Chapter M

Maidens shou’d be mim till they’r married, then they may burn kirks.
Maidens shou’d be mild and meek, quick to hear and slaw to speak.
Maidens tochers and ministers stipends are ay less than ca’d.
Mair hamely than welcome.—Mair haste the waur speed.
Mair by luck than gude guiding.—Malice is aye mindfu’.
Mak friends o’ fremit fo’k.—Measure twice, cut but ance.
Mak the best o’ an ill bargain you can.
Mak your hay when the sun shines.
May-bees flee not at this time o’ the year.
Maybe your pot may need my clips.
Mealy-mou’d maids stand lang at the mill.
Muckle may fa’ between the cup and the lip.
Mills and wives are ay wanting.—Mony hands mak light wark.
Mistress afore fo’k, gude wife behind backs, where lies the dish-clout?
Money is welcome in a dirten clout.
Mony a ane kisses the bairn for love o’ the nurse.
Mony fair promises at marriage mak few at tocher-paying.
Mony say weel when it was ne’er waur.
Mony a ane serves a thankless master.
Mony ways to kill a dog tho’ ye dinna hang him.
Mony cooks ne’er made gude kail.
Mony irons i’ the fire part maun cool.
Mony a ane opens their pack and sells nae wares.
Mony a ane speers the gate they ken fu’ weel.
My son’s my son ay till he get a wife, my daughter’s my daughter a’ the
days o’ her life.

N

Nae fool like an auld fool.—Nae friend like a friend in need.
Nae man can thrive unless his wife lets him.
Nae sooner up than her head’s in the am’ry.
Nae safe wading in unco water.—Necessity hae nae law.
Nae wonder ye be auld like, ilka thing fashes ye.
Naething sae crouse as a new washen louse.
Naething’s ill to be done when will’s at hame.
Naething’s to be done in haste but gripping of flaes.
Naething to do but draw in your stool and sit down.
Naething venture naething win.—New lords hae new laws.
Nane but fools and knaves lay wagers.
Nane can mak a bore but ye’ll find a pin till’t.
Nane can play the fool sae weel as a wise man.
Near’s my sark but nearer’s my skin.—Ne’er ower auld to learn.
Nearest the heart nearer the mou.—Ne’er rax aboon your reach.
Nearest the kirk the farthest frae gude.
Neck or naething the king loes nae cripples.
Need will gar an auld wife trot, and a naked man rin.
Ne’er draw your durk when a daunt will do.
Ne’er find faut wi’ my shoon unless ye pay my cobler.
Ne’er gae to the deil wi’ a dish-clout about your head.
Ne’er gae me my death in a toom dish.—Ne’er quat certanty for hope.
Ne’er let on but laugh in your ain sleeve.
Ne’er marry a widow, unless her first man was hang’d.
Ne’er scad your lips in other fo’k’s kail.
Ne’er seek a wife till ye ken what to do wi’.
Ne’er shaw your teeth unless ye can bite.
Ne’er strive against the stream.
Ne’er take a fore-hammer to break an egg, when ye can do it wi’ a
pen-knife.—Nipping and scarting’s Scotch fo’k’s wooing.
Ne’er let the nose blush for the sins o’ the mouth.
Nineteen naesays o’ a maiden are ha’f a grant.

O

Ower haly was hang’d, and rough and sonsy wan awa’.
Ower muckle o’ aething is gude for naething.
Ower mony grieves but hinders the wark.
O’ twa ills choose the least.—Out o’ debt out o’ danger.
Out o’ the peat-pot into the gutter.

P

Pay him hame in his ain coin.—Penny wise and pound foolish.
Pennyless sauls may pine in purgatory.
Pleying at law’s like fighting through a whin buss, the harder the
blows the sairer the scar.
Poortith parts gude company.—Possession is eleven points o’ the law.
Pride ne’er leaves its master till he get a fa’.
Poets and painters hae liberty to lie.
Put a coward to his metal and he’ll fight the deil.
Put your hand nae farther than your sleeve will reach.
Put your hand i’ the creel, and tak out an adder or an eel.

Q

Quey caufs are dear veal.—Quick returns mak rich.

R

Rackless youth maks ruefu’ eild.—Raw leather raxes.
Raise nae mae deils than your able to lay.
Rather spoil your joke than tine your friend.
Raw dawds mak fat lads.—Rich fou’k hae routh o’ friends.
Rich fo’k’s wit rives puir fo’k’s jaws.—Rob Peter to pay Paul.
Ride fair and jaup nane.—Right wrangs nae man.
Rob Gib’s contract, stark love and kindness.
Rome was nae bigget in ae day.—Royet lads may mak sober men.
Rooks and writers are ay to be found about ruined houses.
Roose the ford as ye find it.—Rue and time grow baith in ae garden.

