Proverbs

Proverbs, called provribs, freits or saws in Scots, are short familiar sayings expressing a supposed truth or moral lesson.

A'll big nae saundy-mills wi ye.	I'll not be friendly to you.
A bonnie bride is suin buskit an a short horse is suin wispit.	A pretty bride needs little decoration; a small horse little grooming.
A cauld needs the ceuk sae muckle the doctor.	I need it like a hole in the head.
A gien cou shoudna be leukit ee mou	Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
A greedy gutsie ee ne'er gat a fou wame.	Greedy persons are never satisfied.
A guid dug ne'er barkit aboot a bane.	Good servants don't look for rewards.
A guid name's suiner tint nor won.	A good name is sooner lost than gained.
A hungersome wame haes nae lugs.	A hungry person can't listen to reason.
A rowin stane gaithers nae fug.	A rolling stone gathers no moss
A sent him awa wi a seed in his teeth.	I sent him away with a flea in his ear.
A shored tree staunds lang.	Threatened folk live long.
A smaw buss is better nor nae bield.	A small bush is better than no shelter.
Ae man's meat is anither man's pushion.	One man's food is another man's poison.
Early creuk the tree that guid cummock wad be.	Those who don't succeed very well at first may do better afterwards.
An ill shearer aye blames his tuils.	A bad workman always blames his tools.
As ae door's steekit anither opens.	We are never left entirely without hope.
As daft as a yett on a windy day.	As mad as a hatter.
Auld saws speaks suith.	Old proverbs tell the truth.
Auld speugies is ill tae tame.	It's difficult to teach an old dog new tricks.
Aw compleen o want o siller but nane o want o mense.	If they had more sense they would soon have more money.
Aw things haes an end, an a pudden haes twa.	All things have an end, and a sausage has two
Aye tae eild but niver tae wit.	Alway growing older but never wiser.
Bairns maun creep or thay gang.	Those who don't succeed very well at first may do better afterwards.
Be taen til the fair.	Be led up the garden path.
Better a fremmit freend nor a freend fremmit.	Better a stranger for one's friend than a friend who has become a stranger.
Better a moose in the pat nor nae flesh.	A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Better a tuim hoose nor an ill tainant.	Better an empty house than a bad tenant.
Better a wee buss nor nae bield.	Any port in a storm.
Better hauf an egg nor a tuim dowp.	Better half a loaf than no bread.
Better ma freends thinks me fremmit as fashious.	Better my friends think me stranger due to seldom visits than troublesome due to too many.
Better mak yer feet yer freends.	Run for your life.
Better suin nor syne.	Better sooner than later.
Beauty's muck whan honour's tint.	Beauty is of no value when honour is lost.
Cairy saut til Dysart.	Carry coals to Newcastle.
Caukin the claith afore the wab be in the luim.	Counting your chickens before they are hatched.
Caw saut til Dysart.	Carry coals to Newcastle.
Claw ye ma back an A'll claw yers	If you scratch my back I'll scratch yours.
Craft maun hae claes but suith gangs nakit.	A craftsman must have clothes but truth goes naked.
Cuttin afore the pynt.	Counting your chickens before they are hatched.
Dancin like a hen on a het girdle.	Like a cat on hot bricks.
Dinna speak o raip til a chiel that's faither wis hingit.	Don't talk of rope to a man whose father was hung.
Eenin orts is guid mornins' fother.	What is despised today may be valued tomorrow.
Facts is chiels that winna ding.	Facts cannot be denied.
Fell twa dugs wi the ae bane.	Kill two birds with one stone.
Gie a beggar a bed an he'll pey ye wi a loose.	Give a beggar a bed and he'll pay you with a louse.
Gie yer tongue mair halidays nor yer heid.	Give your tongue more holidays than your head.
Git the whistle o yer groat.	Be paid in one's own coin.
Hae ither towe on ane's rock.	Have other fish to fry.
He's no the berry (nor yit the buss it growed on).	He's not the clean potato.
He's waur tae watter nor tae corn.	He's fonder of drink than food.
He haed a tongue that wad clip cloots.	He would talk the hind legs off a donkey.
He haes a crap for aw corn.	All is fish that comes to his net.
He kens the laid frae the croun o the causey.	He knows how many beans make five.
He kens whilk side his bannock's buttert on.	He knows which side his bread is buttered on.
He stummles at strae an lowps ower a linn.	He finds difficulties only where he wants to.
He shoud hae a hail powe that caws his neibour neetie nou.	People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
He that's angry opens his mou an steeks his een.	The angry man speaks unadvisedly, without investigating the matter.
He that's scant o braith shoudna meddle wi the chanter.	Never begin anything for which you have no aptitude.
He that blaws in stour fills his ain een.	He who stirs up trouble finds himself in it.
He that sleeps wi dugs maun rise wi flaes.	He who keeps bad company will be the worse for it.
