The Proverbs of Scotland Part 74

Mony ane opens his pack and sells nae wares.

Mony ane's coat saves their doublet.

"Spoken when clergymen use you saucily, whom, in deference to their profession, you will not beat."--_Kelly._

Mony ane ser's a thankless maister.

Mony ane's gear is mony ane's death.

Mony ane speaks o' Robin Hood that ne'er shot wi' his bow.

"Doctor Luther's shoes do not fit every parish priest."--_German._

Mony ane tines the half-merk whinger for the ha'-penny whang.

This nearly obsolete saying means, literally, loses a sixpenny dagger for the sake of a halfpenny thong. "Spoken," says Kelly, "when people lose a considerable thing for not being at an inconsiderable expense."

Mony ane wad blush to hear what he wadna blush to dae.

Mony ane wad hae been waur had their estates been better.

Mony an honest man needs help that hasna the face to seek it.

"Mony a thing's made for the penny," as the wifie said when she saw the black man.

Mony a true tale's tauld in jest.

Mony aunts, mony emes, mony kin, but few friends.

The word "eme" signifies uncle, and the saying--its claims as a proverb are small enough--means that a person may have many relations but very few friends among them.

Mony care for meal that hae baked bread enough.

"Spoken against whining, complaining people, who have enough, and yet are always making a moan."--_Kelly._

Mony cooks ne'er made gude kail.

Mony fair promises at the marriage-making, but few at the tocher-paying.

A man may "promise like a merchant and pay like a man-of-war's-man;"

that is, promise anything that may be asked, for the sake of concluding a bargain, but which, once made, he is in no haste to perform.

Mony gude-nights is laith away.

"He shakes hands often who is loath to go."--_French._

Mony hands maks light work.

Mony hawes, mony snawes.

"When there is a great exhibition of blossoms on the hedgerows, the ensuing winter will be a remarkable one for snow storms."--_Robert Chambers._

Mony hounds may soon worry ae hare.

Mony kinsfolk but few friends.

Mony 'll sup wi' little din, that wadna gree at moolin in.

Mony littles mak a muckle.

Mony purses haud friends lang thegither.

Mony rains, mony rowans; mony rowans, mony yewns.

"Yewns being light grain. The rowans are the fruit of the mountain ash, which never are ripe till harvest. It is a common observation, that an abundance of them generally follows a wet season."--_Robert Chambers._

Mony sae "weel" when it ne'er was waur.

"Spoken to them that say 'well' by way of resentment."--_Kelly._

Mony time I hae got a wipe wi' a towel, but ne'er a daub wi' a dishclout before.

Or reprimanded by a person who had authority to do so, but never roughly handled by one who had no right to interfere. Kelly says this is "spoken by saucy girls when one jeers them with an unworthy sweetheart."

Mony ways to kill a dog though ye dinna hang him.

Mony words dinna fill the firlot.

A "firlot" is a fourth part of a boll, dry measure. Equivalent to the proverb, "Many words go to a sackful."--_Dutch._

Mony words, muckle drouth.

Mony wyte their wife for their ain thriftless life.

That is, many persons blame others for what are the consequences of their own faults. Kelly says, "I never saw a Scottish woman who had not this at her finger's end."

Mouths are nae measure.

The Irish are not of this opinion, for it is recorded that one of them said his mouth held exactly a gla.s.s of whisky--that is, if he could have retained it; but there was a hole in the bottom of it which continually prevented him from proving the fact.

Mows may come to earnest.

"To 'mow,' to speak in mockery."--_Jamieson._

Moyen does muckle, but money does mair.

Influence or interest does much, but money will do more.