Part 113

It were a pity to refuse ye, ye seek sae little.

It will aye be a dirty dub between them.

"A dirty dub," a puddle of foul water. That is, it will always be a cause of contention between them.

It will be a feather in your cap.

It will be a feather out o' your wing.

It will be a het day gars you startle.

It will be an ill web to bleach.

It will be lang ere you wear to the knee lids.

It will be the last word o' his testament.

That is, he will delay doing a thing as long as possible.

It will come out yet, like hommel corn.

"Hommel corn," grain that has no beard. The meaning of the proverb is, that on account of particular circumstances, a certain result may be expected in due time.

It will haud out an honest man, but naething 'll haud out a rogue.

It will mak a braw show in a landward kirk.

Spoken when a person is asked to give an opinion of something which is considered vulgar--that a gaudy article of dress will look well in a country church--but only there.

It would be a hard task to follow a black dockit sow through a burnt muir this night.

It would be a pity to hae spoilt twa houses wi' them.

"Spoken when two ill-natured people are married."--Kelly.

It would do a blind man gude to see't.

I will add a stane to his cairn.

A "cairn" is a heap of stones thrown together in a conical form to mark the grave, or in memory, of a person. To add a stone may mean, proverbially, that a person will bear testimony to the good qualities of another.

"I winna mak a toil o' a pleasure," quo' the man when he buried his wife.

"A man going under his wife's head to the grave was bid go faster, because the way was long and the day short; answered, 'I will not make a toil of a pleasure.'"--Kelly.

I wat weel how the world wags; he's best lik'd wha has maist bags.

I winna mak fish o' ane an' flesh o' anither.

I will favour no one, but will treat all alike.

I wish I had a string in his lug.

I wish it may be the first sight ye'll see.