( you might need a Scots Dictionary )

A' are gude lasses, but where do the ill wives come frae?
"All are good maids, but whence come the bad wives?"-- Spanish.
A' are no friends that speak us fair.
"All are not friends who smile at you."-- Dutch.
A' are no thieves that dogs bark at.
A bad wound may heal, but a bad name will kill.
A bairn maun creep afore it gangs.
A bald head is sune shaved.
A bark frae a teethless dog is as gude as a bite.
A bauld fae is better than a cowardly friend.
A bawbee cat may look at a king.
A beggar's wallet is a mile to the bottom.
Because it generally contrives to contain all he gets.
A bird in the hand's worth twa fleeing by.
A bit is aften better gi'en than eaten.
A black hen can lay a white egg.
A Blainslie lawin'--there's mair for meat than drink.
A blate cat maks a proud mouse.
When discipline is not enforced, subordinates are apt to take advantage of it.
A blind man needs nae looking-glass.
A blind man's wife needs nae painting.
A blythe heart maks a bloomin' look.
A body's no broke while they hae a gude kail stock.
"When all is not lost, all can be recovered."-- English.
A bonnie gryce may mak an ugly sow.
"Fair in the cradle may be foul in the saddle. "-- English.
A borrowed len' should gae laughing hame.
When we return an article which has been borrowed, to its owner, we should do it with a good grace.
A bow o'erbent will weaken.
Abundance o' law breaks nae law.
A careless watch invites the thief.
A' cats are grey in the dark.
A close mouth catches nae flees.
"A shut mouth keeps me out of strife."-- Portuguese.
A cock's aye crouse on his am midden-head.
"A cock is valiant on his own dunghill."-- Danish.
A' complain o' want o' siller, but nane o' want o' sense.
A coward's fear maks a brave man braver.
A crackit bell will never mend.
A' cracks mauna be trew'd.
All that is heard must not be believed.
A crafty man's ne'er at peace.
A crammed kyte maks a crazy carcase.
"A full belly sets a man jigging."-- French.
A craw will no wash white.
A crooked man should sow beans, and a woad man peas.
"The one agrees to be thick sown, the other thin."-- Kelly.
A crookit stick will throw a crookit shadow.
A cuddy's gallop's sune done.
A cumbersome cur is hated in company.
A daft nurse maks a wise wean.
A day to come seems langer than a year that's gane.
A dear ship lies lang in the harbour.
A dish o' married love grows sune cauld.
A dog winna yowl if ye fell him wi' a bane.
"Pelt a dog with bones, and you will not offend him."-- Italian.
friend's past services.
A dreigh drink is better than a dry sermon.
A drink is shorter than a tale.
An excuse for drinking during the telling of a story.
A drink is shorter than a tale.
An excuse for drinking during the telling of a story.
A dry summer ne'er made a dear peck.
"Drought never bred dearth."-- English.
A duck winna dabble aye in ae hole.
A dumb man hauds a'.
That is, figuratively, makes no disclosures.
A dumb man ne'er got land.
A dumb man wins nae law.
A loquacious advocate is more likely to gain his case than a taciturn one.
Ae fine thing needs twa to set it aff
Ae gude friend is worth mony relations.
Ae gude turn deserves anither.
Ae half o' the warld disna ken how the ither half lives.
Ae hand winna wash the ither for nought.
Ae hour in the morning is worth twa at night.
Ae hour's cauld will drive oot seven years' heat.
Ae lawsuit breeds twenty.
Ae man may steal a horse where anither daurna look ower the hedge.
A man with a bad character is liable to be blamed for any misdeed which may be done; while a person who is not open to suspicion may commit depredation without challenge.
Ae man's meat is anither man's poison.
Ae scabbit sheep will smit a hirsel.
One bad character may pollute a whole company.
Ae scone o' that baking's enough.
Ae shook o' that stook's enough.
One specimen of a bad article is sufficient.
Ae swallow disna mak a summer.
Ae word before is worth twa behint.
A' fails that fools think.
A fa'ing maister maks a standin' man.
A fair maid tocherless will get mair wooers than husbands.
A fair offer is nae cause o' feud.
Affront your friend in daffin', and tine him in earnest.
Affront him not in jest, lest you lose him in earnest.
A fidging mare should be wed girded.
"A thief does not always steal, but always be on your guard against him."-- Russian.
A findsilly bairn gars his faither be hang'd.
A fisherman's walk--twa steps and overboard.
A fool and his money are sune parted.
