ITs no easy to straucht in the oak the crook that grew in the sapling.

ITs no every day we get Shakspeare to read.

The minister's man to Mr. Thomson of Duddington-the celebrated landscape painter-was of a decidedly literary turn, and when he had a little spare time, or, as a reward for any extra exertion, his master used to send to him for perusal his own copy of Shakspeare, an author of whom the servant was fond to enthusiasm. The circumstance passed with him into a proverb, so that on the occurrence of any piece of rare good fortune, he was wont to say "Its no every day we get Shakspeare to read."-See "" Reminiscences of Yarrow" by Rev. Dr. Russell, Ist ed., p. 126.

ITs no for nought that the gled whistles.

In "Old Mortality," ch. 25, hawk is used instead of gled. Also in Gaelic.

Its no for your ease and honour both.-Kelly.

Honour and ease lie not in one sack.-E.

Its no lang since louse bore langett, no wonder she fell and broke her neck.

"Langett," a rope or chain to bind a horse's fore foot to his hind one. Spoken when one has suddenly started up to a high station, and behaves himself saucily in it.-Kelly.

ITs no lost what a friend gets.

"Roy's Generalship," Part 13. And in Gaelic.

ITs no safe wading in unco waters.

"Unco," strange, unknown.

ITs no sonsie to meet a bare fit i' the mornin'.

An old superstition,-Kelly.

ITs no the burden, but the ower burden, that kills the beast.

ITs no the rumblin' cart that fa's first ower the brae.

i.e., it is not the oldest or most likely person that dies first.

ITS no weel mow'd? its no weel mow'd?
Then its ne'er be mow'd by me again,

I'll scatter it ower the Raven Stane,

And they'll hae some work e'er its mow'd again.

The Brownie of Cranshaws both winnowed and thrashed the crop for several successive seasons, but after one harvest a complaint was made as to the way he mowed the corn-piled it in the barn. At this the spirit was so offended that he threw the entire crop over the Raven Craig, a precipice about two miles off, giving the people the trouble of a second harvest to gather it up.

ITs no what we hae, but what we do wi' what we hae, that counts in heaven.

Its no worth a plack.

Its not worth a rap.-E. The plack was an old Scottish coin, worth the third of an English penny.

Not worth an H.-Italian. The letter H has no meaning in Italian.

ITs no worth an auld sang; and

I got it for an auld sang.-"Waverley," ch. 71.

ITs not the pick o' the swine that the beggar gets.

In seasons of dearth people went foraging amongst their friends.-. See "thig," Jamieson.

People about to marry also followed the same practice.

ITS only the likeness o' a ghaist caukit on the door. i.e., a mare's nest, an imaginary trouble.-Galt's Wylie," ch. 47.

ITS ower far between the kitchen and the ha'.

ITS ower gude news to be true.

Too good to be true.-E.

'Sir Andrew

ITS ower late to lout when the head's got a clout; and

Its nae time to stoop when the head's aff. -Fergusson.

It is too late to throw water on the cinders when the house is burned down.-Danish.

Too late to grieve when the chance is past; and When the steed is stolen shut the stable door.-E.

When the corn is eaten the silly body builds the dyke.-Gaelic.

ITS Ower weel hoardet that canna be found.

Irs past joking when the head's aff.

ITs plot hot, like Jock Vertue's tea.-Berwickshire.
Applied to any food that is very hot.-Dr. Henderson.

Its reekin' like the kilogie o' the little mill o' Hume.-Berwickshire.

Applied to a tobacco pipe newly lighted, or to a smithy fire when it begins to smoke. Hume Mill is said to have been a very small one, but whose kilogie vented a considerable smoke.-Dr. Henderson.

ITs some strong o' the apple.-Aberdeenshire.

A common country expression for beer which is rather tart or sharp. -Ramsay's "Reminiscences."

ITs stinking praise comes oot o' ane's ain mouth.

Self praise is no honour.-German and English.

ITs the barley pickle breaks the naig's back.

"Redgauntlet," ch. 20. Its the last straw that breaks the camel's back.-E.; and

A little more breaks the horse's back.-E., also in Span. and Port. ITs the laird's commands, an' the loon maun rin.

"Rob Roy," ch. 26.

ITS the life o' an auld hat to be weel cockit. i.e., we should make the best of a bad job.

ITs the loose spoke in the wheel that rattles most.

The worst wheel of a cart creaks most.-E.

The worst cow in the fold lows the loudest.-Gaelic.

ITs the poor man's office to look, and the rich man cannot forbear it.

Answer to them who ask what we are looking at.-Kelly.

ITs the wanton steed that scaurs at the windlestrae.

66

"St. Ronan's Well," ch. 28. Windlestrae," crested dog's tail

grass.

ITS the waur o' the wear.

Its time enough to make my bed when I'm gaun to lie doun. I should not part with my property in my lifetime.

ITS up i' the buckle, like Willie Dippie's bellows.

