The Proverbs of Scotland Part 115

Ye wad clatter a cat to death.

"'Clatter,' to prattle, to act as a tell-tale."--_Jamieson._

Ye wad gar me trow my head's cowed, though there's no shears come near't.

That is, you would make me believe a thing which I know to be quite false.

Ye wad mak a gude wife, ye haud the grip ye get.

Ye wad mak muckle o' me if I was yours.

Ye wad marry a midden for the muck.

Ye wad steal the pocks frae an auld wife, and syne speir where she got them.

Ye was bred about the mill, ye hae mooped a' your manners.

"Spoken to inferiors when they show themselves rude in their speech or behaviour."--_Kelly._

Ye was ne'er born at that time o' the year.

"Spoken to them that expect such a place, station, or condition which we think above their birth."--_Kelly._

Ye was put out o' the oven for nipping the pies.

With the same meaning, we once heard a vulgar little boy say to another, that he was "Put out of the workhouse for eating the number off his plate!"

Ye was sae hungry ye couldna stay the grace.

Ye watna what's behint your hand.

Ye watna what wife's ladle may cog your kail.

Ye watna where a blessing may light.

Ye winna craw trade.

That is, you will never admit that trade is good.

Ye winna put out the fire wi' tow.

Ye work by Macfarlane's lantern.

"The clan of MacFarlane, occupying the fastnesses of the western side of Loch Lomond, were great depredators on the Low Countries, and as their excursions were made usually by night, the moon was proverbially called their lantern."--_Note to Waverley._

Ye yirr and yowl--ye bark, but daurna bite.

Young cowtes will canter.

"Meg, on her part, though she often called them 'drunken neer-do-weels, and thoroughbred High Street blackguards,' allowed no other person to speak ill of them in her hearing. 'They were daft callants,' she said, 'and that was all--when the drink was in, the wit was out; ye could not put an auld head upon young shouthers; a young cowt will canter, be it up hill or down--and what for no?' was her uniform conclusion."--_St Ronan's Well._

Young ducks may be auld geese.

"A man at five may be a fool at fifteen."

Young folk may dee, auld folk maun dee.

Young saints, auld sinners.

"'I hae played wi' him mysel at Glennaquoich, and sae has Vich Ian Vohr, often of a Sunday afternoon.' 'Lord forgie ye, Ensign MacComb.i.+.c.h,' said the alarmed Presbyterian; 'I'm sure the colonel wad never do the like o' that.' 'Hout! hout! Mrs Flockhart,' replied the Ensign, 'we're young blude, ye ken; and young saints, auld deils.'"--_Waverley._

Your bread's baked, you may hing up your girdle.

Your een's greedier than your guts.

This is applied to persons who leave a "rough" plate--who, having asked for a dish, are unable to finish it.

Your een's no marrows.

Your een's your merchant.

Your fortune's coming wi' the blind carrier.

"Deed, Mr Stimperton, I'm no sae daft. Whaur wad the profit o' that be, I wonder? I trow, the princ.i.p.al and interest wad come back to me wi' the blind carrier. Set my nevo up wi' my hard won siller, truly!"--_The Disruption._

Your head canna get up but your stamach follows.

Your mind's aye chasing mice.

Your mou's beguiled your hands.

Your purse was steekit when that was paid for.

A polite manner of intimating that the article in question has not been paid.

Your tongue is nae scandal.

Your tongue rins aye before your wit.

Your tongue wags like a lamb's tail.

Your thrift's as gude as the profit o' a yeld hen.

"Your will's law," quo' the tailor to the clockin' hen, when she pick'd oot his twa een, and cam for his nose.

Your wit will ne'er worry you.

Yule is young on Yule even, and auld on Saint Steven.