A fool at forty will ne'er be wise.
A fool is happier thinking weel o' himself, than a wise man is o' others thinking weel o' him.
A fool may earn money, but it taks a wise man to keep it.
A fool may gie a wise man a counsel.
A fool may speer mair questions than a wise man can answer.
A fool's bolt is sune shot.
A fool winna gie his toy for the Tower o' London.
A foul hand maks a clean hearthstane.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
A friend to a' is a friend to nane.
"Everybody's friend is nobody's friend."-- Spanish.
A friend's dinner's sune dished.
That is, a true friend is easily served, and will not readily take offence.
A friend's ne'er ken't till he's needed.
Aft counting keeps friends lang thegither.
"Short accounts make long friends."-- English.
After a storm comes a calm.
After cheese, naething.
After clouds comes fair weather.
After dinner sit a while, after supper walk a mile.
After joy comes annoy.
After Lammas, corn ripens by day and night.
After that comes a cow to be shod.
After words come weird: fair fa' them that ca' me "Madam."
After libel comes proof: let those who speak ill of me look to themselves.
After you is gude manners.
"Spoken when our betters offer to serve us first"-- Kelly.
Aft ettle, whiles hit.
Often try, occasionally succeed.
Aft times the cautioner pays the debt
A fu' cup is ill to carry.
A fu' heart is aye kind.
A fu' heart never lee'd.
Intimating that the truth generally comes out under the impulse of the feelings.
A fu' man and a hungry horse aye mak haste hame.
A fu' man's a true man.
A man under the influence of drink, if he speak at all, usually speaks truth.
A fu' purse maks a haverin merchant.
A man with a full purse engaged in commercial transactions is apt to "haver," or gossip freely.
A fu' purse never lacks friends.
A fu' wame maks a straught back.
A full stomach makes a man walk erectly.
A gentle horse should be sindle spurr'd.
A gi'en game was ne'er won.
A voluntary concession may be no tribute to the skill of the opponent
A gi'en horse shouldna be looked i' the mouth.
A gi'en piece is soon eaten.
A gowk at Yule'll no be bright at Beltane.
He that is a fool at Christmas will not be wise in May.
A great rooser was ne'er a gude rider.
A great boaster is rarely a great performer.
A greedy e'e ne'er got a fu' wame.
A greedy e'e ne'er got a gude pennyworth.
This and the preceding proverb signify that a covetous or greedy man is never satisfied.
A green wound is half hale.
A groat is ill saved that shames its master.
A grunting horse and a graneing wife seldom fail their master.
People that are constantly in the habit of complaining how ill they are, generally contrive to live as long as their neighbours.
A gude beginning maks a gude ending.
A gude calf is better than a calf o' a gude kind.
The one is good already, while it is possible that the other may turn out bad.
A gude cause maks a strong arm.
A gude conscience is the best divinity.
A gude day's darg may be done wi' a dirty spade.
A gude dog ne'er barkit about a bane.
A gude face needs nae band, and an ill ane deserves nane.
A gude fellow is a costly name.
A gude fellow ne'er tint but at an ill fellow's hand.
A gude goose may hae an ill gaiflin.
A gude green turf is a gude gudemother.
A mother-in-law is best in the churchyard.
A gude grieve is better than an ill worker.
A gude ingle maks a roomy fireside.
A gude lawyer may be an ill neighbour.
A gude man maks a gude wife.
A gude name is sooner tint than won.
"Good repute is like the cypress; once cut, it never puts forth leaf again."-- Italian.
A gude paymaster ne'er wants hands to work.
A gude steel is worth a penny.
A gude tale's no the waur o' being twice tauld.
A gude tongue's a gude safeguard.
A gude wife and health is a man's best wealth.
A gude word is as easy said as an ill ane.
A gude year winna mak him, nor an ill year mar him.
"A beggar will ne'er be a bankrupt."-- English.
A guilty conscience self accuses.
A hadden tongue maks a slabbered mou'.
A hairy man's a geary man, but a hairy wife's a witch.
A half burn'd peat is easily kindled.
A hanfu' o' trade is worth a gowpen o' gold.
Literally, the knowledge of a trade is worth a handful of gold.
A hantle cry Murder! and are aye upmost.
Many that are least hurt cry loudest.
A hasty man is never lusty.
A hasty man never wanted wae.
A hearty hand to gie a hungry meltith.
A hen that lays thereout should hae a white nest-egg.
Some attractions should be provided at home for those who are not naturally attached to it.
A' his buz shakes nae barley.