This is a popular saying in Chirnside and its neighbourhood. It originated thus. Some boys cleeked up a few links of the chain at the breech of the bellows in the smithy at Chirnside. Willie Dippie, the smith, on returning to his work, could not of course get the bellows to act properly, and after examination, having ascertained the cause, he exclaimed, "Ow, I see now what ails them; they're up i' the buckle." Applied when things are not going "fair and square," or when one is in a pirr about things which do not go well.

Dippie was blacksmith at Chirnside about the commencement of the present century.-Dr. Henderson.

ITS waste thread and thrums.

i.e., all moonshine in the water.-" Rob Roy," ch. 26.

ITS weak i' the wow, like Barr's cat.

ITS weel hain'd that's hain'd aff the belly.

ITS weel that our faults are no written on our faces.

ITS weel to ken whilk side yer bread's buttered on.
ITS within a cat's loup.

i.e., a short distance or time.

ITs worth all you have offered for it.

Because you have offered nothing. -Kelly.

ITS written, like John Thomson's wallet, frae end to end. "The Antiquary," ch. 15.

ITHER folk are weel faur'd, but ye're no sae very.

A reflection on a man's personal appearance.

JAMES.

J.

A sovereign or twenty shillings, from Jacobus, the James II. guinea. JAMES with the fiery face.

James Second of Scotland was so called from a red mark on his face. JEDDART or Jedburgh justice; first hang a man, and syne try him ; or

Hang in haste and try at leisure.—“ Fair Maid of Perth," ch. 32. According to Crawford in his "Memoirs," the phrase originated in 1574, when the Regent Morton visited Jedburgh, and tried and executed with undue haste a large number of his political opponents, as well as many ordinary criminals. Another explanation of the phrase is that on the occasion of a trial, in which nearly twenty persons were implicated, the jury were equally divided, when the remaining juryman, who had slept soundly during the whole proceedings, suddenly awoke, and being asked his opinion, exclaimed "Hang them a'."

First hang and draw,

Then hear the cause by Lydford law.

The authorities of Lidford, Devonshire, like those of Jedburgh, have become proverbial for their curious system of criminal administration. So-Abingdon law, that is, with needless or impetuous haste.-Hazlitt.

JEDDART'S here.

The ancient war-cry of the Jedburgh burghers.

Then rose the slogan with a shout,

To it Tynedale! Jeddart's here.

-Battle of Reeds wair (1596), Scott's "Border Antiquities."

JINGLE Kirk bell, | Rings now and ever shall.-Berwickshire. Jingle Kirk is the local name for the parish of Channelkirk.-Dr. Henderson.

JINGLING GEOrdie.

"Fortunes of Nigel," ch. 5.

This was the nickname applied by

James VI. to George Heriot, the Court jeweller, and the founder of

Heriot's Hospital, Edinburgh.

Jock's a mislear'd imp, but ye're a run deil.

i.e., Jock, though far from what he should be, is yet a model character compared to you.

JOCKEY.

In the time of James VI. was used as a general appellation of the Scottish nation, as Sawney was at a later period." Fortunes of Nigel," ch. 5.

So

John Bull is the French nickname for the English, while the English call the French Johnny Crapaud-frogeater; and Paddy is the generic name for the Irish. As sausage-eaters is the Russian description of the Germans, while the Americans are called Brother Jonathan and Yankees, though the latter term is only properly applicable to the New-Englanders.

JOCKTELEG.

i.e., a clasp knife, from the name of John of Leige, a famous cutler of the Middle Ages.

"JOHN, John, pit your neck in the nick to please the laird."

A wife is said to have addressed her husband, who was resisting his laird's efforts to hang him, in those terms.

Applied to any one who is unduly complaisant to the wishes of his superiors.

JOHN TAMSON's man-Couch Carle.

"Old Mortality," ch. 38.

John Tamson's man is one whose wife rules the roost. The phrase is used by Dunbar, who died about 1515. In a petition for preferment to James IV. he wishes the king might be John Tamson's man for once, the queen being favourable to the poet's suit. The Highlanders say a woman who wears the breeches is "Like M'Cormack's wives, very strong in the neck," and declare in such a household "The cock's comb is on the hen." M'Cormack's man is the Highland equivalent for the Lowland John Tamson's man.-Nicolson.

So the English say of a henpecked man— n-He lives under the sign of the cat's foot. i.e., his wife scratches him.-Ray.

JOHN upon land.

i.e., the farmer.

John upon land been glad, I trow,
Because the rush bush keeps the cow.

-Sir David Lina say in the "Complaint."

JOKE at leisure; ye kenna wha may jibe yoursel.
They laugh best who laugh last.-Fr.

Jests, like sweetmeats, have often sour sauce.-E.

Jouk and let the jaw gang by.

That is, Prudently yield to a present torrent.-Kelly.
Is sapiens, qui se ad casus accommodat omnes.-L.