シ This is old and a good one, if rightly understood, that is, she is a good wife who knows the true measure of her husband's authority.— Kelly. A WILFU' man maun hae his way. A WILFU' man ne'er wanted wae. Will, will have wilt, though it woe win.-E. It has been said, and may be sae, A wilfu' man wants never wae, Thocht he gets little gains.-"Cherry and the Slae." A WINKIN' cat's no aye blind. A WINTER night, a woman's mind, and a laird's purpose aften change. Women, wind, and luck soon change.-Portuguese. Winter weather and women's thoughts often change.-E. A WISE man carries his cloak in fair weather, an' a fool wants his in rain. An encouragement to care, caution, and foresight, and especially not to leave your cloak be the weather ne'er so encouraging.-Kelly. Have not thy cloak to make when it begins to rain; and, Although the sun shine, leave not thy cloak at home.-E. A WISE man never returns by the same road if another is free to him. "Rob Roy," ch. 35. The marauding habits of the Highlanders are here referred to. A WISE man wavers, a fool is fixed. Wise men change their minds, fools never.-E. A WITTY Wench, a woughing dog, a waukit woo'd wedder, and a pair o'shambling shears, four things which a sheep fold at shearing time cannot bear. The Ettrick Shepherd. "The Shepherd's Calendar," "Mr. Anderson of Laverhope.' A WOMAN'S love will traise further than horses. Galt's "Steamboat," ch. 8. One hair of a woman draws more than a team of oxen.-E. A WOMAN'S wit is in her forehead. i.e., she is guided by her senses rather than her judgment in love affairs.-"Johnnie Gibb of Gushetneuk.' A WORKING hand is worth a gowpen o' gowd. A WORKING mither maks a daw daughter. A light-heeled mother makes a heavy-heeled daughter.-E. The active mother makes the lazy daughter.-Gaelic. The opposite also occurs in Gaelic, i.e., The active daughter makes the lazy mother. So Irish, Spanish, Portuguese. Compare, An olite mither, etc. A WORTHY. An eccentric but usually popular character. A YOUNG COWte will canter be it uphill or down. "St. Ronan's Well," ch. 1. i.e., youth will have its fling at any cost. A YOUNG hopeful. Used ironically with reference to a lad who promises ill. A YOUNG plant never throve that was watered with an old man's blood. "The Abbot," ch. 33. Disrespect to age brings ill-luck. A YULE feast may be done at Pasche. A Christmas feast may be paid again at Easter.-E. A' BODY'S bairn's aye in luck. i.c., a general favourite is usually fortunate. A' COMPLAIN o' want o' siller, but nane o' want o' sense. A' CRACKS maunna be trewed. i.e., all that is heard must not be trusted. A' FAILS that fools think. A' FELLOWS, Jock, and the laird. Spoken when unworthy persons intrude themselves into the company of their betters.-Kelly. Hail fellow, well met; and, All fellows at football.-E. A' GUDE or a' dirt. All honey or all turd.-E. A' HIS buzz shakes nae barley. i.e., all his talking does no good. A' I GOT by him I may put in my eye, and see nothing the worse for it.-Kelly. At the end I might put my winning in my eye and see never the worse for it.-E. A' LAW is no justice. A' MAUN ride when he is in the saddle. "The Antiquary," ch. 40. He is a masterful man. も A' OWERS are ill, but ower the water and ower the hill. Owre hich, owre low, owre rasch, owre nyce, Owre het, or zit owre cauld.-"Cherry and the Slae." A' STUARTS are no sib to the King. There is some distance between Peter and Peter.-Spanish. A' THAT'S said shouldna be sealed. Spoken when people tell us that such a thing is said which we are not willing to have believed.-Kelly. Compare, A' cracks maunna be trewed; They say so, is half a lie.—E. A' THAT ye'll tak wi' ye will be but a kist and a sheet after a'. i.e., when you die, no matter how rich you may be, A' THE better since you speir'd, speir o'er again. An answer to the question, How do you do?—Kelly. A' THE clothes on your back were once in clues. A senseless rhyme to them that ask you, what news?