THE NETHERBOW—(Edinburgh). This ancient place was in former times chiefly occupied by weavers, who were thought to be a dishonest set of craftsmen; accordingly, the children used to salute them in the following strain : As I gaed up the Canongate, I'll ne'er steal a pow; I'll steal nae mair frae you. LEITH. Kiss your lucky-she lives in Leith! That this phrase is at least a century old, is proved by its being used in the poems of Allan Ramsay, who, in a letter, or rather a return of compliments, to his flatterer, Hamilton of Gilbertfield, thus elegantly expresses himself: 'Gin ony sour-mou'd girning bucky Ca' me conceity keckling chucky, That we, like nags whase necks are yeuky, I'll answer fine-Gae kiss your lucky, She dwalls i' Leith.' The poet, in a note, thus attempts an explanation :-'It is a cant phrase, from what rise I know not; but it is made use of when one thinks it not worth while to give a direct answer, or thinks himself foolishly accused.' 'Your lucky's mutch!' is, in Scotland, an ordinary exclamation expressive of petulant contempt, or, as the case happens, of impatience under expostulation, advice, or reproof. The word lucky signifies an elderly woman—is sometimes used as a phrase of style, like mistress or goody-and has another and different sense when added to the words daddy or minny, in which case it signifies grandfather or grandmother. But it is in the more unusual sense of wife that we must suppose it to be used in the above instances. In Peeblesshire, if not also in other places, it is customary to throw the phrase into a sort of rhyme, thusYour luckie's mutch, and lingles at it! Down the back, and buckles at it! ABERLADY-(East Lothian). Stick us a' in Aberlady! The following origin is assigned to this phrase of reproach :-An honest man who dwelt in Aberlady coming home one day, was suddenly convinced of what he had never before suspected—that his wife was not faithful to the nuptial vow. In a transport of rage he drew his knife and attempted to stab her, but she escaped his vengeance by running out to the open street, and taking refuge among the neighbours. The villagers all flocked about the incensed husband, and, as usual in cases of conjugal brawls, seemed disposed to take part with the wife. The man told his tale, with many protestations, expecting their sympathy to be all on his own side; but what was his disappointment, when the women with one consent exclaimed, 'If that be what you have to complain of, you might stick us a' in Aberlady!" The inhabitants of Aberlady to this day feel aggrieved when this unlucky expression is cast up to them. Not many years ago, an English gentleman, residing with the late Earl of Haddington at Tyninghame, was incited by some wags at his lordship's table, after dinner, to go forth and cry Stick us a' in Aberlady,' at the top of his voice, through the principal street of the village. He did so, and was treated for his pains with so severe a stoning, that he was carried to bed insensible, and it is said that he never altogether recovered from the effects of the frolic. DUNBAR. There was a haggis in Dunbar, Mony better, few waur, Andrew-Linkum feedel. FALKIRK. Like the bairns o' Fa'kirk; they'll end ere they mend. - This is a proverbial saying of ill-doing persons, as expressive of there being no hope of them. How the children of Falkirk came to be so characterised, it would be difficult now to ascertain. The adage has had the effect of causing the men of Falkirk jocularly to style themselves 'the bairns;' and when one of them speaks of another as 'a bairn,' he only means that that other person is a native of Falkirk. ECCLESMAGIRDLE.* This is a small village situated under the northern slope of the Ochill Hills, and for some considerable part of the year untouched by the solar rays. Hence the following rhyme— The lasses o' Exmagirdle May very weel be dun; For frae Michaelmas till Whitsunday, PATHHEAD. Pickle till him in Pathhead; Pathhead is a long, rambling village, connected with Kirkcaldy. The meaning of the reproach seems to be beyond reach; but, till a late period, its effect in irritating the good people of Pathhead was indubitable. It is said that a stranger, being made acquainted with the story, and told that it was dangerous to limb and life to whisper these mysterious expressions in the village, took a bet that he would proclaim them at the top of his voice, and yet come off uninjured. He set out, while his friends followed to witness the sport. But this was a more cunning loon than he of Tyninghame, for he gave the formula with a slight addition' They're coming behind me, crying, Pickle till him in Pathhead;' whereupon the infuriated villagers fell upon his tail, who paid the piper in more ways than one. KIRRIEMUIR (Forfarshire). Faare are ye gae'n ?