All his talking does no good, or, vice versa, all his stormy temper does no harm.
A hook is weel tint to catch a salmon.
"Throw sprats to catch whales."-- Spanish.
A horse broken and a wife to break, is a horse made and a wife to make.
A horse hired never tired.
A horse wi' four feet may snapper.
Snapper, to stumble. Even the best of men may err.
A house built and a garden to grow never brought what they cost.
A house fu' o' folk, and a pouch wi' three fardens i' the corner o't, dinna sort weel thegither.
Poverty and a desire to keep up appearances do not "sort weel."
A house in a hastrie is downright wastrie.
A house wi' a reek and a wife wi' a reard will mak a man rin to the door.
"Smoke, a dripping roof, and a scolding wife, are enough to drive a man out of his life."-- Spanish.
A hungry louse bites sair.
"Spoken when the needy are importunate in their cravings, or exacting."-- Kelly.
A hungry man has aye a lazy cook.
A hungry man's an angry man.
A hungry man smells meat far.
A hungry stomach is aye craving.
A hungry wame has nae lugs.
A hungry man is deaf to reason.
A' I got frae him I could put in my e'e, and see nane the waur for't.
A satirical way of expressing that some service has been allowed to go unrewarded.
A' ills are gude untried.
Air day or late day, the fox's hide finds aye the slaying knife.
Sooner or later justice overtakes evil-doers.
A kindly word cools anger.
A kiss and a drink o' water mak but a wersh breakfast.
Spoken disapprovingly of those who marry for love, without due regard to means.
A landward lad is aye laithfu'.
A country or rustic lad is always bashful.
A lang gather'd dam soon runs out.
A lang tongue has a short hand.
"They who are lavish in their promises, are often short in their performances."-- Kelly.
A lass that has mony wooers aft wails the warst.
A laughing-faced lad often maks a lither servant.
A layin' hen is better than a standin' mill.
A standing mill is profitless, whereas a laying hen is not.
A leaky ship needs muckle pumping.
A leal heart never lied.
Ale-sellers shouldna be tale-tellers.
They hear everybody's story, but prudence demands that they should keep it to themselves.
A liar should hae a gude memory.
A light-heeled mother maks a heavy-heeled dochter.
A light purse maks a heavy heart.
Alike every day maks a clout on Sunday.
A little wit ser's a lucky man.
A' law's no justice.
A loving heart and a leal within, are better than gowd or gentle kin.
A lucky man needs little counsel.
A maid aft seen and a gown aft worn, are disesteemed and held in scorn.
"Amaist" and "Very near" hae aye been great liars.
Amaist was ne'er a man's life.
A man at five may be a fool at fifteen.
A man at forty is either a fool or a physician.
A man canna bear a' his ain kin about on his back.
A man canna wive and thrive the same year.
Amang you be't, priest's bairns: I am but a priest's oe.
A man has nae mair gudes than he gets gude o'.
A man is a lion for his ain cause.
"No man so zealous for, or assiduous in, a man's business as himself."-- Kelly.
A man maun spoil ere he spin.
A man may be kind, yet gie little o' his gear.
A man may haud his tongue in an ill time.
A man may keep silent at a time or under circumstances where it is an injury to himself.
A man may lose his ain for lack o' craving.
A man may speer the gate he kens fu' weel.
A man may spit in his neive and do but little.
He may make a great show of working but still do very little.
A man may woo where he will, but maun wed where his weird is.
A man o' mony trades may beg his bread on Sunday.
"Jack of all trades, master of none."-- English.
A man o' words, and no o' deeds, is like a garden fu' o' weeds.
A man's aye crouse in his ain cause.
A man's hat in his hand ne'er did him ony harm.
A man's mind is a mirk mirror.
A man's weel or wae as he thinks himsel sae.
A man wi' ae ee, can see mair than you wi' your twa.
A master's ee maks a fat horse.
"No eye like the master's eye."-- English.
A mear's shoe will fit a horse.
"Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."-- English.
A misty morning may be a clear day.
A mouthfu' o' meat may be a tounfu' o' shame.
"That is, if it be stolen--intimating that a little thing picked will procure a great disgrace."-- Kelly.
A muckle mouth has aye gude luck for its meat.
A muffled cat was ne'er a gude hunter.
An Aberdeen man ne'er stands to the word that hurts him.
A nag wi' a wame and a mare wi' nane are no a gude pair.
An air winter maks a sair winter.
A naked man maun rin.
A man that is destitute must exert himself.
An auld dog bites sicker.