S

Sair cravers are ay ill payers.—Satan reproving sin.
Saut, quoth the sutor, when he had eaten a cow a’ but the tail.
Seethe stanes in butter the broo will be gude.
Second thoughts are best.—Ser’ yoursel till your bairns come in age.
Set a beggar on horseback he’ll ride to the deil.
Set a stout heart to a stay brae.—Shame’s past the shade o’ your hair.
Sharp stomachs mak short graces.—Stown dints are sweetest.
Shallow waters mak maist din.—Sinle seen soon forgotten.
She’s as leal a maiden as her man left her.
She hauds up her head like a hen drinking water.
She brack her elbow at the kirk door.—Standing dubs gather dirt.
She’ll wear like a horse shoe, ay the langer the clearer.
Short fo’k are soon angry, their heart’s soon at their mou.
Slaw at meat slaw at wark.—Sorrow and ill weather come unsent for.
Some hae a hantle o’ fauts ye’er only a neer-do-weel.
Souters and tailors count hours.—Speak o’ the deil and he’ll appear.
Speak gude o’ pipers, your father was a fiddler.
Speak when your spoken till, and drink when you’re drucken till.
Strike the iron as lang as it’s het.

T

Tak your will o’t as the cat did o’ the haggis.
Tak the bit and the buffet wi’t.—Tak me not up before I fa’.
Tak your ain will and then ye’ll no die o’ the pet.
Tak a hair o’ the dog that bit you.—That’s Halkerton’s cow.
Tak nae mair on your back than you’re able to carry.
Tak a man by his word and a cow by her horn.
Tarry breeks pay nae fraught.—Tapped hens like cock crawing.
Tell nae your fae when your foot’s slipping.—That’s a tee’d ba’.
That bout cam ne’er out o’ your bag.—The best is ay cheapest.
That’s carrying saut to Dysart and puddings to Tranent.
That’s the piece a step-bairn ne’er gat.—Time tries a’.
That winna be a mot i’ your marriage.—The deil’s ay gude to his ain.
The back and the belly hauds every ane busy.
The bairn speaks i’the field what he hears at the fireside.
The bird maun flighter that flees wi’ ae wing.
The better day the better deed.—The warld is bound to nae man.
The blind man’s peck should be weel measur’d.
The cure may be waur than the disease.
The death o’ ae bairn winna skail a house.
The dorty dame may fa’ i’ the dirt.—The deil’s bairns hae deil’s luck.
The deil ay drives his hogs to an ill market.
The deil’s gaen o’er John Wabster.—The e’ening brings a hame.
The farthest way about is aft the nearest gate hame.
The richer the souter, the blacker his thumbs.
The first fuf o’ a fat haggis is ay the bauldest.
The gravest fish is an oyster,
The gravest bird’s an owl;
The gravest beast’s an ass,
And the gravest man’s a fool.
The kings errand may come in a cadger’s gate.
The langer we live we see the mair fairlies.
The mae the merrier, the fewer the better cheer.
The masters e’e maks the horse fat.—The still sow eats up the draff.
The simple man’s the beggar’s brither.
The subject’s love is the kings life guard.
The smith’s mare and the souter’s wife are ay warst shod.
The thiefer like the better sodger.—The tod’s whelps are ill to tame.
The thing that lie nae in your gate breaks na your shins.
The thing that’s in your wame’s not in your testament.
The thrift o’ you was the death o’ your gude-dame.
The tod keeps his ain hole clean.
The worth o’ a thing is best kend by the want o’t.
The wife’s ay welcome that comes wi’ a crooked oxter.
There’s mony a true tale tauld in jest.
There’s mukle to do when burghers ride.
There’s nane sae blind as them that winna see.
There’s naething ill said that’s nae ill tane.
There’s nae place like hame, as the deil said when he fan’ himsel in the
Court o’ Session.
There was ne’er a silly Jocky but there was as silly a Jenny.
There’s beild aneath an auld man’s baird.
There is a teugh sinew in an auld wife’s heel.
There is a differ betwixt the piper and his bitch.
There is a wawp i’ the raip.—Thole weel is gude for burning.
There is a sliddery stane before the ha’ door.
There is as gude fish i’ the sea as e’er cam out o’t.
There grows nae grass at the cross.—Thoughts beguil maidens.
There is life in a mussel as lang as she cheeps.—Time tries a’.
There is little for the rake after the shool.—Tine heart and a’s gane.
They are ay gude that are far awa.—True blue will ne’er stain.
They are like the grices, if you kittle their wame they fa’ on their
backs.
They hae need o’ a canny cook that hae but ae egg to their dinner.
They ne’er saw great dainties that think a haggis a feast.
They shou’d kiss the gude-wife that wad win the gude-man.
They that see you a’ day winna break the house for you at night.
They that get a word o’ soon rising may lie a’ day.
They that laugh in the morning may greet ere night.
They that drink langest live langest.
They that hae routh o’ butter may lay it thick on their scone.
They that lie down for love shou’d rise for hunger.
They were scant o’ bairns that brought you up.
They were never fain that fidg’d, nor fa’ that licked dishes.
They ne’er ga’e wi’ the speet but they get wi’ the ladle.
Three can keep a secret if twa be awa.
Time and tide will tarry for nae man.
Touch a gawd horse on the back and he’ll fling.
Tramp on a snail and she’ll shoot out her horns.
Twa blacks will ne’er mak a white.
Twine two, your minny was a gude spinner.

