Chapter 2
A' his buz shakes nae barley.
All his talking does no good, or, _vice versa_, all his stormy temper does no harm.
A hook is weel tint to catch a salmon.
"Throw sprats to catch whales."--_Spanish._
A horn spoon hauds nae poison.
The humble rank indicated by the horn spoon is one in which simplicity and contentment are so general that no poisoning need be feared. "No hemlock is drunk out of earthenware."--_Latin._
A horse broken and a wife to break, is a horse made and a wife to make.
A horse hired never tired.
A horse wi' four feet may snapper.
Snapper, to stumble. Even the best of men may err.
A houndless hunter and a gunless gunner aye see routh o' game.
Applied to those who are always boasting of what they can do, when they know that there is no fear of their powers being tested.
A house built and a garden to grow never brought what they cost.
A house fu' o' folk, and a pouch wi' three fardens i' the corner o't, dinna sort weel thegither.
Poverty and a desire to keep up appearances do not "sort weel."
A house in a hastrie is downright wastrie.
A house wi' a reek and a wife wi' a reard will mak a man rin to the door.
"Smoke, a dripping roof, and a scolding wife, are enough to drive a man out of his life."--_Spanish._
A hungry louse bites sair.
"Spoken when the needy are importunate in their cravings, or exacting."--_Kelly._
A hungry man has aye a lazy cook.
A hungry man's an angry man.
A hungry man smells meat far.
A hungry stomach is aye craving.
A hungry wame has nae lugs.
A hungry man is deaf to reason.
A' I got frae him I could put in my e'e, and see nane the waur for't.
A satirical way of expressing that some service has been allowed to go unrewarded.
A' ills are gude untried.
Air day or late day, the fox's hide finds aye the slaying knife.
Sooner or later justice overtakes evil-doers.
A Januar' haddock, a Februar' bannock, and a March pint o' ale.
"This semi-metrical proverb expresses the season at which the haddock and some other articles of aliment are supposed to be at their best. This, however, as far as the haddock is concerned, would appear questionable, as there is an almost universal notion that the young of this fish at least are best after a little of May has gone. It is said in the Mearns,--
"'A cameral haddock's ne'er gude Till it get three draps o' May flude.'"--_Robert Chambers._
Formerly, brewers made ale only twice a year,--the _summer ale_ in March, and the _winter_ in October.
A Kelso convoy--a step and a half ower the door-stane.
"Ye ken in this country ilka gentleman is wussed to be sae civil as to see the corpse aff his ain grounds. Ye needna gang higher than the loan-head--it's no expected your honour suld leave the land--it's just a Kelso convoy, a step and a half ower the door-stane."--_The Antiquary._
A kindly word cools anger.
A kiss and a drink o' water mak but a wersh breakfast.
Spoken disapprovingly of those who marry for love, without due regard to means.
A landward lad is aye laithfu'.
A country or rustic lad is always bashful.
A lang gather'd dam soon runs out.
A lang tongue has a short hand.
"They who are lavish in their promises, are often short in their performances."--_Kelly._
A lass that has mony wooers aft wails the warst.
A laughing-faced lad often maks a lither servant.
A layin' hen is better than a standin' mill.
A standing mill is profitless, whereas a laying hen is not.
A leaky ship needs muckle pumping.
A leal heart never lied.
Ale-sellers shouldna be tale-tellers.
They hear everybody's story, but prudence demands that they should keep it to themselves.
A liar should hae a gude memory.
A light-heeled mother maks a heavy-heeled dochter.
A light purse maks a heavy heart.
Alike every day maks a clout on Sunday.
A little wit ser's a lucky man.
A' law's no justice.
A loving heart and a leal within, are better than gowd or gentle kin.
A lucky man needs little counsel.
A maid aft seen and a gown aft worn, are disesteemed and held in scorn.
"Amaist" and "Very near" hae aye been great liars.
Amaist was ne'er a man's life.
A man at five may be a fool at fifteen.
A man at forty is either a fool or a physician.
A man canna bear a' his ain kin about on his back.
A man canna wive and thrive the same year.
Amang you be 't, priest's bairns: I am but a priest's oe.
A man has nae mair gudes than he gets gude o'.
A man is a lion for his ain cause.
"No man so zealous for, or assiduous in, a man's business as himself."--_Kelly._
A man maun spoil ere he spin.
A man may be kind, yet gie little o' his gear.
A man may haud his tongue in an ill time.
A man may keep silent at a time or under circumstances where it is an injury to himself.