An auld horse may dee ere the grass grow.
"While the grass is growing the steed is starving."-- German.
An auld knave's nae bairn.
"An old fox needs learn no new tricks."-- English.
An auld man's a bedfu' o' banes.
An auld mason maks a gude barrowman.
An auld pock is aye skailing.
An auld pock needs muckle clouting.
Old things, generally, are often in need of repair.
Ance awa, aye awa.
When people once go away from home for a time, there is always a feeling among those left that the bond which binds them to home is weakened, and very little persuasion is required to take them away again.
Ance is nae custom.
Ance paid, never craved.
Ance Provost, aye My Lord.
Ance wud, and aye waur.
Ance wud, never wise.
A person once "wud," or deranged, is always suspected of being so, in the event of anything strange taking place.
Ane at a time is gude fishing.
An eating horse ne'er foundered.
An excuse for taking a hearty meal, meaning that plenty of food will injure neither man nor beast.
Ane beats the bush, and anither grips the bird.
Ane does the skaith, anither gets the scorn.
Ane gets sma' thanks for tineing his am.
Ane is no sae soon healed as hurt.
An elbuck dirl will lang play thirl.
Ane may like a haggis weel enough that wouldna like the bag bladded on his chafts.
Ane may like the kirk weel enough, and no aye be riding on the rigging o't.
Ane would like to be lo'ed, but wha would mool in wi' a moudiewort?
The three preceding proverbs mean, that although a man may be very fond of his relations, property, and what not, still there are certain extremes to be avoided, for if even approached, they verge into the ridiculous.
Ane may think that daurna speak.
Ane never tines by doing gude.
Ane o' the court, but nane o' the council.
Meaning that although your presence and advice may on certain occasions be requested, it is only for form's sake.
Ane's ain hearth is gowd's worth.
Ane will gar a hundred lee.
A new pair o' breeks will cast down an auld coat.
A new article of dress will make the others look much more worn than they really are. The acquisition of a new friend may tend to lower our esteem for those of longer standing.
Anger's mair hurtfu' than the wrang that caused it.
Anger's short-lived in a gude man.
An honest man's word's his bond.
An idle brain is the deil's workshop.
"He that labours is tempted by one devil; he that is idle by a thousand."-- Italian.
An ilka-day braw maks a Sabbath-day daw.
He that wears his best at all times will have nothing to suit extraordinary occasions.
An ill cook should hae a gude cleaver.
An ill cow may hae a gude calf.
An ill custom is like a gude bannock--better broken than kept.
An ill lesson is easy learned.
An ill life maks an ill death.
An ill plea should be weel pled.
An ill servant ne'er made a gude maister.
An ill turn is soon done.
An ill wife and a new-kindled candle should hae their heads hadden down.
"But both must be done with care, caution, and discretion; otherwise you may put the candle out and make the wife worse."-- Kelly.
An ill-willy cow should hae short horns.
"It were a pity that a man of ill-nature should have much authority, for he'll be sure to abuse it."-- Kelly.
An ill-won penny will cast down a pound.
An inch breaks nae squares.
"A little difference ought not to occasion any contests among good neighbours."-- Kelly.
An inch o' gude luck is worth a faddom o' forecast.
A nod frae a lord is a breakfast for a fool.
A nod o' honest men's eneugh.
A nod's as gude's a wink to a blind horse.
An olite mother maks a dawdie dochter.
An only dochter is either a deil or a daw.
An ounce o' mither-wit is worth a pound o' clergy.
An ounce o' wit is worth a pound o' lear.
"An ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of schoolwit."-- German.
An unlucky fish taks bad bait.
An unlucky man's cart is eithly coup'd.
An ye loe me look in my dish.
A delicate request for a second supply of soup.
A' owers spills.
A party pot ne'er plays even.
An interested or prejudiced individual cannot be an impartial judge of both sides of a question.
A penny hain'd's a penny clear, and a preen a-day's a groat a-year.
A penny hain'd's a penny gained.
A penny in my purse will gar me drink when my friends winna.
A penny in the purse is a gude friend.
A penny in the purse is better than a crown awa.
A pennyweight o' love is worth a pound o' law.
A pickle's no miss'd in a mickle.
A poll parrot thinks weel o' itsel.
A poor man is fain o' little.
A poor man's debt maks muckle din.
A pound o' care winna pay an ounce o' debt.
Care here means sorrow, or trouble of mind, and must not be associated with care in the sense of frugality or economy, which has paid many an ounce of debt.
