The Proverbs of Scotland Part 97

There's steel in the needle point, though little o't.

"Spoken when a thing, commendable for its kind, is found fault with for its quant.i.ty."--_Kelly._

There's the end o' an auld sang.

Or, all the information I can give you.

There's tricks in a' trades but honest horse-couping.

There's twa enoughs, and ye hae got ane o' them.

"That is, big enough and little enough; meaning that he has gotten little enough. An answer to them who, out of modesty, say they have enough."--_Kelly._

There's twa things in my mind, and that's the least o' them.

Spoken by a person who declines to give a reason for a thing which he does not wish to do.

There was anither gotten the night that you was born.

"If one won't another will."--_English._

There was mair lost at Sherramuir, where the Hielandman lost his faither and his mither, and a gude buff belt worth baith o' them.

Spoken jocularly when a person meets with a trifling loss.

Sheriffmuir is the name of the field between Stirling and Dunblane, where a disastrous battle between the Scots and English was fought during the rebellion of 1715.

There was ne'er a gude toun but there was a dub at the end o't.

Or never a thing so perfect as to be faultless.

There was ne'er a height but had a howe at the bottom o't.

There ne'er was a silly Jocky but there was a silly Jenny.

There was ne'er a thrifty wife wi' a clout about her head.

There was ne'er enough when naething was left.

The scabbit head loesna the kame.

The scholar may waur the maister.

The shortest road's the nearest.

The shortest road's where the company's gude.

The silliest strake has aye the loudest "hech."

This means, literally, that the silliest stroke is accompanied by the loudest exclamation: those who pretend to do most perform least.

The slothfu' man maks a slim fortune.

The smith has aye a spark in his throat.

The smith's mear and the souter's wife are aye warst shod.

The snail is as sune at its rest as the swallow.

The souter gae the sow a kiss; "grumph," quo' she, "it's for a birse."

"Spoken of those whose service we suppose to be mercenary."--_Kelly._

The stoup that gaes often to the well comes hame broken at last.

"The pitcher that goes often to the well leaves either its handle or its spout."--_Spanish._

The stoutest head bears langest oot.

"The broadsword's pursuer, or plaintiff, as you Englishers ca' it, and the target is defender; the stoutest head bears langest out;--and there's a Hieland plea for ye."--_Rob Roy._

The strongest side taks aye the strongest right.

The sun is nae waur for shining on the midden.

The thatcher said unto his man, "Let's raise this ladder if we can."--"But first let's drink, maister."

"Spoken when one proposes something to be done, and another proposes to take a drink before we begin."--_Kelly._

The thiefer-like the better sodger.

The thing that liesna in your gait breaksna your shins.

The thing that's dune's no to do.

The thing that's fristed's no forgi'en.

The third time's lucky.

The thrift o' you and the woo o' a dog wad mak a braw wab.

A sarcastic manner of informing a person that he is lazy.

The thrift o' you will be the death o' your gudewife.

The time ye're pu'in' runts ye're no setting kail.

The tod keeps aye his ain hole clean.