hand on't.
It were a pity to refuse ye, ye seek sae little.
It will aye be a dirty dub between them.
"A dirty dub," a puddle of foul water. That is, it will always be a cause of contention between them.
It will be a feather in your cap.
It will be a feather out o' your wing.
It will be a het day gars you startle.
It will be an ill web to bleach.
It will be lang ere you wear to the knee lids.
It will be the last word o' his testament.
That is, he will delay doing a thing as long as possible.
It will come out yet, like hommel corn.
"Hommel corn," grain that has no beard. The meaning of the proverb is, that on account of particular circumstances, a certain result may be expected in due time.
It will haud out an honest man, but naething 'll haud out a rogue.
It will mak a braw show in a landward kirk.
Spoken when a person is asked to give an opinion of something which is considered vulgar--that a gaudy article of dress will look well in a country church--but only there.
It would be a hard task to follow a black dockit sow through a burnt muir this night.
It would be a pity to hae spoilt twa houses wi' them.
"Spoken when two ill-natured people are married."--_Kelly._
It would do a blind man gude to see't.
I will add a stane to his cairn.
A "cairn" is a heap of stones thrown together in a conical form to mark the grave, or in memory, of a person. To add a stone may mean, proverbially, that a person will bear testimony to the good qualities of another.
"I winna mak a toil o' a pleasure," quo' the man when he buried his wife.
"A man going under his wife's head to the grave was bid go faster, because the way was long and the day short; answered, 'I will not make a toil of a pleasure.'"--_Kelly._
I wat weel how the world wags; he's best lik'd wha has maist bags.
I winna mak fish o' ane an' flesh o' anither.
I will favour no one, but will treat all alike.
I wish I had a string in his lug.
I wish it may be the first sight ye'll see.
An expression used when a person is telling that he has received a promise of something welcome--it may be payment of an outstanding account.
I wish you had brose to lay the hair o' your beard.
I wish you had wist what you said.
I wish you may hae as muckle Scotch as tak you to your bed.
"Spoken when our companions, beginning to take with the drink, begin to speak Latin, ... believing that by and by they will be at that pass that they will be able to speak no language."--_Kelly._
I wish you may lamb in your lair, as mony a good ewe has done.
I wish you readier meat than a rinnin' hare.
I wish you the gude o't that the dogs get o' grass.
I wish you were able, e'en though you didna do't.
I wish you were laird o' your word.
I would as soon see your nose cheese and the cat get the first bite o't.
I would hae something to look at on Sunday.
The reply of a man who is asked of what use a wife would be to him.
I wouldna be deaved wi' your keckling for a' your eggs.
That is, your services do not compensate for the annoyance you cause.
I wouldna ca' the king my cousin.
Expressive of contentment.
I wouldna fodder you for a' your muck.
Of similar import to "I wouldna be deaved," &c.
I wouldna hae kent ye if I had met ye in my parritch.
A phrase to express that a person whom you had not seen for a long time had so much altered in appearance as to be scarcely recognisable.
I would rather see't than hear tell o't, as blind Pate said.
I would sooner be your Bible than your horse.
A jocular allusion to the fact that a person neglects the one, but overworks the other.
I would sooner gae by his door than ower his grave.
"Nothing but a wish that our sick friend may recover."--_Kelly._
I would sooner hear the lark sing than the mouse cheep.
Or abroad early in the morning than late at night.
I would sooner my bannock burn than that you should turn't.
That is, I would rather allow an article to spoil than be indebted to you for assistance in keeping it right.
I would sooner see ye fleipeyed, like a French cat.
"A disdainful rejection of an unworthy proposal; spoken by bold maids to the vile offers of young fellows."--_Kelly._
Jeddart justice--first hang a man, syne try him.
"According to Crawford, in his Memoirs, the phrase _Jedburgh justice_ took its rise in 1574, on the occasion of the Regent Morton there and then trying and condemning, with cruel precipitation, a vast number of people who had offended against the laws, or against the supreme cause of his lordship's faction. A different origin is assigned by the people. Upon the occasion, say they, of nearly twenty criminals being tried for one offence, the jury were equally divided in opinion as to a verdict, when one who had been asleep during the whole trial suddenly awoke, and, being interrogated for his vote, vociferated, 'Hang them a'!'
"The English phrase 'Lidford Law,' commemorated by Grose, bears the same signification."--_Robert Chambers._
Jock's a mislear'd imp, but ye're a run deil.
That is, "Jock," although very mischievous, is a quiet and well-behaved person compared to you.