A man may lose his ain for lack o' craving.
A man may see his friend in need, that wouldna see his pow bleed.
That is, a friend may be willing to do anything, even to fight for him, _except_, and as is too generally the case, to give him pecuniary assistance.
A man may speer the gate he kens fu' weel.
A man may spit in his neive and do but little.
He may make a great show of working, but still _do_ very little.
A man may woo where he will, but maun wed where his weird is.
A man o' mony trades may beg his bread on Sunday.
"Jack of all trades, master of none."--_English._
A man o' straw is worth a woman o' gold.
"It seems that the men contrived these proverbs, they run so much in their favours."--_Kelly._
A man o' words, and no o' deeds, is like a garden fu' o' weeds.
A man's aye crouse in his ain cause.
A man's hat in his hand ne'er did him ony harm.
A man's mind is a mirk mirror.
A man's weel or wae as he thinks himsel sae.
A man was ance hang'd for leaving his drink.
"It took its rise from the villain that assassinated the Prince of Orange. Spoken when men proffer to go away before their drink be out."--_Kelly._
A man wi' ae ee, can see mair than you wi' your twa.
A master's ee maks a fat horse.
"No eye like the master's eye."--_English._
A mear's shoe will fit a horse.
"Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."--_English._
A Merse mist alang the Tweed, in a harvest morning's gude indeed.
"Because it generally precedes a fine, warm, and breezy harvest-day--excellent for the winnowing and in-bringing of the precious grain."--_G. Henderson._
A midge is as big as a mountain, amaist.
The latitude afforded in the meaning of the word "almost," furnishes the point in this and several other proverbs.
A mind that's scrimpit ne'er wants care.
"But aiblins, neibour, ye hae not a heart, And downa eithly wi' your cunzie part. If that be true, what signifies your gear? A mind that's scrimpit never wants some care."--_Gentle Shepherd._
A misty morning may be a clear day.
A morning's sleep is worth a fauld o' sheep to a hudderin dudderin daw.
"A reflection upon lazy, sleepy drabs, who prefer nothing to soaking in their bed in the morning."--_Kelly._
A mouthfu' o' meat may be a tounfu' o' shame.
"That is, if it be stolen--intimating that a little thing picked will procure a great disgrace."--_Kelly._
A muckle mouth has aye gude luck for its meat.
A muffled cat was ne'er a gude hunter.
An Aberdeen man ne'er stands to the word that hurts him.
A nag wi' a wame and a mare wi' nane are no a gude pair.
An air winter maks a sair winter.
A naked man maun rin.
A man that is destitute must exert himself.
An auld dog bites sicker.
An auld horse may dee ere the grass grow.
"While the grass is growing the steed is starving."--_German._
An auld knave's nae bairn.
"An old fox needs learn no new tricks."--_English._
An auld man's a bedfu' o' banes.
An auld mason maks a gude barrowman.
An auld pock is aye skailing.
An auld pock needs muckle clouting.
Old things, generally, are often in need of repair.
An auld tout on a new horn is little minded.
An old story or complaint receives little attention even although it may be told in a different form.
Ance awa, aye awa.
When people once go away from home for a time, there is always a feeling among those left that the bond which binds them to home is weakened, and very little persuasion is required to take them away again.
Ance is nae custom.
Ance paid, never craved.
Ance Provost, aye My Lord.
Ance wud, and aye waur.
Ance wud, never wise.
A person once "wud," or deranged, is always suspected of being so, in the event of anything strange taking place.
Ane at a time is gude fishing.
An eating horse ne'er foundered.
An excuse for taking a hearty meal, meaning that plenty of food will injure neither man nor beast.
Ane beats the bush, and anither grips the bird.
Ane does the skaith, anither gets the scorn.
Ane gets sma' thanks for tineing his ain.
Ane is no sae soon healed as hurt.
An elbuck dirl will lang play thirl.
Ane may like a haggis weel enough that wouldna like the bag bladded on his chafts.
Ane may like the kirk weel enough, and no aye be riding on the rigging o't.
Ane would like to be lo'ed, but wha would mool in wi' a moudiewort?
The three preceding proverbs mean, that although a man may be very fond of his relations, property, and what not, still there are certain extremes to be avoided, for if even approached, they verge into the ridiculous.
Ane may think that daurna speak.
Ane never tines by doing gude.
Ane o' the court, but nane o' the council.
Meaning that although your presence and advice may on certain occasions be requested, it is only for form's sake.
Ane's ain hearth is gowd's worth.
Ane will gar a hundred lee.