U

Up hill spare me, down hill tak tent to thee.
Use makes perfectness.

W

Wanton kittens mak douce cats.—When drink’s in wit’s out.
Wae’s the wife that want’s the tongue, but weel’s the man that gets her.
Weans maun creep ere they gang.—Women’s wark’s ne’er done.
Wedding and ill wintering tame baith man and beast.
Weel kens the mouse when the cat’s out o’ the house.
Welcom’s the best dish in the kitchen.
We’ll ne’er ken the worth o’ the water till the well gae dry.
We’re ay to learn as lang’s we live.—We canna baith sup and blaw.
We’ll bark oursels ere we buy dogs sae dear.
We may ken your eild by the runkles o’ your horn.
We may ken your meaning by your mumping.
What’s gotten owre the deil’s back will gang awa under his belly.
When ae door stecks anither opens.—Wilfu’ waste maks waefu’ want.
When friends meet hearts warm.—Woo sellers ken ay woo buyers.
When the tod preaches tak tent o’ the lambs.
When the wame’s fou, the banes wad be at rest.
When petticoats woo, brecks come speed.
When you’re serv’d a’ the geese are water’d.
While the pow’s shaving the lice maun flit.
When ye’re gaun and coming the gate’s no toom.
Where the dyke’s laighest it is eithiest to loup.
Where there’s owre muckle courtesy, there’s little kindness.
Winter thunder bodes simmer hunger.
Work for nought maks fo’k dead sweer.

Y

Ye’re as lang o’ tuning your pipes as ane wad play a spring.
Ye cam a day after the fair.—Ye hae gotten a ravel’d hesp o’t.
Ye cut lang whangs out o’ ither fo’k’s leather.
Ye canna preach out o’ your ain pupit.—Ye hae a crap for a’ corn.
Ye canna get leave to thrive for thrang.
Ye drive the plough before the owsen.
Ye hae gien the wolfe the wedder to keep.
Ye hae sitten your time, as mony a gude hen has done.
Ye hae o’er foul feet to come sae far ben.
Ye hae tint your ain stomach and fund a tike’s.
Ye hae the wrang sow by the lug.—Ye ken wha drinkers dree.
Ye kenna wha may cool your ain kail yet.
Yelping curs may rise mastiffs.—Ye’re mair fley’d than hurt.
Ye may get waur bodes or Beltane.
Ye may dight your neb and flee up.
Ye mete my pease by your ain peck.
Ye ne’er saw green cheese but your een reel’d.
Ye ride sae near the rumple ye’ll let nane loup on behind you.
Ye’re like a miller’s dog, you lick your lips ere the pock be opened.
Ye’re sae keen o’ the clocking you’ll die in the nest.
Ye’re nae chicken for a’ your cheeping.
Ye’re come o’ blude, and sae’s a pudding.
Ye’re like hens, ye rin ay to the heap.
Ye shape shoon by your ain shachel’d feet.
Ye watna what wife’s ladle may cogue your kail.
Your bread’s baken, you may hing by your girdle.

Transcriber’s Note

List of minor amendments made to the text:

Page 12, “mauu” changed to “maun” (He that wad eat the kirnel maun crack
the nut.)
Page 13, “diel” changed to “deil” (If the deil find you idle he’ll set
you to wark.)
Page 16, “Kindess” changed to “Kindness” (Kindness will creep whare it
canna gang.)
Page 22, “bleu” changed to “blue” (True blue will ne’er stain.)

Defective punctuation was amended as necessary without further note.