The Proverbs of Scotland Part 14

A vaunter and a liar are near akin.

A wa' between best preserves friends.h.i.+p.

Meaning that friends are best separate.

A wad is a fule's argument.

"Fools, for argument, lay wagers."--_Butler._

A waited pat's lang o' boiling.

A wamefu's a wamefu' wer't but o' bare cauf.

A bellyful is a bellyful, no matter what kind of meat is taken. A variation occurs in _St Ronan's Well_:--"A wamefu's a wamefu'

whether it be o' barley meal or bran."

A wee bush is better than nae beild.

"Dame Elspeth is of good folk, a widow, and the mother of orphans,--she will give us house-room until something be thought upon. These evil showers make the low bush better than no beild."--_The Monastery._

A wee house has a wide throat.

A wee house weel fill'd, a wee piece land weel till'd, a wee wife weel will'd, will mak a happy man.

A wee mouse will creep beneath a muckle corn stack.

A wee spark maks muckle wark.

A wee thing fleys cowards.

A wee thing puts your beard in a bleeze.

A wee thing ser's a cheerfu' mind.

A wet May and a winnie, brings a fu' stackyard and a finnie.

"Implying that rain in May and dry winds afterwards produce a plentiful crop, with that mark of excellence by which grain is generally judged of by connoisseurs--a good feeling in the hand."--_Robert Chambers._

A whang off a cut kebbuck's never miss'd.

A wife is wise enough when she kens her gudeman's breeks frae her ain kirtle.

Kelly gives a very indifferent version of this proverb, and says, "This is old, and a good one if rightly understood: that is, she is a good wife who knows the true measure of her husband's authority and her obedience."

A wight man ne'er wanted a weapon.

A wild goose ne'er laid tame eggs.

A wilfu' man maun hae his way.

"'Reuben Butler! Reuben Butler!' echoed the Laird of Dumbied.y.k.es, pacing the apartment in high disdain,--'Reuben Butler, the dominie at Liberton--and a dominie-depute too!--Reuben, the son of my cottar!--Very weel, Jeanie, la.s.s, wilfu' woman will hae her way--Reuben Butler! he hasna in his pouch the value o' the auld black coat he wears.'"--_Heart of Midlothian._

A wilfu' man ne'er wanted wae.

"It has been said, and may be sae, A wilfull man wants never wae, Thocht he gets little gains."--_Cherrie and the Slae._

A wilfu' man should be unco wise.

A willing mind maks a light foot.

A winking cat's no aye blind.

A winter day and a wintry way is the life o' man.

A winter night, a woman's mind, and a laird's purpose, aften change.

"Women, wind, and luck soon change."--_Portuguese._

A wise head maks a close mouth.

A wise lawyer ne'er gangs to law himsel.

A wise man carries his cloak in fair weather, an' a fool wants his in rain.

"An encouragement to care, caution, and foresight, and especially not to leave your cloak, be the weather e'er so encouraging."--_Kelly._

"Chiels carry cloaks, when 'tis clear, The fool when 'tis foul has nane to wear."--_Ramsay._

A wise man gets learning frae them that hae nane o' their ain.

A wise man wavers, a fool is fixed.

A woman's gude either for something or naething.

A word is enough to the wise.

A working mither maks a daw dochter.

Another rendering of "A light-heeled mother," &c.

Aye as ye thrive your feet fa's frae ye.

"Unexpected interruptions occur in business."--_Kelly._

"The farther you go, the farther behind."--_English._

Aye flether away;--since I'll no do wi' foul play, try me wi' fair.

A yeld sow was never gude to gryces.