He that will til Cupar maun til Cupar.	A wilful man must have his way.
He wad skin a loose for the tallae.	No source of gain is beneath his miserly attention.
He winna rive his faither's bunnet.	He'll never fill his father's shoes.
His mither canna see daylicht til him.	He's his mother's white haired boy.
Ilk blad o girse keeps its ain dew.	Mind your own business.
It's a bare muir that ye gang throu an no find a heather cou.	It's a long lane that has no turning.
It's a blate chittie that maks a prood moose.	A shy cat makes a proud mouse.
It's an ill bird that fyles it's ain nest.	It's an evil person who harms one's own.
It's better tae hear the laverock sing nor the moose cheep.	The outdoor life is the better.
It's guid tae begin weel, but better tae end weel.	Make hay while the sun shines.
It's ill bringin but, whit's no ben.	You can't have your cake and eat it.
It's like butter in the black dug's hause.	It's no use crying over spilt milk.
It's no the rummlin cairt that faws ower the brae.	It's not the likeliest person who dies first.
It's past joukin whan the heid's aff.	It's too late to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Keep something for a sair fit.	Keep something for a rainy day.
Keep yer ain fish-guts tae yer ain sea-maws.	Charity begins at home.
Kinnle a caunle at baith ends an it'll suin be duin.	Go to bed late and rise early and you'll soon be dead.
Lat the bell wather brak the snaw.	Tried leaders are best in emergencies.
Lig the heid o the sou til the tail o the gryce.	Balance gains and losses.
Like a Hen on a het girdle.	Like a cat on hot bricks.
Ma tongue isna unner yer belt.	You can't silence me.
Makna tuim ruise.	Bestow no empty praise.
Mony ane for laund, taks a fuil by the haund.	Many marry for money.
Muckle whistlin for little redd laund.	Much cry for little wool.
Nae gairdener iver lichtlied his ain leeks.	No man speaks ill of what he values most.
Ne'er find faut wi ma shuin unless ye pey ma souter.	Don't criticise something you know nothing about and is none of your business.
Ne'er gang til the deil wi a dishcloot on yer heid.	In for a penny, in for a pound.
Ne'er lat yer feet rin faster nor yer shuin.	Don't outstrip your resources.
Ne'er lat yer gear owergang ye.	Pride not yourself in your riches.
Ne'er pit yer haund oot faurer nor yer sleeve will rax.	Spend no more than you can afford.
Niver tak a forehaimer tae brak an egg (whan ye can dae't wi the back o a knife).	To crack a nut with a sledgehammer.
No see daylicht til.	Be blind to one's fate.
Oot the hiegate is aye fair play.	Honesty is the best policy.
Pit twa pennies in a pootch an thay'll creep thegither.	Put two pennies in a purse and they will creep together.
Raise nae mair deils nor ye can lig.	Don't start anything you can't stop.
Reek follaes the fairest, beir witness tae the creuk.	Excellence is accompanied by envy.
Rive the kirk tae theek the queir.	Rob Peter to pay Paul.
Saut somebody's kail.	Have a rod in pickle for.
Set a stoot hert til a stey brae.	The harder the task, the more determination is needed.
Tak a hair o the dug that bit ye yestreen.	A hangover cure !
Tak help at yer elbucks.	Heaven helps those who help themselves.
That'll no set the heather alicht.	That won't set the Thames on fire.
The deil's gane ower Jock Wabster.	The fat's in the fire.
The eemock bites sairer nor the clock.	It is dangerous to interfere with a man seriously engaged in business.
The keeng ligs doun an the warld rins roond.	No man is indispensable.
The pruif ee pudden's ee the preein o't.	The proof of the pudding is in the tasting.
The thing that's duin is no tae dae,	There's no time like the present.
Thare's a dub at ilka door.	There's a skeleton in every cupboard.
Thare's a flae in ma hose.	I'm in trouble.
Thare's aye some watter whaur the stirkie drouns.	No smoke without fire.
Thare's mair room athoot nor athin.	An apology for passing wind.
Thay are fremmit freends that canna be fasht.	They are strange friends who can't be bothered.
Thay gang faur that disna meet ae day.	The world's a small place.
We can shape wir bairn's wyliecoat but canna shape thair weird.	We can shape our childrens clothes but not their fate.
Ye are feart for the day ye niver seen.	You are worrying unnecessarily.
Ye canna gaither berries aff a whinbuss.	Don't go to ill-tempered people for favours.
Ye coud hae bund me wi strae.	You could have knocked me down with a feather.
Ye cut lang whangs aff ither fowk's ledder.	You make very free with other people's property.
Ye shape shuin by yer ain shauchelt feet	To judge others by yourself.
Ye wad wheedle a laverock frae the lift.	You have a winning way with you.
Yer breid's bakkit, ye can hing up yer girdle	You have achieved all you aimed at.
Yer mynd's aye chasin mice.	Your wits are wool-gathering.
Yer tongue gangs like a laum's tail.	You are never done talking.

For more "freits, saws an provribs" go to ScotsText

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