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Part 103

The Proverbs of Scotland · Alexander Hislop — chapter 103 of 242 · ~296 words · public domain

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Ill will ne'er spak weel.

Ill won gear winna enrich the third heir.

Ill won, ill wair'd.

Ill workers are aye gude onlookers.

I'm as auld as your auncient.

I maun do as the beggars do; when my wame's fu', gang awa.

Spoken jocularly when a person who has been partaking of a meal with another rises to go away.

"I'm but beginning yet," quo' the wife when she run wud.

I'm flytin' free wi' you.

That is, on terms of familiarity with you.

I'm forejidged, forefoughten, and forejeskit.

An alliterative saying of those who are very much fatigued.

I might bring a better speaker frae hame than you.

I'm neither sma' drink thirsty, nor grey bread hungry.

Spoken when a person is not so freely entertained as he would like to be. Applied generally by those who do not get what they expect, and are offended thereat.

I'm no every man's dog that whistles on me.

I'm no obliged to simmer and winter it to you.

I'm no sae blind as I'm blear-e'ed.

That is, I am not so blind as unwilling to see.

I'm no sae scant o' clean pipes as to blaw wi' a brunt cutty.

I'm no that fu', but I'm gayly yet.

I am not fully satisfied, though I am nearly so.

I'm ower auld a dog to learn new tricks.

I'm speaking o' hay and you o' horse corn.

That is, I am talking on one subject, while you are talking on another.

In a frost a nail is worth the horse.

Because it may save the horse from falling, and perhaps losing its life. A mere trifle may, at an opportune moment, be of very great service.

In a thousand pounds o' law there's no an ounce o' love.

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