The Proverbs of Scotland Part 42

He reives the kirk to theek the quire.

To "steal from the church to roof the choir," is "to rob Peter to pay Paul."

He rides on the riggin' o't.

That is, he goes to a very great extreme.

He rides sicker that never fa's.

He rides well that never falls: he is a perfect man who never errs.

He rules easier wi' a saugh wand than wi' a sharp brand.

He's aftener there than in the parish kirk.

He's a bodie o' the nick-stick kind.

"One who proceeds exactly according to rule; who will not dine a second time with any person till he has made a return in kind."--_Jamieson._

He's a cake and pudding courtier.

He's a causey saint and a house deil.

One whose outward deportment towards strangers is not in unison with the harshness which he exercises at home.

He's a' fair gude e'en, and fair gude-day.

He's a fool that asks ower muckle, but he's a greater fool that gies it.

He's a fool that forgets himsel.

He's a fool that marries at Yule; for when the bairn's to bear the corn's to shear.

He's a gude horse that never stumbled, and a better wife that never grumbled.

"Both so rare, that I never met with either."--_Kelly._

He is a gude piper's b.i.t.c.h; he's aye in at meal-times.

He's a gude shot that hits aye the mark.

He's a hardy man to draw a sword at a haggis.

He's a hawk o' a right nest.

He's a man o' wise mind that o' a foe can mak a friend.

He's an auld horse that winna nicher at corn.

He's ane o' snaw-ba's bairntime.

"That is, such as wealth and prosperity make worse, or who insensibly go behind in the world."--_Kelly._

He's a poor beggar that canna gang by ae door.

He's a poor man that's never missed.

He's a proud beggar that maks his ain awmous.

That is, he is proud or well pleased who succeeds in realising his own expectations or wishes.

He's a proud horse that winna carry his ain corn.

He's a sairy cook that canna lick his ain fingers.

He's as bare as the birk at Yule.

He's as bauld as a Lammermuir lion.

"A sheep is called a Lammermuir lion; and the proverb is applied, in a sarcastic way, to a boasting or a.s.suming person, or to a braggadocio fellow, who is a coward at bottom."--_G. Henderson._

"As fierce as a lion on Cotswold."--_English._

He's as gleg as a gled.

He's as happy as a dead bird.

He's a selfish skyte that cares but for his ain kyte.

He's as fu' as a fiddler.

Equivalent to being as "drunk as a lord."

He's as gleg as M'Keachen's els.h.i.+n, that ran through sax plies o'

bend-leather into the king's heel.

Quoted in the _Heart of Midlothian_ when Sharpitlaw, accompanied by Ratcliffe and Madge Wildfire, go to Muschat's Cairn in search of Robertson.

He's as hard wi' me as if I had been the wild Scot o' Galloway.

He's a silly chield that can neither dae nor say.

He's as stiff as if he had swallowed the poker.

He's as welcome as snaw in hairst.

He's as welcome as water in a riven s.h.i.+p.