Scottish proverbs:

Proverbiall speeches of persons given to such vices or vertues as follows.

Of greedie persons it is said,

• HE can hide his meat and seek more.
• He will see day light at a little hole.
• He comes for drink, though draff be his erand.

Of well skilled persons.

• He was born in August.
• He sees an inch before his nose.

Of wilfull persons.

• He is at his wits end.
• He hears not at that ear.
• He wald fain be fordwart if he wist how.
• He will not give an inch of his will, for a span of his thrift.

Of vousters or new upstarts.

• His winde shakes no corne.
• He thinks himself na payes peir,
• He counts himself worthie meikle myce dirt.
• Henrie Cheike never slew a man while he came to him:

Of sleyit persons.

• His heart is in his hos••:
• He is war fleyit nor he is hurt.
• He looks as the wood were full of theeves.
• He lookes like the laird of pitie.
• He looks like a Lochwhaber axe.

Of false persons.

• He will get credit of a house full of unbored milstones.
• He lookes up with the one eye, and down with the other.
• He can lie as weill as a dog can lick a dish.
• He lies never but when the holen is green.
• He bydes as fast as a cat bound with a sacer.
• He wald gar a man trow that the moon is made of green cheis, or the cat took the heron.

Of misnortured persons.

• He hes a brasen face.
• He knowes not the doore be the doore bar.
• He spits on his own blanket.

Of unprofitable foolish persons.

• He harpes ay on ane string.
• He robs Peter to pay Paul.
• He rives the kirk to theik the quier
• He wags a wand in the water.
• He that rides or he be ready, wants some of his geir.

Of weillie persons.

• He can hald the cat to the sun,
• He kens his groats among other folks kail.
• He neiffers for the better.
• He is not so daft as he lets him.

Of angrie persons.

• He hes pisht on a nettle.
• He hes not gotten the first seat of the midding the day.
• He takes pepper in the nose.

Of unconstant persons.

• He is like a widder cock.
• He hes changed his tippet, or his cloak on the other shoulder
• He is like a dog on a cat.
• His evening song and morning song are not both alike.
• He is an Aberdeens man, taking his word again.

Of persons speaking pertinently.

• He hes hit the nail on the head.
• He hes touched him in the quick.

Of weasters and divers.

• He hes not a heal nail to claw him with.
• He he hes not a pennie to buy his dog a leaf
• He is as poore as Joh.
• He is as bair as the birk at Zule evin.
• He begs at them that borrowit at him.
• He hes brought his pack to a fit spead.
• He is on the ground.
• His hair grows through his hood.
• He hes cryed himself diver.

Of proud persons.

• He counts his half pennie good sliver.
• He makes meikle of his painted sheits.
• He goes away with born head.
• He spils unspoken to.
• He hes not that bachell to swear by.

Of untymous persons.

• He is as welcome as water in a rivin ship.
• He is as welcome as snaw in harvest.

Of rash persons.

• He sets all on sex or sevin.
• He stumbles at a strea and loupes at a brea.

Of ignorant persons.

• He does as the blind man when he casts his staff.
• He brings a staff to his own head.
• He gars his awn wand ding him.
• He breads of the gate that casts all down at evin.
• He hes good skill of rosted wool, when it stinkes it is enough.

Of effeminate persons.

• He is John Thomsones man, coutching carle.
• He wears short hose.

Of drankards.

• His head is full of bees.
• He may write to his friends.
• His hand is in the creill.
• He is better fed nor nortured.
• He needs not a cake of bread at all his kin.

Of hypocrites.

• He hes meikle prayer, but little devction.
• He runs with the hound and holds with the hair.
• He hes a face to God, and another to the devill.
• He is a wolfe in a lambs skin.
• He breaks my head, and syn puts on my how.
• He can say, My jo, and think it not.
• He sleeps as dogs does, when wives sifts meal.
• He will go to hell for the house profit.