Joke at leisure; ye kenna wha may jibe yoursel.
Jouk, and let the jaw gang by.
Literally, stoop, and let the rush of water go over your head; meaning, yield to adverse circumstances, and their effects will pass away.
"Just as it fa's," quo' the wooer to the maid.
"A courtier went to woo a maid: she was dressing supper with a drop at her nose. She asked him if he would stay all night; he answered, 'Just as it falls:' meaning, if the drop fell among the meat, he would be off; if it fell by, he would stay."--_Kelly._
Just enough and nae mair, like Janet Howie's shearer's meat.
Just, father, just; three half-crowns mak five shillings; gie me the money and I'll pay the man.
Kail hains bread.
Kame sindle, kame sair.
If the hair is seldom combed it soon becomes a difficult and painful operation to perform. Proverbially applied when simple but necessary matters of business are neglected to such an extent that they become troublesome.
Kamesters are aye creeshy.
"Kamesters," or wool-combers, are always greasy. People are always like their work.
Katie Sweerock, frae where she sat, cried, "Reik me this, and reik me that."
"Applied to lazy people, who ask others to do this or that for them which they ought to do for themselves."--_Kelly._
Keek in the stoup was ne'er a gude fellow.
"Spoken when one peeps into the pot to see if the liquor be out; whereas a jolly good fellow should drink about, and when the pot's empty call for more."--_Kelly._
Keep a calm sough.
That is, keep your own counsel on matters of danger or delicacy.
"'Thir kittle times will drive the wisest o' us daft,' said Neil Blane, the prudent host of the Howff; 'but I'se aye keep a calm sough.'"--_Old Mortality._
Keep aff and gie fair words.
Or promise much, but perform little.
"The assets he carried off are of nae mair use to him than if he were to light his pipe wi' them. He tried if MacVittie & Co. wad gie him siller on them--that I ken by Andro Wylie; but they were ower auld cats to draw that strae afore them--they keepit aff and gae fair words."--_Rob Roy._
Keep a thing seven years, and ye'll find a use for't.
Keep gude company, and ye'll be counted ane o' them.
Keep hame, and hame will keep you.
Keep out o' his company that cracks o' his cheatery.
Shun the company of him who boasts of his cunning.
Keep something for a sair fit.
"Keep something for a rainy day."--_English._
Keep the feast till the feast day.
Keep the head and feet warm, and the rest will tak nae harm.
Keep the staff in your ain hand.
Keep woo, and it will be dirt; keep lint, and it will be silk.
"Lint mellows and improves by keeping, but wool rots."--_Kelly._
Keep your ain fish-guts to your ain sea-maws.
"'Why, Mrs Heukbane,' said the woman of letters, pursing up her mouth, 'ye ken my gudeman likes to ride the expresses himsel--we maun gie our ain fish-guts to our ain sea-maws--it's a red half-guinea to him every time he munts his mear.'"--_The Antiquary._
Keep your ain cart-grease for your ain cart-wheels.
Of similar meaning to the preceding proverb.
Keep your breath to cool your parritch.
Applied to people who are angry without cause, or exercising undue authority.
"The only wiselike thing I heard ony body say, was decent Mr John Kirk of Kirk-knowe, and he wussed them just to get the king's mercy, and nae mair about it. But he spak to unreasonable folk--he might just hae keepit his breath to hae blawn on his porridge."--_Heart of Midlothian._
Keep your gab steekit when ye kenna your company.
Be silent or cautious in speaking when in the company of strangers.
Keep your kiln-dried taunts for your mouldy hair'd maidens.
"A disdainful return to those who are too liberal with their taunts."--_Kelly._
Keep your mocks till ye're married.
Keep your mouth shut and your een open.
Keep your tongue a prisoner, and your body will gang free.
Keep your tongue within your teeth.
Kenn'd folk's nae company.
Ken when to spend and when to spare, and ye needna be busy, and ye'll ne'er be bare.
Ken yoursel, and your neighbour winna misken you.
Kindle a candle at baith ends, and it'll soon be done.
Kindness comes o' will; it canna be coft.
Kindness is like cress-seed, it grows fast.
Kindness will creep where it canna gang.
Kings and bears aft worry their keepers.
"Witness the tragical end of many courtiers."--_Kelly._
Kings are kittle cattle to shoe behint.
"'Kittill to scho behind,' not to be depended on; not worthy of trust."--_Jamieson._
King's cheese gaes half away in parings.
For a greater part of the income is absorbed in the expenses of collecting it.
