The Proverbs of Scotland Part 25

Dirt defies the king.

Dirt parts gude company.

Dit your mouth wi' your meat.

"Dit," close. A suggestion intended to put a stop to idle conversation.

Do a man a good turn, and he'll never forgie you.

"'Are you mad?' cried Bryce Snailsfoot, 'you that lived sae lang in Zetland to risk the saving of a drowning man? Wot ye not, if you bring him to life again, he will be sure to do you some capital injury?'"--_The Pirate._

Do as the cow o' Forfar did, tak a stannin' drink.

"A cow in pa.s.sing a door in Forfar, where a tub of ale had been placed to cool, drank the whole of it. The owner of the ale pursued the proprietor of the cow for the value of the ale; but a learned bailie, in giving his decision, decreed, that since the ale was drank by the cow while standing at the door, it must be considered _deoch an dorius_, or stirrup cup, for which no charge could be made, without violating the ancient hospitality of Scotland."--_Sir Walter Scott, Note to Waverley._

Do as the la.s.ses do--say No, but tak it.

"Maids, in modesty, say 'No' to that which they would have the profferer construe 'Ay.'"--_Shakespeare._

Do as the miller's wife o' Newlands did--she took what she had and she never wanted.

Dogs and bairns are fain o' fools.

That is, fools attract the attention of children and dogs.

Dogs bark as they are bred.

Dogs will redd swine.

"Redd," is here used in the sense of to put in order.

Dolour pays nae debts.

Dool and an ill life soon mak an auld wife.

"Sorrow and an evil life maketh soon an old wife."--_English._

Do on the hill as ye wad do in the ha'.

Let your private character be consistent with your public one.

Do't by guess, as the blind man fell'd the dog.

Do the likeliest and hope the best.

Double charges rive cannons.

That is, surfeits are dangerous; but the proverb which follows shows, as usual, that there is no rule without an exception.

Double drinks are gude for drouth.

Do weel, an' doubt nae man; do ill, an' doubt a' men.

Do weel and dread nae shame.

Do weel and hae weel.

Do what ye ought and come what can; think o' ease, but work on.

The first clause of this is common to many countries; but as the second only occurs in Henderson's collection, we suspect it is an addition of his own.

Do what ye ought, and let come what will.

Do your turn weel, and nane will speir what time ye took.

Meaning, that work should rather be done well than quickly.

Draff he sought, but drink was his errand.

That is, while pretending to ask for one thing, his great object was to get another.

Draff is gude enough for swine.

Dree out the inch when ye have tholed the span.

Since you have suffered patiently, or submitted to injustice for a long time, bear on quietly when there is a prospect of early relief.

Driest wood will eithest lowe.

Drink and drouth come na aye thegither.

Drink little, that ye may drink lang.

Drive the swine through't.

"You should sift Jamie's tender pa.s.sion--that's the novelle-name for calf-love; and if it's within the compa.s.s o' a possibility, get the swine driven through't, or it may work us a' muckle dule, as his father's moonlight marriage did to your ain, worthy man!"--_The Entail._

Drunk at e'en and dry in the morning.

Drunk folk seldom tak harm.

The French say, "G.o.d helps three kinds of people: fools, children, and drunkards;" and another of our own states that "G.o.d's aye kind to fu' folk and bairns."

Dry bargains bode ill.

A bargain in times gone by was not "lucky," unless ratified by a drink.

Dummie canna lee.