I

• IT is a sairie brewing, that is not good in the newing.
• It is tint that is done to childe and auld men.
• Ill weids waxes weill.
• In some mens aught mon the auld horse die.
• It is a soothe bourd that men sees wakin.
• In space comes grace.
• It is ill to bring out of the flesh that is bred in the bane.
• Ill win, ill warit.
• It is a sillie flock where the zowe bears the bell.
• It is a sin to lye on the devil.
• It is eith till, that the awn self will.
• It is good mowes that fils the wombe.
• It is na time to stoup when the head is aff.
• It is fair in hall, where beards wags all.
• It will come in an houre that will not come in a year.
• If thou do na ill, do na ill like.
• If thou steal not my kail, break not my dyke.
• If ye may spend meikle, put the more to the fire.
• If I can get his cairt at a walter, I shall lend it a put.
• If I may not keep goose, I shall keep gesline.
• It is kindlie that the poke sare of the hearine.
• It is eith to cry zule on another mans cost.
• Ilke a man as he loves, let him send to the cooks.
• It is eith to swimme where the head is holden up.
• It is well warit they have sorrow that buys with their silver
• If ane will not, another will.
• It is ill to take a breik off a bairarse.
• It is dear bought honey that is lickt off a thorne.
• If God be with us, wha will be against us.
• It is weill warit that wasters want geir,
• It is ill to bring butte the thing that is not there benne.
• It that lyes not in your gate, breaks not your shinnes.

• It is na play where ane greits, and another laughs.
• If a man knew what wald be dear, he wald be but merchant for a year.
• It is true that all men sayes.
• I have a good bow, but it is in the castle.
• It is hard to fling at the brod, or kick at the prick.
• Ilk man mend ane, and all will be mendit.
• It is a sairie collope that is tain off a Capone.
• Ill bairnes are best heard at home.
• It is ill to wakin sleeping dogs,
• Ill hirds makes fat wolffs.
• It is hard to wife, and thrive in a year.
• It is good sleeping in a heal skin.
• It is not tint that is done to friends.
• It is ill to draw a strea before an auld cat.
• It is a paine both to pay and pray.
• It is good fishing in drumling waters.
• It is little of Gods might, to make a poore man a knight.
• It is good baking beside meal.
• It is a good goose that drops ay.
• It is not the habite that makes the monk.
• It is not good to want and to have.
• It hes neither arse nor elbow.
• I shall sit on his skirt.
• It is a bair moore that he goes over and gets not a cow.
• I shall hold his nose on the grindstone.
• It goes as meikle in his heart as in his heel.
• It goes in at the one ear, and out at the other.
• It is na mair pittie to see a woman greit, nor to see a goose go bair fit.
• It is weill said, but wha will bell the cat.
• It is short while seen the louse boore the langelt.
• I have a sliddrie eill by the tail.

• It is as me it as a sow to bear a sadle.
• It is as meet as a thief for the widdie.
• I wald I had as meikle pepper as he compts himself worthy myse dirt.
• It will be an ill web to bleitch.
• I cannot finde you baith tailes and eares.
• It is ill to make a blowen horne of a tods tail.
• If ever ye make a luckie pudding I shall eat the prick.
• It that God will give, the devil can not reave.
• In a good time I say it, in a better I leave it.
• Its a sillie pack that may not pay the custome.
• I have seen as light green.
• Its a cold coal to blow at.
• Its a sair field where all are dung down.
• Its a sair dung birn that dare not greit.
• I wat where my awn shoe bindes me.
• If ye wanted me and your meat, ye wald want ane good friend.

K

• KAme single, kame sair.
• Kindnesse comes of will.
• Kindnesse will creep where it may not gang.
• Kindnesse cannot be bought for geir.
• Kail spaires bread.
• Kamesters are ay creeshie.
• Knowledge is eith born about.
• Kings are out of play.
• Kings and Bares oft worries their keepers.
• Kings hes long ears.
• Kings caff is worth other mens corne.
• Kindnesse lyes not ay in ane syde of the house.

L

• LIttle intermerting makes good friends.
• Long tarrying takes all the thank away.
• Little good is soon spendit.
• Lang lean makes hameald cattel.
• Little wit makes meikle travell.
• Lcar young, lear fair.
• Like drawes to like, and a skabbed horse to an ald dyke.
• Laith to the bed, laith out of the bed.
• Little may an ald horse do, if he may not nye.
• Let them that are cold blow at the coal.
• Lang standing, and little offering makes a poore prise.
• Love hes na lack.
• Leave the court, or the court leave thee.

• Light supper makes long life.
• Lykit geir is half bought.
• Lordships changes manners.
• Light winning makes a heavie purse.
• Live and let live,
• Livelesse, faultlesse.
• Little said, soon mendit.
• Laith to the drink, and leath fra it.
• Lightlie comes, lightly goes.
• Last in the bed, best heard.
• Lata is lang and dreich.
• Little waits an ill hussie what a dinner holds in.
• Laddes will be men.
• Lauch and lay down again.
• Likelie lies in the myre, and unliklie goes by it.
• Let him drink as he hes browin.
• Like to die, mends not the kirk yard.
• Luck and a bone voyage.
• Lang or ye cut Falkland wood with a pen knife.
• Love me little, and love me lang.
• Let alone makes mony lurdon.
• Little troubles the eye, but far lesse the soul.
• Little kens the wife that sits by the fire, how the winde blowes cold in hurle burle swyre.