A new pair o' breeks will cast down an auld coat.
A new article of dress will make the others look much more worn than they really are. The acquisition of a new friend may tend to lower our esteem for those of longer standing.
Anger's mair hurtfu' than the wrang that caused it.
Anger's short-lived in a gude man.
An honest man's word's his bond.
An idle brain is the deil's workshop.
"He that labours is tempted by one devil; he that is idle by a thousand."--_Italian._
An ilka-day braw maks a Sabbath-day daw.
He that wears his best at all times will have nothing to suit extraordinary occasions.
An ill cook should hae a gude cleaver.
An ill cow may hae a gude calf.
An ill custom is like a gude bannock--better broken than kept.
An ill lesson is easy learned.
An ill life maks an ill death.
An ill plea should be weel pled.
An ill servant ne'er made a gude maister.
An ill shearer ne'er got a gude heuk.
"And now some learner tries to shear, But comes right little speed, I fear; 'The corn lies ill,' and aye we hear 'The sickle's bad:' The byeword says, 'Ill shearer ne'er A gude hook had.'"--_The Har'st Rig._
An ill turn is soon done.
An ill wife and a new-kindled candle should hae their heads hadden down.
"But both must be done with care, caution, and discretion; otherwise you may put the candle out and make the wife worse."--_Kelly._
An ill-willy cow should hae short horns.
"It were a pity that a man of ill-nature should have much authority, for he'll be sure to abuse it."--_Kelly._
An ill-won penny will cast down a pound.
An inch breaks nae squares.
"A little difference ought not to occasion any contests among good neighbours."--_Kelly._
An inch o' a nag is worth a span o' an aiver.
"A little man, if smart and stout, is much preferable to an unwieldy lubber, though much bigger."--_Kelly._
An inch o' gude luck is worth a faddom o' forecast.
A nod frae a lord is a breakfast for a fool.
A nod o' honest men's eneugh.
A nod's as gude's a wink to a blind horse.
An olite mother maks a dawdie dochter.
An only dochter is either a deil or a daw.
An ounce o' mither-wit is worth a pound o' clergy.
An ounce o' wit is worth a pound o' lear.
"An ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of school-wit."--_German._
An unlucky fish taks bad bait.
An unlucky man's cart is eithly coup'd.
An ye loe me look in my dish.
A delicate request for a second supply of soup.
A' owers are ill, but ower the water and ower the hill.
"All owers are repute to be vyce, Ower heich, ower law, ower rasch, ower nyce, Owre het or zit ower cauld."--_Cherrie and the Slae._
A' owers spills.
A party pot ne'er plays even.
An interested or prejudiced individual cannot be an impartial judge of both sides of a question.
A penny hain'd's a penny clear, and a preen a-day's a groat a-year.
A penny hain'd's a penny gained.
A penny in my purse will gar me drink when my friends winna.
A penny in the purse is a gude friend.
A penny in the purse is better than a crown awa.
A pennyweight o' love is worth a pound o' law.
A pickle's no miss'd in a mickle.
A poll parrot thinks weel o' itsel.
A poor man is fain o' little.
A poor man's debt maks muckle din.
A pound o' care winna pay an ounce o' debt.
_Care_ here means sorrow, or trouble of mind, and must not be associated with _care_ in the sense of frugality or economy, which has paid many an ounce of debt.
A pound o' woo' is as heavy as a pound o' lead.
A primsie damsel maks a daidlin' dame.
A proud heart in a poor breast has muckle dolour to dree.
A proud mind and an empty purse gree ill thegither.
"A true proverb! and the worst is, they meet often."--_Kelly._
A raggit coat was ne'er a mote in a man's marriage.
A raggit cowte may be a gude gelding.
An uncouth, unpromising colt may turn out a fine horse. An ignorant, dull boy may ultimately prove a very clever man.
"Yet aft a ragged cowte's been known To mak a noble aiver; So, ye may doucely fill a throne, For a' their clish-ma-claver."--_Burns._
A reckless house maks mony thieves.
A red nose maks a raggit back.
A reeky house and a girnin' wife, will lead a man a fashious life.
A reproof is nae poison.
"No, indeed! but a wholesome medicine, which whosoever refuseth is brutish!"--_Kelly._
A rich man has mair cousins than his faither had kin.
A rich man's wooing's no lang doing.
A rough bane maks a fu' wame.
As a carl riches he wretches.
"Wretch, a covetous or niggardly person."--_Jamieson._ As a man becomes rich he also becomes more parsimonious.