—Kelly. A' THE corn's no shorn by kempers. A kemp was a struggle in the harvest field between the shearers as to who should cut their rig first, by dexterity and force of arm. The kempers were therefore the hardest workers, and the term came to be applied to the most excellent. The proverb consoles men of moderate capacity and energy by suggesting that the "kempers," the first-class men, cannot accomplish all the work that is to do. The greatest strokes make not the finest music.-E. A' THE men i' the Mearns can do nae mair than they may. "Black Dwarf," ch. 9. Dean Ramsay gives another form-The men o' Mearns maunna do mair than they may. A man can do no more than he can.-E. A' THE months wi' an R in them. The rule for household fires in Scotland.-Chambers. A' THE safety there shall be, Shall be between Criffel and the sea.-Thomas the Rhymer. A' THE speed's no in the spurs. The English proverb-All the speed is in the spurs, is the exact opposite of this. A' THE truth shouldna aye be tauld. Truth should not always be revealed.-E. A' THE winning's in the first buying. i.e., avoid middlemen. A' THE wit o' the warld's no in ae pow. A' THE wives o' Corncairn, | Drilling up their harn yarn, A' THINGS anger you, and the cat breaks your heart. A' THINGS sturts (trouble you), no wonder you be old like. You are making a bustle about matters with which you have little or no concern. Kelly. A' THINGS thrive thrice. Compare, The third time's lucky. A' THINGS wytes that no weel fares. Accusing the times is but excusing ourselves.-E. A' WOULD hae a', a' would forgie. Those who exact much should be ready to concede. A' you run you win. Taken from playing at bowls; applied to a project that seems not feasible, where what you can make is clear gain.—Kelly. A' YOUR debtors convey you to the widdie. Spoken facetiously when a man craves what you have no mind to pay, or he to exact.-Kelly. A's fair at the ba' o' Scone. Refers to the annual game of football on Shrove Tuesday between the married men and bachelors of Scone, Perthshire. A local proverb, according to the "Statistical Account," 1796. A's fair at war or at the ba'. A's i' the dirt. All the fat is in the fire.-E. A's no gowd that glitters, nor maidens that wear their hair. It was the fashion some years ago (1721) for virgins to go bare-headed. The proverb means that everything is not so good as it appears.-Kelly. The first part of the proverb is common to all nations. Fronti nulla fides.-L. One Gaelic form is, All that's yellow is not gold, and all white things are not eggs. The second part also occurs in Gaelic. A's no ill that's ill like. A's no pairt. A's no tint that fa's bye.-Hislop. The converse of this is given by Kelly, i.e., All was tint that fell C bye; which he thus explains: Spoken when correction is given to them that deserve it well, as if no blows were amiss but those which did not hit. A's yours from the door doun. i.e., outside you may claim what you please, but inside the house you have no right to anything, notwithstanding your claim.-Kelly. ABOON his fit. i.e., above his capacity. ABUNDANCE o' law breaks nae law. Those who know the law best are least likely to break it.-Hislop. Take heed is a good reed (advice).-E. Take heed is a fair thing. --E. AE faither's bairns. Abundans cautela non nocet.-L. Refers to the universal fatherhood of God. AE fine thing needs twa to set it off. "AE gude turn deserves another," as the deil said to the loon o' Culloden, when he hauled him doun screaming to the place ye ken o'. Refers to the "Royal Butcher," the Duke of Cumberland. AE gude turn may meet anither an' it were at the brig o' London. Cast your bread upon the waters and you will find it after many days. AE hand is nae hand. Unus vir, nullus vir.-L. One and none is all one.-E. AE lawsuit breeds twenty. Litem parit lis.-L. And in E. AE man may bring a horse to the water, when twenty winna gar him drink. A man may bring his horse to the water, but he will choose whether he will drink.-E. In vain do you lead the ox to the water if he be not thirsty.-Fr. AE scone o' that baking's enough. The sack is known by the sample.-E. So AE shook o' that stook's enough. When we see one we condemn the remainder. AE year a nurish, seven years a daw. |