M

• MOny yrons in the fire part mon coole.
• Maidens should be meek while they be married.
• Men may buy gold over dear.
• Mony purses holds friends together
• Meat and cloath makes the man.
• Mony hands makes light work.
• Make not twa mews of an daughter
• Meat is good, but mense is better.
• Mony masters, quoth the poddock to the harrow when eve∣rie tind took her a knock,
• Mint or ye strike.
• Measure, is treasure.
• Mony men does lack, that yat wald fain have in their pack.
• Misterfull folk mon not be mensfull.
• Many smals makes a great.
• Maisterie mawes the meadows down.
• Mony speaks of Robin Hood, that never shot in his bow.
• Mister makes men of craft.
• Meikle water runs where the millar sleeps
• Meikle mon a good heart tholl.
• Mony cares for meal that hes bakin bread enough.
• Meikle spoken, part mon spill.
• Messengers should neither be headed nor hanged.
• Men are blinde in their own cause.
• Mony words wald have meikle drink.
• Man propons, but God dispons.
• Mony man serves a thanklesse master.
• Mony words fils not the furlot.
• Mony kinsfolk, but few friends.
• Men goes over the dyke at the laichest.

• Might, often times overcomes right.
• Mends is worth misdeeds.
• Meikle head, little wit.
• Mustard after meat.
• Millers takes ay the best multar with their own hand.
• Monie man speirs the gate he knowes full well.
• Mussell not the oxens mouth.
• Meikle hes, wald ay have mair.
• Monie tynes the halfe marke whinger, for the halfe pennie whange.
• Make not meikle of little.
• Mony man makes an erand to the hall, to bid the Ladie good-day.
• Mony brings the raike but few the shovell.
• Make no balkes of good bear land.
• March whisquer was never a good fisher.
• Meat and masse never hindred no man.

N

• NAture passes norture.
• Na man can baith sup and blaw at once.
• Nothing enters in a close hand.
• Need makes vertue.
• Need hes na law.
• Neirest the Kirk, farrest fra God.
• Neirest the King, neirest the widdie.

• New lords, new laws.
• Na man may puind for unkindnesse.
• Neirest the heart, neirest the mouth.
• Never rade, never fell.
• Need gars naked men run, and sorrow gars websters spin.
• Neir is the kirtle, but neirer is the sark:
• Nothing is difficile to a well willit man.
• Na man makes his awn hap.
• Na plie is best.
• Nothing comes sooner to light, then that which is long hid.
• Na man can play the fool sa weill as the wise man.
• Na pennie, na pardon.
• Na man can seek his marrow in the kirne, sa weill as hee that hes been in it himself.

O

• OVer fast, over louse.
• Of anuch men leaves.
• Over great familiaritie genders despite.
• Oft compting makes good friends.
• Over narrow compting culzies na kindnesse.
• Out of sight, out of langer.
• Of twa ills choose the least.
• Of other mens lether, men takes large whanges.
• Over jollie dow not.
• Of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks
• Of all war, peace is the finall end.

• Of ill debtours men takes eattes,
• Of need make vertue.
• Of the earth mon the dyke be biggit.
• Of ane ill, comes many.
• Over hote over cold.
• Over heigh, over laich.
• Over meikle of ane thing, is good for nathing.

P

• PEnnie wise, pound foole,
• Priests and doves makes foule houses.
• Pride and sweirnesse wald have meikle uphald.
• Put your hand na farder nor your sleive may reeke.
• Poore men are fain of little thing.
• Play with your peirs.
• Pith is good in all playes.
• Put twa half pennies in a purse, and they will draw together
• Painters and poets have leave to lie.
• Possession is worth an ill chartour.
• Pryde will have a fall.
• Povertie parts good company, and is an enemie to vertue.
• Put not your hand betwixt the rind and the tree.
• Poore men they say hes na souls.
• Patience perforce.
• Provision in season, makes a rich meason.

• Put that in the next few,
• Peter in, and Paul out.
• plentie is na daintie:
• puddings and paramours wald be hotelie handlit.