A pound o' woo' is as heavy as a pound o' lead.
A primsie damsel maks a daidlin' dame.
A proud heart in a poor breast has muckle dolour to dree.
A proud mind and an empty purse gree ill thegither.
"A true proverb! and the worst is, they meet often."-- Kelly.
A raggit coat was ne'er a mote in a man's marriage.
A reckless house maks mony thieves.
A red nose maks a raggit back.
A reeky house and a girnin' wife, will lead a man a fashious life.
A reproof is nae poison.
"No, indeed! but a wholesome medicine, which whosoever refuseth is brutish!"-- Kelly.
A rich man has mair cousins than his faither had kin.
A rich man's wooing's no lang doing.
A rough bane maks a fu' wame.
As a carl riches he wretches.
"Wretch, a covetous or niggardly person."-- Jamieson.
As a man becomes rich he also becomes more parsimonious.
A safe conscience maks a sound sleep.
A saft aiver was ne'er a gude horse.
As ane flits anither sits, and that keeps mailins dear.
As brisk as bottled ale.
A's but lip-wit that wants experience.
A scabbed horse is gude enough for a sca'd squire.
A sca'ded cat dreads cauld water.
As canker'd as a cow wi' ae horn.
"As proud as a hen with one chuck."-- English.
A scar'd head is eith to bleed.
A scar'd head is soon broken.
A reputation already questionable is easily lost altogether.
As coarse as Nancie's harn sark,--three threads out o' the pound.
A Scotch mist will weet an Englishman to the skin.
A Scotsman and a Newcastle grindstane travel a' the world ower.
Alluding to the wandering propensities of the one and the good qualities of the other.
A Scotsman is aye wise ahint the hand.
"It is too late to throw water on the cinders when the house is burned down."-- Danish.
As dark as a Yule midnight.
As day brake, butter brake.
"Spoken when a person or thing that was wanting comes opportunely."-- Kelly.
A seven years' maiden is aye at the slight.
As fain as a fool o' a fair day.
A's fair at the ba'.
"All's fair in war."-- English.
As fause as Waghorn.
"Waghorn, a fabulous personage, who, being a liar nineteen times greater than the devil, was crowned King of liars."-- Jamieson.
A's fine that's fit.
A's fish that comes to the net.
As fu' o' mischief as an egg's fu' o' meat.
As gentle as Gorman's bitch, that lap ower the ingle and ate the roast.
As gude a fellow as ever toom'd a bicker.
As gude eat the deil as sup the kail he's boiled in.
As gude fish in the sea as e'er cam out o't.
As gude gie the lichty as tak it.
"Lichtly, and expression of contempt or insult: to undervalue, to slight, to despise."- Jamieson.
As gude may haud as draw.
As gude may haud the stirrup as he that loups on.
As gude merchants tine as win.
As gude ne'er a bit, as ne'er the better.
"Unless you make a thing the better for you, you had as good let it alone."-- Kelly.
A's gude that God sends.
A shave aff a new cut loaf's never missed.
A shor'd tree stands lang.
"Men do not die of threats."-- Dutch.
A short grace is gude for hungry folk.
A short horse is sune wispit.
A sillerless man gangs fast through the market.
A silly man will be slily dealt wi'.
"He that makes himself a sheep, shall be eaten by the wolf."-- English.
A sinking maister maks a rising man.
A skelpit bum breaks nae banes.
Ask the tapster if his ale be gude.
Ask your purse what you should buy.
As lang as a dog would be bound wi' a bluidy puddin'.
As lang as the bird sings before Candlemas he greets after it.
As lang as ye serve the tod ye maun carry his tail.
As lang lasts the hole as the heel leather.
"Spoken to them that quarrel with a hole in your coat or shoe: often applied otherways."-- Kelly.
As Lang lives the merry man as the sad.
As lang rins the tod as he has feet.
A slow hand maks a sober fortune.
A slow fire maks a sweat maut.
A sma' leak will sink a great ship.
As menseless as a tinkler's messan.
As merry's a mautman.
A smith's house is aye lowin'.
As mony beads as mony wits.
As muckle upwith as muckle downwith.
A's no help that's at hand.
A's no ill that's ill like.
A's no part.
A's no tint that fa's bye.
A's no tint that's in hazard.
As poor as a kirk mouse.
A spur in the head's worth twa in the heel.
As sair fights the wren as the crane.
As sure's death.
A steek in time saves nine.
As the auld cock craws the young cock learns.
As the day lengthens the cauld strengthens.
