The Proverbs of Scotland Part 98

"'Hout-tout, Dame Elspeth,' said Tibb, 'fear ye naething frae Christie; tods keep their ain holes clean. You kirk-folk make sic a fasherie about men s.h.i.+fting a wee bit for their living!'"--_The Monastery._

The tod ne'er sped better than when he gaed his ain errand.

"Every man is most zealous for his own interest. Spoken to advise a man to go about such a business himself."--_Kelly._

The tod ne'er fares better than when he's bann'd.

"Spoken when we are told that such people curse us, which we think is the effect of envy, the companion of felicity. The fox is cursed when he takes our poultry."--_Kelly._

The tod's whalps are ill to tame.

The tree doesna aye fa' at the first strake.

The warld is bound to nae man.

The warst may be tholed when it's kenn'd.

The warst warld that ever was some man won.

The water will ne'er waur the widdie.

The water will never cheat the gallows; of similar meaning to "He that's born to be hanged," _q. v._

"A neighbour of mine was so fully persuaded of the truth of this proverb, that being in a great storm, and dreadfully afraid, espies in the s.h.i.+p a graceless rake whom he supposed destined to another sort of death, cries out, O Samuel, are you here? why then, we are all safe, and so laid aside his concern."--_Kelly._

The waur luck now the better anither time.

The weakest gangs to the wa'.

The wife's aye welcome that comes wi' a crooked oxter.

That person is always welcome who brings presents. The "oxter" is crooked because the arm is engaged carrying them.

The wife's ae dochter and the man's ae cow, the taen's ne'er weel and the t.i.ther's ne'er fu'.

The willing horse is aye worked to death.

The wolf may lose his teeth, but ne'er his nature.

The word o' an honest man's enough.

The worth o' a thing is best kenned by the want o't.

The worth o' a thing is what it will bring.

The wyte o' war is at kings' doors.

"You and me, Gilhaize, that are but servants, needna fash our heads wi' sic things; the wyte o' wars lie at the doors of kings, and the soldiers are free o' the sin o' them."--_Galt's Ringan Gilhaize._

They are eith hindered that are no furdersome.

They who are unwilling to do a thing are easily hindered.

They are sad rents that come in wi' tears.

They buy gudes cheap that bring hame naething.

They craw crouse that craw last.

Because they who "craw" last exult that a matter is definitely known to be in their own favour.

They hae need o' a canny cook that hae but ae egg to their dinner.

They draw the cat harrow.

"That is, they thwart one another."--_Kelly._

"For every lord, as he thought best, Brocht in ane bird to fill the nest; To be ane watcheman to his marrow, They gan to draw at the cat-harrow."--_Sir David Lyndsay._

They'll flit in the Merse for a hen's gerse.

"They will flit for a matter of very small importance. Formerly in Berwicks.h.i.+re every hind was allowed to keep a few hens; and some of them actually removed for the sake of the _hen's keep_. Hence the saying."--_G. Henderson._

They gang far aboot that never meet.

They'll gree better when they gang in by ither kirk doors.

Spoken of two persons who have quarrelled, meaning that they should avoid each other.

They maun be sune up that cheat the tod.

They maun hunger in frost that winna work in fresh.

They may dunsh that gie the lunch.

"Dunsh" is a word for which there is no perfect equivalent in English. It means to jog or thrust in a violent manner; but those who know its proper application will see how feeble these meanings are. Jamieson approaches it when he says it is to "push as a mad bull." The proverb here means that they upon whom we depend can do with us as they please.

They may ken by your beard what ye had on your board.

They need muckle that will be content wi' naething.

They ne'er baked a gude cake but may bake an ill ane.

They ne'er gie wi' the spit but they gat wi' the ladle.

Or they never confer a small favour, or give a trifling gift, but they expect a greater in return.

They ne'er saw great dainties that thought a haggis a feast.