The Proverbs of Scotland Part 81

Play's gude while it's play.

Pleading at the law is like fighting through a whin bush--the harder the blows the sairer the scarts.

The knowledge that "whin bush" is the furze renders this saying easily intelligible.

Please your kimmer, and ye'll easy guide your gossip.

Please yoursel and ye'll no dee o' the pet.

Plenty is nae plague.

Plenty maks dainty.

Poets and painters are aye poor.

This appears in no collection preceding Henderson's, and is probably a record of his own experience and that of his friends, he being a painter himself by profession, and on intimate terms with Motherwell and others.

Poets and painters hae liberty to lo'e.

Poor folk are fain o' little.

Poor folk maun fit their wame to their winning.

Poor folk seek meat for their stamacks, and rich folk stamacks for their meat.

Poor folk's friends soon misken them.

Poort.i.th pairts gude company.

Poort.i.th's better than pride.

Poort.i.th's pain, but nae disgrace.

Poort.i.th taks awa pith.

"'I tell you, Master Moniplies,' said Jenkin, 'I am as poor as any Scot among you. I have broken my indenture, and I think of running the country.' 'A-well-a-day!' said Ritchie. 'But that maunna be, man. I ken weel, by sad experience, that poort.i.th takes away pith, and the man sits full still that has a rent in his breeks.'"--_Fortunes of Nigel._

Poort.i.th wi' patience is less painfu'.

Possession's worth an ill charter.

Poverty's a bad back friend.

Praise without profit puts little i' the pat.

Prayer and practice is gude rhyme.

Pretty man, I maun say; tak a peat and sit down.

We are unable to make much either of this proverb or of Kelly's note to it--"An ironical expression to a mean boy who would gladly be esteemed."

Pride and grace ne'er dwell in ae place.

Pride an' sweer'dness need muckle uphaudin.

"Sweer'd," lazy or unwilling. Pride and laziness require much to support them.

Pride finds nae cauld.

"Spoken heretofore to young women when, in compliance with the fas.h.i.+on, they went with their b.r.e.a.s.t.s and shoulders bare; and may now (1721) be applied to ladies with their extravagant hoops."--_Kelly._

Pride ne'er leaves its maister till he get a fa'.

Pride prinks her brow for the deil to pouse.

That is, pride bedecks herself, and the devil despoils.

Pride's an ill horse to ride.

Pride that dines wi' vanity sups wi' contempt.

Pride will hae a fa'.

Provision in season maks a bien house.

Prudence should be winning when thrift is spinning.

Puddins and paramours should be hetly handled.

"Puddings when cold are uneatable; and love when coldrife is near the breaking off."--_Kelly._

Put a coward to his mettle, and he'll fight the deil.

"A baited cat is as fierce as a lion."--_English._

Put anither man's bairn in your bosom, and he'll creep oot at your sleeve.

"That is, cherish or love him, he'll never be naturally affected towards you."--_Ray._

Put nae force against the flail.

Put on your spurs and be at your speed.

Put twa pennies in a purse, and they'll creep thegither.

Put your finger in the fire, and say it was your fortune.

Spoken of a person who has wittingly placed himself in difficulties, and who attributes his bad position to fortune.