The Proverbs of Scotland Part 32

Meaning, that the person addressed is so well versed in evil ways as to be able to occupy a high position in the service of the Evil One.

Gae to the deil, for his name's sake.

Gane is the goose that laid the muckle egg.

Gang farther and fare waur.

Gardener's law--Eat your fill, but pouch nane.

Gar wood's ill to grow; chuckie stanes are ill to chow.

Gather haws before the snaws.

Gathering gear is weel liket wark.

Acquiring wealth is pleasant employment.

Gaunting bodes wanting ane o' things three--sleep, meat, or gude companie.

Yawning is proverbially supposed to indicate the want of one of the three things mentioned.

Gaunting gaes frae man to man.

Gawsie cow, gudely calf.

Handsome mother, goodly daughter.

Gaylie would be better.

When a person says he is "gaylie," _Anglice_, middling, he is understood not to be so well as he would like to be.

Gear is easier gotten than guided.

Gentlemen are unco scant when a wabster gets a lady.

The "wabster," or weaving profession, seems to have stood very low in the estimation of proverb makers.

Gentle partans hae lang taes.

Gentle servants are poor men's hards.h.i.+ps.

Gentle servants are rich men's tinsel.

Gentry's dowff wi' an empty purse.

Get the word o' soon rising, an' ye may lie in bed a' day.

Obtain a reputation for early rising, and you may lie in bed all day. The Spanish say, "Get a good name, and go to sleep."

Get and save, and thou wilt have.

"Get and saif and thou salt haif, Len and grant and thou salt want; Wha in his plenty taks not heid, He sall haif falt in time of need."--_The Evergreen._

Get weel, keep weel.

Get what you can, and keep what you hae, that's the way to get rich.

Get your rock and spindle ready, G.o.d will send the tow.

"Let us do our duty, and refer the rest to G.o.d's providence."--_Ray._

Gibbie's grace--Deil claw the clungiest.

This saying of the graceless Gibbie means literally, "Devil take the hungriest."

Gie a bairn his will, and a whelp its fill, and nane o' them will e'er do weel.

Gie a beggar a bed, and he'll pay you wi' a louse.

Gie a carl your finger, and he'll take your haill hand.

Gie a gaun man a drink, and a rising man a knock.

Gie a greedy dog a muckle bane.

Gie a thing, tak a thing, and that's the ill man's ring.

"Gie her her will, or she'll burst," quo' the man when his wife kamed his head with the three-legged stool.

Gie him a hole, and he'll find a pin.

That is, give him an opportunity, and he will take advantage of it.

Gie him an inch, and he'll tak an ell.

Gie him tow enough, and he'll hang himsel.

Gie is a gude fellow, but he soon wearies.

Meaning, that one tires of giving at all times.

Gie losin' gamesters leave to talk.

Giff gaff maks gude friends.

Gie my cousin kail enow, and see my cousin's dish be fu'.

We presume that this is an ironical signification that the cousin's "room" is preferred to his company.