A safe conscience maks a sound sleep.
A saft aiver was ne'er a gude horse.
As ane flits anither sits, and that keeps mailins dear.
As brisk as bottled ale.
As broken a ship's come to land.
"'I fear,' said Morton, 'there is very little chance, my good friend Cuddie, of our getting back to our old occupation.' 'Hout, stir; hout, stir,' replied Cuddie, 'it's aye gude to keep up a hardy heart--as broken a ship's come to land.'"--_Old Mortality._
A's but lip-wit that wants experience.
A scabbed horse is gude enough for a sca'd squire.
A sca'ded cat dreads cauld water.
As canker'd as a cow wi' ae horn.
"As proud as a hen with one chick."--_English._
A scar'd head is eith to bleed.
A scar'd head is soon broken.
A reputation already questionable is easily lost altogether.
As coarse as Nancie's harn sark,--three threads out o' the pound.
A Scotch mist will weet an Englishman to the skin.
A Scotsman and a Newcastle grindstane travel a' the world ower.
Alluding to the wandering propensities of the one and the good qualities of the other.
A Scotsman is aye wise ahint the hand.
"It is too late to throw water on the cinders when the house is burned down."--_Danish._
As dark as a Yule midnight.
As day brake, butter brake.
"Spoken when a person or thing that was wanting comes opportunely."--_Kelly._
A seven years' maiden is aye at the slight.
As fain as a fool o' a fair day.
A's fair at the ba'.
"All's fair in war."--_English._
As fause as Waghorn.
"Waghorn, a fabulous personage, who, being a liar nineteen times greater than the devil, was crowned King of liars."--_Jamieson._
A's fine that's fit.
A's fish that comes to the net.
As fu' o' mischief as an egg's fu' o' meat.
As gentle as Gorman's bitch, that lap ower the ingle and ate the roast.
As gude a fellow as ever toom'd a bicker.
As gude eat the deil as sup the kail he's boiled in.
As gude fish in the sea as e'er cam out o't.
As gude gie the lichtly as tak it.
"Lichtly, an expression of contempt or insult: to undervalue, to slight, to despise."--_Jamieson._
As gude may haud as draw.
As gude may haud the stirrup as he that loups on.
As gude merchants tine as win.
As gude ne'er a bit, as ne'er the better.
"Unless you make a thing the better for you, you had as good let it alone."--_Kelly._
A's gude that God sends.
A shave aff a new cut loaf's never missed.
A shor'd tree stands lang.
"Men do not die of threats."--_Dutch._
A short grace is gude for hungry folk.
A short horse is sune wispit.
A sight o' you is gude for sair een.
"'Wha's this o't?' again exclaimed Madge Wildfire. 'Douce Davie Deans; the auld doited whig body's daughter, in a gipsy's barn, and the nicht setting in! this is a sight for sair een!--Eh, sirs, the falling off o' the godly!--and the t'other sister's in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh.'"--_Heart of Midlothian._
A sillerless man gangs fast through the market.
A silly man will be slily dealt wi'.
"He that makes himself a sheep, shall be eaten by the wolf."--_English._
A sinking maister maks a rising man.
A skelpit bum breaks nae banes.
Ask the tapster if his ale be gude.
Ask your purse what you should buy.
Ask nae questions, and I'll tell nae lees.
"'What needs ye be aye speering then at folk?' retorted Effie. 'I'm sure, if ye'll ask nae questions, I'll tell ye nae lees. I never ask what brings the Laird of Dumbiedykes glowering here like a wull cat (only his een's greener, and no sae gleg), day after day, till we are all like to gaunt our chafts aff.'"--_Heart of Midlothian._
As lang as a dog would be bound wi' a bluidy puddin'.
As lang as the bird sings before Candlemas he greets after it.
As lang as ye serve the tod ye maun carry his tail.
As lang as ye stand ye dinna stay.
"It is enough to make it appear that you did not stay, if you can say you never sate down; an argument to make our friend, who is in haste, to stand and chat awhile."--_Kelly._
As lang lasts the hole as the heel leather.
"Spoken to them that quarrel with a hole in your coat or shoe: often applied otherways."--_Kelly._
As lang lives the merry man as the sad.
As lang rins the tod as he has feet.
A slow hand maks a sober fortune.
A slow fire maks a sweat maut.
A sma' leak will sink a great ship.
As menseless as a tinkler's messan.
As merry's a mautman.
A smith's house is aye lowin'.
As mony heads as mony wits.
As muckle upwith as muckle downwith.