As the fool thinks the bell clinks.
As the market gangs the wares sell.
As the sow fills the draff sours.
A still sow eats a' the draff.
A's tint that's put in a riven dish.
All is lost that is put into a broken dish. Favours bestowed on ungrateful persons are thrown away.
As true as Biglam's cat crew, and the cock rocked the cradle.
"Spoken when we hear one call that true that we know to be a lye."-- Kelly
A sturdy beggar should hae a stout nae-sayer.
As wanton as a wet hen.
As weel be hang'd for a sheep as a lamb.
As weel be out o' the warld as out o' fashion.
As wight as a wabster's doublet, that ilka day taks a thief by the neck.
As ye are stout be merciful.
As ye mak your bed sae ye maun lie on't.
A taking hand will never want, let the world be e'er sae scant.
A tarrowing bairn was never fat.
A child that refuses or is slow in taking its food. People who will not take advantage as opportunities offer, cannot expect to prosper so well as those who do.
A tale never tines in the telling.
A' that's said in the kitchen shouldna be tauld in the ha'.
A' that's said shouldna be sealed.
A' that ye'll tak wi' ye will be but a kist and a sheet, after a'.
In allusion to the death of persons who may be proud of their possessions.
A' the claes on your back was ance in clues.
A' the keys of the country hang na in ae belt.
All the influence or power is not in one man's possession.
A' the speed's no in the spurs.
A' the winning's in the first buying.
A' the wit o' the world's no in ae pow.
A'thing angers ye, and the cat breaks your heart.
A' things thrive at thrice.
A'thing wytes that no weel fares.
A thoughtless body's aye thrang.
A thrawn question should hae a thrawart answer.
A thread will tie an honest man better than a rope will do a rogue.
At my leisure, as lairds dee.
"Fair and softly, as lawyers go to heaven."-- English.
A tocherless dame sits lang at hame.
A toolying tike comes limping hame.
"Toolying tike," quarrelsome dog.
A toom hand is nae lure for a hawk.
A toom pantry maks a thriftless gudewife.
A toom purse maks a thrawn face.
At open doors dogs gae ben.
A travelled man has leave to lee.
A tricky man's easiest tricket.
A turn weel done is sune done.
A twalpenny eat may look at a king.
Auld chimes and auld rhymes gar us think on auld times.
Auld folk are twice bairns.
Auld moon mist ne'er died o' thrist.
"Foggy weather in the last quarter of the moon is supposed to betoken moisture."-- Robert Chambers.
Auld sins breed new sairs.
Auld sparrows are ill to tame.
Auld springs gie me price.
Things out of fashion are valueless.
Auld wives and bairns mak fools o' physicians.
Auld wives were aye gude maidens.
A vaunter and a liar are near akin.
A wa' between best preserves friendship.
Meaning that friends are best separate.
A wad is a fule's argument.
"Fools, for argument, lay Wagers."- Butler.
A waited pat's lang o' boiling.
A wee house has a wide throat.
A wee house weel fill'd, a wee piece land weel till'd, a wee wife weel will'd, will mak a happy man.
A wee mouse will creep beneath a muckle corn stack.
A wee spark maks muckle wark.
A wee thing fleys cowards.
A wee thing puts your beard in a bleeze.
A wee thing ser's a cheerfu' mind.
A whang off a cut kebbuck's never miss'd.
A wight man ne'er wanted a weapon.
A wild goose ne'er laid tame eggs.
A wilfu' man should be unco wise.
A willing mind maks a light foot.
A winking cat's no aye blind.
A winter day and a wintry way is the life o' man.
A winter night, a woman's mind, and a laird's purpose, aften change.
"Women, wind, and luck soon change."-- Portuguese.
A wise head maks a close mouth.
A wise lawyer ne'er gangs to law himsel.
A wise man gets learning frae them that hae nane o' their ain.
A wise man wavers, a fool is fixed.
A woman's gude either for something or naething.
A word is enough to the wise.
A working mither maks a daw dochter.
Another rendering of "A light-heeled mother," &c.
Aye as ye thrive your feet fa's frae ye.
"Unexpected interruptions occur in business."-- Kelly.
"The farther you go, the farther behind."-- English.
Aye flether away ;--since I'll no do wi' foul play, try me wi' fair.
Aye takin' out o' the meal pock and ne'er puttin' in't soon comes to the bottom.
Aye tak the fee when the tear's in the ee.
Aye to eild, but never to wit.
That is, he is always growing older, but never any wiser.

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