King's cauff's worth ither folk's corn.
"'I am sure,' said Ritchie, composedly, 'I wish Laurie a higher office, for your lordship's sake and for mine, and specially for his ain sake, being a friendly lad; yet your lordship must consider that a scullion--if a yeoman of the king's most royal kitchen may be called a scullion--may weel rank with a master-cook elsewhere; being that king's cauff, as I said before, is better than ----.'"--_Fortunes of Nigel._
Kings hae lang hands.
Kiss and be kind, the fiddler is blind.
Kiss a sklate stane, and that winna slaver you.
"'Ah! bonny lass,' says he, 'ye'll gies a kiss, An' I sall set ye richt on, hit or miss.' 'A hit or miss I'll get, but help o' you, Kiss ye sklate-stanes, they winna weet your mou'.' An' aff she gaes, the fallow loot a rin, As gin he ween'd wi' speed to tak her in, But as luck was, a knibblich took his tae, An' o'er fa's he, an' tumbled doun the brae."--_Ross's Helenore._
Kissing gaes by favour.
Kissing is cried down since the shaking o' hands.
Kelly says (1721), "There is a proclamation that nobody should kiss hereafter, but only shake hands." Spoken by a woman who is asked for a kiss, but who is unwilling to allow it.
Kiss my foot, there's mair flesh on't.
A sharp reply to those who obsequiously ask permission to kiss the hand.
Kiss ye me till I be white, an' that will be an ill web to bleach.
Knock a carle, and ding a carle, and that's the way to win a carle; kiss a carle, and clap a carle, and that's the way to tine a carle.
"Both these are joined together, and signify that people of mean breeding are rather to be won by harsh treatment than civil."--_Kelly._
Kythe in your ain colours, that folk may ken ye.
Lacking breeds laziness, but praise breeds pith.
"Discommend a boy, and you discourage him; but commend him, and it will spur him on."--_Kelly._
Lads will be men.
Laith to bed, laith oot o't.
Laith to drink, laith frae't.
Meaning that although some people are slow or "laith" to begin a thing, still, when they do commence, it is difficult to get them to leave off.
Lang and sma', gude for naething ava.
Jocularly applied to those who are tall and of "genteel" build.
Langest at the fire soonest finds cauld.
Lang fasting gathers wind.
Lang fasting hains nae meat.
Lang leal, lang poor.
Lang lean maks hamald cattle.
That is, poorly kept cattle makes homely, domestic, or common meat.
Lang look'd for come at last.
Lang mint, little dint.
"Much ado about nothing."
Lang noses are aye taking till them.
Lang or ye saddle a foal.
Lang or you cut Falkland wood wi' a pen-knife.
Spoken when people enter into extensive undertakings without sufficient preparations or means.
Lang sick, soon weel.
Lang sport turns aft to earnest.
Lang standing and little offering maks a poor priest.
"Lang straes are nae motes," quo' the wife when she haul'd the cat out o' the kirn.
Lang tarrowing taks a' the thanks awa.
"He loses his thanks that promises, but delays."--_English._
Lang-tongued wives gang lang wi' bairn.
"Applied to those who discover their projects, designs, and intentions long before they are put in execution."--_Kelly._
Lasses and glasses are bruckle ware.
Lassies are like lamb-legs: they'll neither saut nor keep.
Lassies now-a-days ort nae God's creatures.
"The proverbial reflection of an old woman, as signifying that in our times young women are by no means nice in their choice of husbands."--_Jamieson._
Last to bed, best heard.
Laugh and lay't down again.
Laugh at leisure, ye may greet ere night.
Laugh at your ain toom pouches.
"'The japanned tea-caddie, Hannah--the best bohea--bid Tib kindle a spark of fire--the morning's damp--draw in the giggling faces of ye, ye d--d idle scoundrels, or laugh at your ain toom pouches--it will be lang or your weel-doing fill them.' This was spoken, as the honest lawyer himself might have said, _in transitu_."--_St Ronan's Well._
Law licks up a'.
"The Laird has been a true friend on our unhappy occasions, and I have paid him back the siller for Effie's misfortune, whereof Mr Nichil Novit returned him no balance, as the Laird and I did expect he wad hae done. But law licks up a', as the common folk say. I have had the siller to borrow out o' sax purses."--_Heart of Midlothian._
Law-makers shouldna be law-breakers.
Law's a deadly distemper amang friends.
Law's costly: tak a pint and gree.
"How easy can the barley bree Cement the quarrel! It's aye the cheapest lawyer's fee, To taste the barrel."--_Burns._
Lay a thing by and it'll come o' use.