-To Killiemuir ! But for his ain penny-fee. * The name of Ecclesmagirdle was derived from a place of worship, and seems to signify Church of St Grizel.' Ma is Gaelic for Sanctus. Camerarius has omitted St Grizelda in his Catalogue of the Saints of Scotland; but many saints had places dedicated to them here who were not canonised as saints of other countries. Where are you going? To Kirriemuir! where never one well fared, but for his own penny-fee. BUCKLYVIE. Baron of Bucklyvie, May the foul fiend drive ye, For building sic a town, Where there's neither horse meat nor man's meat, This has been rendered familiar from its appearing at the head of the chapter in Rob Roy which describes the misadventures of Frank Osbaldiston and Bailie Jarvie at Aberfoyle. Scott had heard it several years before from the Rev. Mr Macfarlane, minister of Drymen (afterwards Principal of Glasgow university), in the course of a forenoon ride through that part of Stirlingshire in which Bucklyvie is situated. The baron of Bucklyvie was a gentleman named Buchanan, a cadet of the family of Kippen-a representative of which made himself famous by calling himself King of Kippen on a special occasion, as related in Buchanan of Auchmar's work on Scottish Surnames. CARSE OF GOWRIE. The Carles o' the Carse. William Lithgow the traveller, in his singular book referring to a journey through Scotland in 1628, calls the Carse of Gowrie an earthly paradise; but adds the following ungracious information: The inhabitants being only defective in affableness and communicating courtesies of natural things, whence sprung this proverb-the Carles (that is, Churls) of the Carse' (p. 394). Carle was, it seems, a familiar term of reproach at this time. In 1575, Thomas Brown obtained a conviction before the kirk-session of Perth against Thomas Malcolm for calling him loon and carle, and a fine of 6s. 8d. was the consequence. Pennant records an ill-natured proverb, applicable to the people of the Carse of Gowrie-that 'they want water in the summer, fire in the winter, and the grace of God all the year round.' A gentleman of the Carse used to complain very much of the awkwardness and stupidity of all the men whom he employed, declaring that if he were only furnished with good clay, he believed he could make better men himself. This remark was circulated among the peasantry, and excited no small indignation. One of their class soon after found an opportunity of revenging himself and his neighbours upon the author, by a cut with his own weapon. It so happened that the laird one day fell into a quagmire, the material of which was of such a nature as to hold him fast, and put extrication entirely out of his own power. In his dilemma, observing a peasant approaching, he called out to him, and desired his assistance, in order that he might get himself relieved from his unpleasant confinement. The rustic, recognising him immediately, paid no attention to his intreaties, but passed carelessly by; only giving him one knowing look, and saying, 'I see you're making your men, laird; I'll no disturb you!' PLACES IN THE STEWARTRY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT. Dusty pokes o' Crossmichael, Red shanks o' Parton, Carles o' Kelton. RHYMES UPON FAMILIES OF DISTINCTION. HAIG OF BEMERSIDE. Tide, tide, whate'er betide, There'll aye be Haigs in Bemerside. 6 'THIS family,' says Sir Robert Douglas,* is of great antiquity in the south of Scotland; and in our ancient writings the name is written De Haga. Some authors are of opinion that they are of Pictish extraction; others think that they are descended from the ancient Britons: but as we cannot pretend, by good authority, to trace them from their origin, we shall insist no further upon traditionary history, and deduce their descent, by indisputable documents, from Petrus de Haga, who was undoubtedly proprietor of the lands and barony of Bemerside, in Berwickshire, and lived in the reigns of King Malcolm IV. and |