Q

• Quhair the Deer is slain, some bloud will lye.
• Quhen the eye sees it saw not, the heart will think it thought not.
• Quhen wine is in, wit is out.
• Quhen the steed is stowne, steik the stable doore.
• Quhen the Tod preaches, beware of the hens.
• Quhen the cup is fullest, bear it evinest.
• Quhat better is the house that the da rises in the morning.
• Quhen theeves reckons, leall men comes to their geir.
• Quhen I am dead, make me caddell.
• Quhiles the hawk hes, and whiles he hunger hes.
• Quhen the craw flees, her tail follows.
• Quhen the play is best, it is best to leave.
• Quha may wooe but cost.
• Quhiles thou, whiles I, so goes the bailleri.
• Quhen a man is full of lust, his womb is full of leesings
• Quha may hold that will away.
• Quhen taylours are true, there little good to shew.
• Quhen thy neighbours house is on fire, take tent to thy awn
• Quhen the iron is hot, it is time to strike.
• Quhen the bellie is full, the bones wald have rest.
• Quhom God will help, na man can hinder.

• Quhen all men speaks, na man hears.
• Quhen the good man is fra hame, the boardcleaths tint,
• Quhair stands your great horse.
• Quhair the pig breaks, let the shells ly.
• Quhen friends meets, hearts warmes.
• Quhen the well is full, it will run over.

R

• REason band the man.
• Ruse the foord as ye finde it.
• Ruse the fair day at evin.
• Racklesse youth, makes a goustie age.
• Ryme spares na man.
• Reavers should not be rewers:
• Rule youth weill, and eild will rule the sell.
• Rome was not biggit on the first day.

S

• Sike man, sike master.
• Seldome rides, tynes the spurres.
• Shod in the cradle, bairfoot in the stubble,
• Sike lippes, sike latace.
• Sike a man as thou wald be, draw thee to sik companie.
• Soothe bourd is na bourd.
• Seldome lyes the devil dead by the dyke side
• Saying goes good cheap-
• Spit on the stane, it will be wet at the last.
• Soft fire makes sweet malt.
• Sorrows gars websters spin.
• Sturt payes na debt.
• Sillie bairns are eith to lear.
• Saw thin, and maw thin.
• Soon rype, soon rotten.
• Send and fetch.
• Self deed, self fa.
• Shame shall fall them that shame thinks, to do themselves a good turn.
• Sike father, sike son, &c.
• Seill comes not while sorrow be gone.
• Shees a foule bird that fyles her own nest.
• Speir at Jock thief my marrow, if I be a leal man.
• Soon gotren, soon spendit.
• Sike priest, sike offering.
• Shee is a sairie mouse that hes but ane hole.
• Surfeit slayes ma•• nor the sword.
• Seik your sauce where you get your ail.
• Sokand seall is best.
• Sike answer as a man gives, sike will he get.

• Small winning makes a heavie purse.
• Shame is past the shedd of your haire.
• Send him to the sea and he will not get water.
• Saine you weill fra the devill and the Lairds bairns.
• She that takes gifts her self, she sels, and shee that gives, does not ells.
• Shroe the ghast that the house is the war of.
• Shew me the man, and I shall shew you the law.
• Swear by your burnt shines.
• Sairie be your meil poke, and ay your neive in the nook of it.

T

• THe mair haste, the war speid.
• Tyde bydes na man.
• Twa daughters and a back door, are three stark theeves
• There was never a cake, but it had a make.
• There came never a large fart forth of a Wrans arse.
• Toome bagges rattles.
• The thing that is fristed, is not forgiven.
• Take part of the pelf, when the pack is a dealing.
• Tread on a worme, and she will steir her tail.
• They are lightlie herrite that hes their awn.
• The Craw thinks her awn bird fairest.
• There is little to the rake to get after the bissome.
• They buy good cheap that brings nathing hame.
• Thraw the wand while it is green.
• The Sowters wife is worst shod.
• The worst warld that ever was, some man wan.