Lay the head o' the sow to the tail o' the grice.
Or place the profit against the loss.
"An' I am to lose by ye, I'se ne'er deny I hae won by ye mony a fair pund sterling--sae, an' it come to the warst, I'se e'en lay the head o' the sow to the tail o' the grice."--_Rob Roy._
Lay the sweet side o' your tongue till't.
"An answer to them that ask what they will get to their hasty pudding."--_Kelly._
Lay up like a laird, and seek like a lad.
Lay your wame to your winning.
That is, let your housekeeping expenses be in unison with your income.
Laziness is muckle worth, when it's weel guided.
Lazy youth maks lousy age.
Leal folk ne'er wanted gear.
Leal heart leed never.
"A' was toom, a' heartless-like, an' bare; Her dowie pain she culdna mair conceal-- The heart, they'll say, will never lie that's leal." --_Ross's Helenore._
Lean on the brose ye got in the morning.
Spoken facetiously to a person who leans heavily on another.
Leap year was never a gude sheep year.
Learn the cat the road to the kirn, and she'll aye be lickin'.
Learn young, learn fair; learn auld, learn mair.
Learn your gudewife to mak milk kail.
That is, "Teach your grandmother to suck eggs."
Learn you an ill habit and ye'll ca't a custom.
Least said soonest mended.
Leave aff while the play's gude.
Leave a jest when it pleases you best.
Leave the court ere the court leave you.
Leave welcome aye behint you.
Prolong your stay only so long as you find your company approved of, so that you may not be considered tedious.
Lee for him and he'll swear for you.
Leein' rides on debt's back.
Lend your money and lose your friend.
"It is not the lending of our money that loses our friend; but the demanding of it again, and that will lose a friend to my certain knowledge. They have a proverbial rhyme to this purpose:--
"'I had a } {and a } {as many of this land, I lent my } {to my } {when he did it demand, I sought my } penny {from my} friend {when he had kept it long, I lost my } {and my } {and was not that a wrong? Had I a } {and a } {as I have had before, I wo'd keep my} {and my } {and play the fool no more.'" --_Kelly._
Let-a-be for let-a-be.
"Mutual forbearance."--_Jamieson._
Let ae deil dang anither.
An expression of indifference at two bad persons quarrelling.
Let a horse drink what he will, but no when he will.
Let alane maks mony a loon.
"Let a' trades live," quo' the wife when she burnt her besom.
Let aye the bell'd wether break the snaw.
A "bell'd wether" is a ram with a bell round its neck; and the proverb means that a difficult or dangerous undertaking should be led by a person of experience.
Let folk bode weel, and do their best.
Let him cool in the skin he het in.
Let him drink as he has brewen.
Let by-ganes be by-ganes.
"'Hout, ay,' said Elliot, 'just let by-ganes be by-ganes, and a' friends again; deil ane I bear malice at but Westburnflat, and I hae gi'en him baith a het skin and a cauld ane.'"--_The Black Dwarf._
Let him haud the bairn that's aught the bairn.
Let him ride his ain horse wi' his ain hauding.
Let him tak a spring on his ain fiddle.
Let him tak his fling, and he'll find oot his ain weight.
Let him that's cauld blaw the ingle.
Let him that pays the lawin' choose the lodging.
"'I dinna ken, sir,' she replied in a dry _reveche_ tone, which carried me back twenty years, 'I am nane of thae heartsome landleddies that can tell country cracks, and make themsells agreeable; and I was ganging to pit on a fire for you in the red room; but if it is your will to stay here, he that pays the lawing maun choose the lodging.'"--_The Highland Widow._
Let his ain wand ding him.
Let ilka ane roose the ford as they find it.
That is, let every one speak of a thing as he finds it.
Let ilka ane soop before their ain door.
Let ilka cock fight his ain battle.
Let ilka herring hing by its ain head.
Let ilka man soop the ice wi' his ain besom.
Let ilka sheep hang by its ain shank.
Let ilka tub stand on its ain bottom.
Let na the plough stand to kill a mouse.
Do not quit or neglect an important matter to look after trifles.
Let ne'er your gear owergang ye.
Never let your wealth make you give way to pride, or forget your old friends.
Let never sorrow come sae near your heart.
Let sleeping dogs lie.
Let that flee stick to the wa'.
"'Hout tout, man! let that flee stick in the wa',' answered his kinsman; 'when the dirt's dry it will rub out.'"--_Rob Roy._
Let the eird bear the dike.