The Proverbs of Scotland Part 20

"That is, there may be difference between things of the same kind and persons of the same station."--_Kelly._

Blue's beauty, red's a taiken, green's grief, and yellow's forsaken.

Examples of the "Poetry of colour."

Blue is love true.

Bluid's thicker than water.

"'Weel, weel,' said Mr Jarvie, 'bluid's thicker than water; and it liesna in kith, kin, and ally, to see motes in ilk other's een if other een see them no.'"--_Rob Roy._

Bode a robe and wear it, bode a pock and bear it.

According as our aspirations are high or low, so do we succeed or fail. "As you make your bed, so you must lie on it."

Bode for a silk gown and ye'll get a sleeve o't.

That is, if we "bode" or earnestly wish for an article or result, we will get at least something approaching to it. An Aberdeens.h.i.+re parallel to this is, "They never bodet a house o' gowd, but aye got a caber o't."

Bode gude and get it.

Boden gear stinks.

The theory of the fox and grapes.

Bonnet aside! how sell you your maut?

Bonny birds are aye the warst singers.

Bonny sport, to fare weel and pay nothing for't.

"Diogenes is said to have thought that the best wine which cost him nothing."--_Kelly._

Bourdna wi' bawty lest he bite ye.

Bourdna wi' my e'e nor wi' mine honour.

Do not jest or trifle with subjects of delicacy, character, &c.

Bread and cheese is gude to eat when folk can get nae ither meat.

Bread and milk is bairns' meat: I wish them sorrow that loe it.

Bread's house skail'd never.

A full or hospitable house never wants visitors.

Break my head and syne draw on my how.

Breeding wives are aye beddie.

Bridal feasts are soon forgotten.

Broken bread maks batet bairns.

Broken friends.h.i.+ps may be souther'd, but never sound.

Burnt bairns dread the fire.

Busy folk are aye meddling.

But middlin' bonny, like Boles' gudemither.

b.u.t.ter and burn trouts are kittle meat for maidens.

b.u.t.ter's king o' a' creesh.

b.u.t.ter to b.u.t.ter's nae kitchen.

Like to like is no improvement or relish.

Buy a thief frae the widdie and he'll help to hang ye.

"Save a rogue from the gallows, and he will hang you up."--_French._

Buy friends.h.i.+p wi' presents, and it will be bought frae you.

Buy in the market and sell at hame.

Buy what you dinna want and ye'll sell what you canna spare.

By chance a cripple may grip a hare.

By doing naething we learn to do ill.

Ca' a cow to the ha' and she'll rin to the byre.

"Set a frog on a golden stool; Off it goes again to the pool."--_German._

Ca' again: you're no a ghaist.

An intimation that your visits are agreeable.

Ca' canny and flee laigh.

Ca' canny, and ye'll break nae graith.