The Proverbs of Scotland Part 70

Like the cowts o' Bearbughty, ye're cowts till ye're best's by.

Like the cur in the crub, he'll neither do nor let do.

A Scottish version of the dog in the manger.

Like the dam o' Devon, lang gathered and soon gane.

Like the fiddler o' Chirnside's breakfast, it's a' pennyworth's thegither.

"This is said of people who buy very small quant.i.ties of any article. Fiddlers are proverbially poor, and the one of Chirnside was no exception to the rule. One morning he sent his boy for materials for breakfast, and the order was delivered to the shopkeeper in the following measured terms:--

"'A pennyworth o' tea, A pennyworth o' sugar, Three penny loaves, And a pennyworth o' b.u.t.ter; And a pennyworth o' he herring, For my faither likes melts!'"--_G. Henderson._

Like the gudeman o' Kilpalet, ye're ower simple for this warld, and hae nae broo o' the next.

Like the laird o' Castlemilk's foals--born beauties.

Like the la.s.sies o' Bayordie, ye learn by the lug.

Like the man o' Amperly's coo, she's come hame routin', but no very fu', wi' the tow about her horns.

"The cow came home unsold; and the rhyme is applied to a young woman who comes home from a fair or market without a 'jo' or sweetheart."--_G. Henderson._

Like the man wi' the sair guts--nae getting quat o't.

Like the smith's dog, sleep at the sound o' the hammer, and wauk at the crunching o' teeth.

Like the tod's whalps, aye the aulder the waur.

Like the wabster, stealing through the warld.

Another insult to the weaving profession. The reply of a person who is asked how he is getting on.

Like the wife that ne'er cries for the ladle till the pat rins o'er.

That is, never asks for an article until it is too late.

Like the wife wi' the mony dochters, the best's aye hindmost.

Or, at least, she would have the lover of the last believe so.

Like the wife's tongue, aften better meant than timed.

Like the witches o' Auchencrow, ye get mair for your ill than your gude.

"That is, people sometimes grant an individual a favour through fear of malevolence, or to get rid of his importunity."--_G. Henderson._

Like to like.

"I'll tell ye, Ratton, blithe will Nicol Muschat be to see ye, for he says he kens weel there isna sic a villain out o' h.e.l.l as ye are, and he wad be ravished to hae a crack wi' ye--like to like, ye ken--it's a proverb never fails; and ye are baith a pair o' the deevil's peats, I trow--hard to ken whilk deserves the hettest corner o' his ingleside."--_Heart of Midlothian._

Like water to leather--the langer the tougher.

"Although my mither has been, past the memory o' man, in a complaining condition, I ken nae odds o' her this many a year; her ail's like water to leather, it makes her life the tougher."--_The Entail._

Lippen to me, but look to yoursel.

Lips gae, laps gae, drink and pay.

"If you put your lips to the cup to drink, put your hand to your lap to take out your purse."--_Kelly._

Listen at a hole, and ye'll hear news o' yoursel.

List to meat's gude kitchen.

Little and aften fills the purse.

Little can a lang tongue layne.

Little does the puir gude, and as little get they.

Little dogs hae lang tails.

Little folk are soon angry.

A frequent addition gives the reason--for their heart gets soon to their mouth.

Little gear, little care.

Little Jock gets the little dish, and that hauds him lang little.

"Poor people are poorly served, which prolongs their poverty."--_Kelly._

Little kens the auld wife, as she sits by the fire, what the wind is doing on Hurley-Burley-Swire.

"Hurle-Burle-Swire is a pa.s.sage through a ridge of mountains that separate Nithsdale from Twadale and Clydsdale: where the mountains are so indented one with another that there is a perpetual blowing.

The meaning is that they who are at ease know little of the trouble that others are exposed to."--_Kelly._

Little kent, the less cared for.

Little may an auld horse do if he maunna nicher.

Little meddling maks fair pairting.

Little mense o' the cheeks to bite aff the nose.

It is bad policy for a person to injure another with whom he is intimately connected, or upon whom he is depending.

Little odds between a feast and a fu' wame.