The Proverbs of Scotland Part 27

Eith learned soon forgotten.

"Easy come, easy go."--_English._

Eith to that thy ain heart wills.

Eith working when will's at hame.

The two preceding maxims have a similar meaning to the French sayings, that "Will is power;" and "A willing heart helps work."

"Where the will is ready the feet are light."--_German._

Ell and tell is gude merchandise.

Ell and tell is ne'er forgotten, and the best pay's on the peck bottom.

"Ell and tell," if we mistake not, refers to good measure and prompt payment; and the latter saying may be construed thus:--The grain is emptied from the "peck" measure, the measure is inverted, and payment for the grain is "told" on the bottom of it.

Enough's as gude as a feast.

Enough's enough o' bread and cheese.

Meaning, that too much of one thing is not good. The French and Dutch say, "Enough is better than too much," while the Italians are of opinion that "Enough is enough, and too much spoils."

Envy shoots at a high mark.

Even stands his cap the day, for a' that.

"It took its rise from a minister in our country, who, in a sermon preached most fiercely against the supremacy of the Pope, at the conclusion said, 'Even stands his cap for all that I have said, drinking good Romany wine this day.' Applied when we signify that all we can say against any great man can do him no harm."--_Kelly._

Ever busy, ever bare.

"Great cry and little wool."--_English._

Every ane loups the d.y.k.e where it's laighest.

Every one leaps the wall at the lowest part,--a man may "loup the d.y.k.e" by oppressing those who are unable to resist.

Every bird thinks its ain nest best.

Every c.o.c.k craws crousiest on his ain midden head.

"Every c.o.c.k crows loudest on his own dunghill," is a saying common to all nations.

Every craw thinks his ain bird whitest.

All think well of their own offspring. "Every mother's child is handsome," say the Germans. They also have, "No ape but swears he has the finest children."

Every day is no Yule day; cast the cat a castock.

The first half of this proverb is used literally by the Italians and Dutch. A "castock" is the stalk or core of a cabbage.

Every dog has its day.

Every dud bids anither gude-day.

Every fault has its fore.

Every flow has its ebb.

Every Jack will find a Jill.

"'Never you fash your thumb about that, Maister Francie,' returned the landlady with a knowing wink, 'every Jack will find a Jill, gang the world as it may; and, at the warst o't, better hae some fashery in finding a partner for the night, than get yoked with ane that you may not be able to shake off the morn.'"--_St Ronan's Well._

Every land has its laigh; every corn has its ain caff.

Meaning that everything may be found fault with; and silly objections be raised against the most valuable and useful things.

Every man bows to the bush he gets beild frae.

"Every one pays court to him who gives him protection."--_Jamieson._

Every man buckles his belt his ain gate.

Every man does his work after his own fas.h.i.+on.

Every man can guide an ill wife weel but him that has her.

Every man can tout best on his ain horn.

"Tout," to blow. Meaning, that every man knows best how to tell his own story.

Every man for himself, and G.o.d for us a'.

Every man for his own hand, as Henry Wynd fought.

"Two great clans fought out a quarrel with thirty men of a side, in presence of the king, on the North Inch of Perth, on or about the year 1392; a man was amissing on one side, whose room was filled by a little bandy-legged citizen of Perth. This subst.i.tute, Henry Wynd--or, as the Highlanders called him, _Gow Chrom_, that is, the bandy-legged smith--fought well, and contributed greatly to the fate of the battle, without knowing which side he fought on;--so, 'To fight for your ain hand, like Henry Wynd,' pa.s.sed into a proverb."--_Sir Walter Scott, Note to Rob Roy._

Every man has his ain bubbly-jock.

Every man has his ain draff poke, though some hang eider than others.

The two last sayings are similar in meaning, viz., that every man has his imperfections or faults. The latter qualifies the proverb by admitting that in some these appear more prominently than in others.

Every man kens best where his ain sair lies.

Every man kens best where his ain shoe binds him.

Every man's blind to his ain cause.

Every man's man had a man, and that gar'd the Threave fa'.