Part 118

"Both these are joined together, and signify that people of mean breeding are rather to be won by harsh treatment than civil."--Kelly.

Kythe in your ain colours, that folk may ken ye.

Lacking breeds laziness, but praise breeds pith.

"Discommend a boy, and you discourage him; but commend him, and it will spur him on."--Kelly.

Lads will be men.

Laith to bed, laith oot o't.

Laith to drink, laith frae't.

Meaning that although some people are slow or "laith" to begin a thing, still, when they do commence, it is difficult to get them to leave off.

Lang and sma', gude for naething ava.

Jocularly applied to those who are tall and of "genteel" build.

Langest at the fire soonest finds cauld.

Lang fasting gathers wind.

Lang fasting hains nae meat.

Lang leal, lang poor.

Lang lean maks hamald cattle.

That is, poorly kept cattle makes homely, domestic, or common meat.

Lang look'd for come at last.

Lang mint, little dint.

"Much ado about nothing."

Lang noses are aye taking till them.

Lang or ye saddle a foal.

Lang or you cut Falkland wood wi' a pen-knife.

Spoken when people enter into extensive undertakings without sufficient preparations or means.

Lang sick, soon weel.

Lang sport turns aft to earnest.

Lang standing and little offering maks a poor priest.

"Lang straes are nae motes," quo' the wife when she haul'd the cat out o' the kirn.

Lang tarrowing taks a' the thanks awa.