The Proverbs of Scotland Part 33

Gie ne'er the wolf the wedder to keep.

Gie ower when the play's gude.

Gie't about, it will come to my faither at last.

Gie the deil his due, and ye'll gang to him.

Gie ye a use, and ye'll ca't a custom.

Gie ye meat, drink, and claes, and ye'll beg among your friends.

Applied to unreasonable people, who get everything they want, and still are not satisfied.

Gie your heart to G.o.d, and your alms to the poor.

From the remarkable paucity of proverbs relating to religion in the older collections, we infer that this saying is Henderson's own, as it only appears in his collection.

Gie your tongue mair holidays than your head.

Girn when you knit, and laugh when you louse.

Meaning, that while enforcing discipline we should do so with firmness, and relax it freely when occasion requires.

Glasgow for bells, Lithgow for wells, Falkirk for beans and pease.

Glasgow people, Greenock folk, and Paisley bodies.

"These words imply gradations of dignity, the Paisley bodies being (how far deservedly would admit of much question) at the bottom of the scale. Some years ago, when a public dinner was given to Professor Wilson, of Edinburgh, in Paisley, which is his native place, on his speaking of it as a town containing such and such a number of souls, his friend, Thomas Campbell, who sat by his side, whispered, 'Bodies, you mean.'"--_Robert Chambers._

Gla.s.ses and la.s.ses are brittle ware.

Glib i' the tongue is aye glaiket at the heart.

A smooth tongue betokens a deceitful heart.

Glowering is nae gainsaying.

Glum folk's no easily guided.

"Glum" or morose people are difficult to manage.

G.o.d be wi' the gude Laird o' Balmaghie, for he ne'er took mair frae a poor man than a' that he had.

G.o.d comes wi' leaden feet, but strikes wi' iron hands.

G.o.d helps them that help themselves.

G.o.d help the rich, for the poor can beg.

G.o.d help you to a hutch, for ye'll never get a mailing.

Spoken of an incompetent person, that he may succeed in making a bare living, for his abilities will never secure him a fortune.

G.o.d keep ill gear out o' my hands; for if my hands ance get it, my heart winna part wi't,--sae prayed the gude Earl of Eglinton.

G.o.d keep the cat out o' our gate, for the hens canna flee.

G.o.d ne'er measures men by inches.

G.o.d ne'er sent the mouth, but he sent the meat wi't.

G.o.d's aye kind to fu' folk and bairns.

As instanced by the marvellous manner in which men escape injury while under the influence of drink.

G.o.d sends fools fortunes.

G.o.d sends meat and the deil sends cooks.

G.o.d sends men claith as they hae cauld.

G.o.d send us siller, for they're little thought o' that want it.

G.o.d send water to that well that folk think will ne'er be dry.

"Spoken when our poor kin and followers are always asking of us; as if we should never be exhausted."--_Kelly._

G.o.d send ye mair sense, and me mair siller.

G.o.d send ye readier meat than running hares.

G.o.d send ye the warld you bode, and that's neither scant nor want.

G.o.d shapes the back for the burden.

G.o.d's help is nearer than the fair e'en.

Gold's gude, but it may be dear bought.

Go to Hecklebirnie.

"This term is used in a strange sort of imprecation. If one say, 'Go to the d----l!' the other often replies, 'Go you to Hecklebirnie!'

which is said to be a place three miles beyond h.e.l.l!"--_Jamieson._

Graceless meat maks folk fat.

Gra.s.s grows nae green in the common road.

Grat.i.tude preserves auld friends.h.i.+ps and begets new.