The Proverbs of Scotland Part 23

"Quod _Danger_, Sen I understand That counsell can be nae command, I have nae mair to say, Except gif that he thocht it good; Tak counsell zit or ze conclude Of wyser men nor they."--_Cherrie and the Slae._

Count again is no forbidden.

Count like Jews and 'gree like brithers.

Count siller after a' your kin.

Courtesy is c.u.mbersome to him that kens it na.

Crabbit was and cause hadna.

Crab without a cause, mease without mends.

That is, if you are peevish and ill-pleased without cause, you must regain your good nature without amends.

Craft maun hae claes, but truth gaes naked.

Credit is better than ill-won gear.

Credit keeps the crown o' the causey.

Creep before ye gang.

"Ye will never make your bread that way, Maister Francie. Ye suld munt up a muckle square of canva.s.s, like d.i.c.k Tinto, and paint folk's ainsells, that they like muckle better to see than ony craig in the haill water; and I wadna muckle objeck even to some of the Wallers coming up and sitting to ye. They waste their time war, I wis--and, I warrant, ye might mak a guinea a-head of them. d.i.c.k made twa, but he was an auld used hand, and folk maun creep before they gang."--_St Ronan's Well._

Cripples are aye better planners than workers.

Cripples are aye great doers--break your leg and try.

People who are always very ready to give advice are generally slow in giving a.s.sistance.

"Crookit carlin," quo' the cripple to his wife.

"Oh wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursels as others see us!

It wad frae mony a blunder free us, And foolish notion."--_Burns._

Cry a' at ance, that's the way to be served.

Curses mak the tod fat.

So long as he is cursed only, not hunted, does he thrive; for "A curse will not strike out an eye unless the fist go with it."--_Danish._

Cut your coat according to your cloth.

Daffin' and want o' wit maks auld wives donnart.

"Daffin'" is defined by Ramsay as "folly in general;" so the proverb means that foolish conduct in the aged is inconsistent or "donnart,"

_i.e._, stupid.

Daffin' does naething.

Playing accomplishes nothing.

Daily wearing needs yearly beiting.

Literally, clothes that are worn daily, require to be renewed annually.

Dame, deem warily, ye watna wha wytes yoursel.

"Deemer," one who judges.--_Jamieson._ That is, judge other people cautiously; we know not who blames ourselves.

Dammin' and lavin' is gude sure fis.h.i.+ng.

"'Dammin' and lavin',' a low poaching mode of catching fish in rivulets, by _damming_ and diverting the course of the stream, and then _laving_ or throwing out the water, so as to get at the devoted prey."--_Jamieson._

Danger past, G.o.d forgotten.

Daughters and dead fish are kittle keeping wares.

A suggestion that daughters should be married, and dead fish eaten, otherwise they will both spoil on the hands of their possessors.

"Daughters are brittle ware."--_Dutch._ "Marry your son when you will, and your daughter when you can."--_Spanish._

Daughters pay nae debts.

Dawted bairns can bear little.

Dawted daughters mak daidling wives.

Daughters who have been too much indulged or petted at home before marriage make but indifferent wives.

Daylight will peep through a sma' hole.

Dead men are free men.

Dead men do nae harm.

Deal sma' and ser' a'.

Death and drink-draining are near neighbours.

In allusion to the drinking usages formerly common at burials.

Death and marriage break term-day.

Death at ae door and heirs.h.i.+p at the other.