The Proverbs of Scotland Part 10

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 fas.h.i.+ous life.

A reproof is nae poison.

"No, indeed! but a wholesome medicine, which whosoever refuseth is brutis.h.!.+"--_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 n.i.g.g.ardly 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 s.h.i.+p'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 s.h.i.+p'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 coa.r.s.e 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, b.u.t.ter 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 b.i.t.c.h, 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.