A's no gowd that glitters, nor maidens that wear their hair.
"It was the fashion some years ago (1721) for virgins to go bareheaded. The proverb means that everything is not so good as it appears."--_Kelly._
A's no help that's at hand.
A's no ill that's ill like.
A's no part.
A's no tint that fa's bye.
A's no tint that's in hazard.
A sorrowfu' heart's aye dry.
"Spoken when widows or widowers drink liberally, alledging it was to quench their sorrow."--_Kelly._
A sooth bourd is nae bourd.
"'D'ye hear that, Provost?' said Summertrees. 'Your wife's a witch, man; you should nail a horse-shoe on your chamber door. Ha, ha, ha!'
"This sally did not take so well as the former efforts of the laird's wit. The lady drew up, and the Provost said, half aside, 'The sooth bourd is nae bourd; you will find the horse-shoe hissing hot, Summertrees.'"--_Redgauntlet._
As poor as a kirk mouse.
A spunefu' o' stink will spoil a patfu' o' skink.
"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour; so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour."--_Ecclesiastes_, x. 1.
A spur in the head's worth twa in the heel.
As sair fights the wren as the crane.
As sair greets the bairn that's paid at e'en as it that gets its paiks in the morning.
As sib as sieve and riddle that grew in ae wood.
"Spoken of them who groundlessly pretend kindred to great persons."--_Kelly._
As sune comes the lamb's skin to the market as the auld tup's.
"Of young die many, of old 'scape not any."--_English._
As sure's death.
An emphatic assertion that the truth had been told. At school we had a pious faith in these words. Any narrative clenched with them was invariably believed. If anything was said of a questionable nature, the listener would say, "Say sure's death to that, then." If repeated, confidence was fully restored.
A steek in time saves nine.
As the auld cock craws the young cock learns.
As the day lengthens the cauld strengthens.
As the fool thinks the bell clinks.
As the market gangs the wares sell.
As the sow fills the draff sours.
As the wind blaws seek your beild.
That is, endeavour to suit yourself to circumstances. Kelly pawkily remarks, This is "a politick proverb! advising us to make our interest as the times change. This proverb some act very dexterously, and others cannot get acted."
A still sow eats a' the draff.
A's tint that's put in a riven dish.
All is lost that is put into a broken dish. Favours bestowed on ungrateful persons are thrown away.
As tired as a tyke o' langkail.
"Are ye fou already, Watty Walkinshaw? If ye mudge out o' that seat again this night, I'll mak you as sick o' pies and puddings as ever a dog was o' langkail."--_The Entail._
As true as Biglam's cat crew, and the cock rocked the cradle.
"Spoken when we hear one call that true that we know to be a lye."--_Kelly._
A' Stuarts are no sib to the king.
Although all of the same name, we are not of the same family. "There is some distance between Peter and Peter."--_Spanish._
A sturdy beggar should hae a stout nae-sayer.
As wanton as a wet hen.
As weel be hang'd for a sheep as a lamb.
As weel be sune as syne.
Used as a suggestion that a thing had better be done at present than put off till a future time, or _vice versa_. "Ae wise body's eneugh in the married state. But if your heart's ower fu', take what siller will serve ye, and let it be when ye come back again--as gude syne as sune."--_Heart of Midlothian._
As weel be out o' the warld as out o' fashion.
As wight as a wabster's doublet, that ilka day taks a thief by the neck.
As ye are stout be merciful.
As ye brew sae ye maun drink.
"Some will spend, and some will spare, And wilfu' folk maun hae their will; Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair, Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill."--_Burns._
As ye brew weel ye'll drink the better.
"'So ye hae gotten your auld son married? I hope it's to your satisfaction.'
"'An he has brewed good yill, Mr Keelevin, he'll drink the better,' was the reply; 'but I hae come to consult you anent a bit alteration that I would fain make in my testament.'"--_The Entail._
As ye mak your bed sae ye maun lie on't.
A's yours frae the door out.
"A jest upon those who pretend that such and such things in the house are theirs. As if you would say, all the household goods without the doors are yours."--_Kelly._
A taking hand will never want, let the world be e'er sae scant.
A tarrowing bairn was never fat.
A child that refuses or is slow in taking its food. People who will not take advantage as opportunities offer, cannot expect to prosper so well as those who do.
A tale never tines in the telling.
A' that's said in the kitchen shouldna be tauld in the ha'.
A' that's said shouldna be sealed.
A' that ye'll tak wi' ye will be but a kist and a sheet, after a'.