The Proverbs of Scotland Part 111

Ye'll sit till ye sweat and work till ye freeze.

Ye'll tak mair in your mou' than your cheeks will haud.

Ye'll worry in the band like M'Ewen's calf.

"In plain English, you'll be hanged."--_Kelly._

Ye loe a' ye see, like Rab Roole when he's ree.

Addressed to covetous, greedy persons. When Rab Roole was "ree," he was crazy with drink.

Ye look as bauld as a blackfaced wedder.

Ye look as if b.u.t.ter wadna melt in your mou', but cheese will no choke ye.

"I am beginning to think ye are but a queer ane--ye look as if b.u.t.ter wadna melt in your mouth, but I sall warrant cheese no choke ye.--But I'll thank ye to gang your ways into the parlour, for I'm no like to get muckle mair out o' ye."--_St Ronan's Well._

Ye look as if ye had eaten your bedstrae.

"Ye look like a rinner," quo' the deil to the lobster.

"Spoken to those who are very unlikely to do what they pretend to."--_Kelly._

Ye look like Let-me-be.

That is, very quiet and inoffensive.

Ye look liker a deil than a bishop.

Ye look liker a thief than a horse.

Yelping curs will raise mastiffs.

Ye maun be auld ere ye pay sic a gude wad.

Literally, you will be very old ere you can perform such a promise; proverbially, of course, that you look upon that promise as of no value.

Ye maun hae't baith simmered and wintered.

"'To simmer and winter,' to spend much time in forming a plan; to ponder; to ruminate."--_Jamieson._

It also means, to trifle, to dilly-dally, to go round about a subject.

"'His heart was amaist broken.' 'It maun be unco brittle,' said Claud, with a hem. 'But what's the need o' this summering and wintering anent it? Tell us what has happened.'"--_The Entail._

Ye maun redd your ain ravelled clue.

That is, you must extricate yourself from your difficulties without a.s.sistance.

Ye maun spoil or ye spin.

Ye maun tak the will for the deed.

Ye maunna throw awa the cog, tho' Crummie fling't.

Ye may be G.o.dly, but ye'll ne'er be cleanly.

Ye may be greedy, but ye're no greening.

Ye may dight yer neb and flee up.

An expression of indifference, addressed to a person whose opinion we consider of no value.

Ye may be heard where ye're no seen.

Ye may dance at the end o' a raip yet without teaching.

Ye may drive the deil into a wife, but ye'll ne'er ding him oot o' her.

Ye may end him, but ye'll ne'er mend him.

Ye may gang farther and fare waur.

Ye may gape lang enough ere a bird flee into your mou'.

Ye may live and no pree the tangs.

Ye may tak a drink out o' the burn when ye canna tak a bite out o' the brae.

Ye may tine the faither looking for the son.

Ye may wash aff dirt, but never dun hide.

Ye mete my peas wi' your ain peck.

Ye needna mak a causey tale o't.

That is, I have told you so-and-so, but do not speak of it--do not publish it.

Ye ne'er see green cheese but your een reels.

Meaning that the person spoken to is very covetous of everything he sees.

Ye rave unrocked, I wish your head was knocked.

"Spoken to them that speak unreasonable things, as if they raved."--_Kelly._

Ye're a' blawin' like a burstin' haggis.