The Proverbs of Scotland Part 108

Ye come to the gait's house to thig woo.

Or, you come for a thing which I have not to give. "You beg of him who is ready to steal."--_English._

Ye crack crousely wi' your bannet on.

A hint to a person that his conduct is too familiar.

Ye cut before the point.

Ye cut lang whangs aff ither folk's leather.

Spoken to persons who are very liberal with things which do not belong to them.

Ye daur weel but ye downa.

Or try to do well, but cannot.

Ye didna draw sae weel when my mear was in the mire.

You did not a.s.sist me so much as I now a.s.sist you.

Ye didna lick your lips since ye leed last.

Ye drive the plough before the owsen.

Ye fand it where the Hielandman fand the tangs.

That was, in their proper place, at the fireside. A proverbial manner of saying that a thing has been stolen, in reply to those who say they found it.

Ye fike it awa, like auld wives baking.

"'To fike,' to dally about a business; to lose time by procrastination while appearing to be busy."--_Jamieson._

Ye gae far about seeking the nearest.

Ye gang round by Lanark for fear Linton dogs bite you.

Ye gae gude counsel, but he's a fool that taks 't.

Ye glower like a cat oot o' a whinbush.

Ye got ower muckle o' your ain will, and ye're the waur o't.

Ye had aye a gude whittle at your belt.

Ye hae a conscience like Coldingham common.

"Coldingham moor, or common, was an undivided waste of above 6000 acres. The saying is applied to persons of lax principles, who can accommodate their consciences to all circ.u.mstances."--_G.

Henderson._

Ye hae a lang nose, and yet ye're cut lugget.

In appearance you have an advantage in one way, but not in another.

Ye hae a ready mou' for a ripe cherry.

Ye hae a saw for a' sairs.

Ye hae a streak o' carl hemp in you.

Figuratively this means that a person possesses firmness, or strength of mind.

Ye hae aye a foot oot o' the langle.

Ye hae as muckle pride as wad ser' a score o' clergy.

Ye hae baith your meat and your mense.

Applied to a person who has invited another to dine with him, but who has refused, or failed to make his appearance; meaning that you have both the meat he would have eaten, and the honour of having invited him.

Ye hae been gotten gathering nits, ye speak in cl.u.s.ters.

Ye hae been lang on little eird.

Ye hae to be pitied and prayed for, either to end ye or mend ye.

Ye hae been smelling the bung.

That is, you have been tippling.

Ye hae brought the pack to the pins.

"You have dwindled away your stock."--_Kelly._

Ye hae ca'd your pigs to an ill market.

Ye hae come aff at the loupin-on-stane.

"'Loupin-on-stane,' a stone, or several stones, raised one above another, like a flight of steps, for a.s.sisting one to get on horseback. Metaphysically, to leave off any business in the same state as when it was begun; also, to terminate a dispute without the slightest change of mind in either party."--_Jamieson._

Ye have fasted lang, and worried on a midge.

Ye hae come in time to tine a darg.

To "tine a darg," is to lose a day's work: you have arrived too late.

Ye hae found a mear's nest, and laugh at the eggs.