The Proverbs of Scotland Part 5

A gude name is sooner tint than won.

"Good repute is like the cypress; once cut, it never puts forth leaf again."--_Italian._

A gude p.a.w.n never shamed its master.

"It is no shame for a man to borrow on a good p.a.w.n; though I think it would be more for his honour to be trusted without one."--_Kelly._

A gude paymaster ne'er wants hands to work.

A gude steel is worth a penny.

A gude tale's no the waur o' being twice tauld.

"It's very true the curates read aye the same words ower again; and if they be right words, what for no?--a gude tale's no the waur o'

being twice tauld, I trow; and a body has aye the better chance to understand it."--_Old Mortality._

A gude tongue's a gude safeguard.

A gude wife and health is a man's best wealth.

A gude word is as easy said as an ill ane.

A gude year winna mak him, nor an ill year mar him.

"A beggar will ne'er be a bankrupt."--_English._

A guilty conscience self accuses.

A hadden tongue maks a slabbered mou'.

A hairy man's a geary man, but a hairy wife's a witch.

A half burn'd peat is easily kindled.

A hanfu' o' trade is worth a gowpen o' gold.

Literally, the knowledge of a trade is worth a handful of gold.

A hantle cry Murder! and are aye upmost.

Many that are least hurt cry loudest

A hasty man is never l.u.s.ty.

A hasty man never wanted wae.

A hearty hand to gie a hungry melt.i.th.

A hen that lays thereout should hae a white nest-egg.

Some attractions should be provided at home for those who are not naturally attached to it.

A' his buz shakes nae barley.

All his talking does no good, or, _vice versa_, all his stormy temper does no harm.

A hook is weel tint to catch a salmon.

"Throw sprats to catch whales."--_Spanish._

A horn spoon hauds nae poison.

The humble rank indicated by the horn spoon is one in which simplicity and contentment are so general that no poisoning need be feared. "No hemlock is drunk out of earthenware."--_Latin._

A horse broken and a wife to break, is a horse made and a wife to make.

A horse hired never tired.

A horse wi' four feet may snapper.

Snapper, to stumble. Even the best of men may err.

A houndless hunter and a gunless gunner aye see routh o' game.

Applied to those who are always boasting of what they can do, when they know that there is no fear of their powers being tested.

A house built and a garden to grow never brought what they cost.

A house fu' o' folk, and a pouch wi' three fardens i' the corner o't, dinna sort weel thegither.

Poverty and a desire to keep up appearances do not "sort weel."

A house in a hastrie is downright wastrie.

A house wi' a reek and a wife wi' a reard will mak a man rin to the door.

"Smoke, a dripping roof, and a scolding wife, are enough to drive a man out of his life."--_Spanish._

A hungry louse bites sair.

"Spoken when the needy are importunate in their cravings, or exacting."--_Kelly._

A hungry man has aye a lazy cook.

A hungry man's an angry man.

A hungry man smells meat far.

A hungry stomach is aye craving.