• They will know by a half pennie if a priest wil take offering
• Tyme tryes the truth.
• The weeds overgaes the corne.
• Take tyme while time is, for time will away.
• The piper wants meikle that wants the nether chafts.
• They are welcome that brings.
• The langer we live, the mae farlies we see.
• There are many soothe words spoken in bourding.
• There is na thief without a resetter.
• There is many fair thing full false.
• There came never ill of a good advisement.
• There is na man sa deaf, as he that will not hear.
• There was never a fair word in flyting.
• The mouth that lyes, slayes the soul.
• Trot mother, trot father, how can the foal amble.
• They were never fain that fidgit.
• Twa wolfs may worrie ane sheep.
• Twa fooles in ane house is over many.
• The day hes eyne, the night hes ears.
• The tree fals not at the first straike.
• The mair ye tramp in a turde, it growes the breader.
• There is none without a fault.
• The devil is a busie bishop in his awn diocie.
• There is no friend to a friend in mister.
• There is na foole to an auld fool.
• Touch a good horse in the back, and he will fling.
• There is remeid for all things but stark deid.
• There is na medicine for fear.
• The weakest goes to the wals.
• That which hussies spares, cats eats.
• Thou wilt get na mair of the cat but the skin,
• There mae madines nor makine.
• They laugh ay that winnes,

• Twa wits is better nor ane.
• They put at the cairt that is ay gangand.
• Three may keep counsel if twa be away.
• They are good willie of their horse that hes nane.
• The mae the merrier, the fewer the better chear.
• The blinde horse is hardiest.
• There mae wayes to the wood nor ane
• There is meikle between word and deed.
• They that speirs meikle, will get wot of part.
• The lesse play the better.
• The mair cost, the mair honour.
• There is nothing more precious nor time.
• True love kyths in time of need.
• There are many fair words in the marriage making, but few in the tochergood paying.
• The higher up, the greater fall.
• The mother of mischief is na mair nor a midge wing.
• Tarrowing bairns were never fat.
• There little sap in dry peis hooles:
• This bolt came never out of your bag.
• Thy tongue is na slander.
• Take him up there with his 5 eggs, and 4 of them rotten.
• The next time ye daunce, wit whom ye take by the hand.
• The goose pan is above the rost.
• Thy thumbe is under my belt.
• There is a dog in the well.
• The malt is above the beir.
• Touch me not on the sair heel.
• The shots overgaes the ald swine,
• Take a man by his word, and a cow by her horne.
• There meikle hid meat in a goose eye.
• They had never an ill day that had a good evening.
• There belongs mair to a bed nor foure buir legs.

• The greatest clarks are not the wisest men.
• Thou should not tell thy foe when thy fit slides
• the grace of God is geir enough.
• Twa hungrie mel••its makes the third a glutton
• This warld will not last ay.
• The Devil and the Dean begins with a letter, when the De∣vil hes the Dean, the kirk will be the better.
• They are as wise that speir not.
• There is nothing so crouse as a new washen louce.

W

• VVRang hes nea warrand.
• Will hes that weill is.
• Well done, soon done.
• Weapons bodes peace.
• Wiles helps weak folk.
• Wishers, and walders are poore househalders,
• Words are but wind, but dunts are the devil.
• Wark bears witnesse wha weill does.
• Wealth gars wit waver.
• Weill bydes, weill betydes,
• Wrang compt, is na paiment.
• Wrang hears, wrang answer gives.
• With emptie hand, na man should hawkes allure
• Weill wats the mouse, the cats out of the house.

• We ill worth aw, that gars the plough draw.
• We hounds slew the hair, quoth the messoun.
• Wonder lasts but nine nights in a town,
• Women and bairns keeps counsel of that they know not.
• Wont beguilt the Ladie.
• Waken not sleeping dogs.
• We have a craw to pluck.
• Well good mother daughter.
• Wood in wildernesse, and strength in a fool.
• Wit in a poore mans head, mosse in a mountain availes no∣thing.
• VVeils him and wooes him that hes a bishop in his kin.
• Vse makes perfectnesse.
• Unskild mediciners, and horsemarshels, slayes both man and beast.
• VVhatrax of the feed, where the friendship dow nought.

Y

• YE will break your neck and your fast alike in his house
• Ye strive against the stream
• Youth never casts tor perrill.
• Ye seek hot water under cold y••e••
• Ye drive a snail to Rome.
• Ye ride a bootlesse erand.

• Ye seek grace at a gracelesse face.
• Ye learn your father to get bairns.
• Ye may not sit in Rome and strive with the Pope.
• Youth and age will never agree.
• Ye may puind for debt, but not for unkindnesse.
• Ye breid of the cat, ye wald fain eat fish, but yee have n•• will to weet your feet,
• We breid of the gouk, ye have not a ryme but ane.
• Ye should be a king of your word.
• Ye will get war bods or Belten.
• Ye may drink of the burn, but not byte of the brae:
• Ye wald do little for God an the devil were dead:
• Ye have a readie mouth for a ripe cherrie.
• Ye breed of the millers dog, ye lick your mouth or the po•• be open.