Part 127

Love and light winna hide.

Love has nae lack, be the dame e'er sae black.

Love has nae law.

Love is as warm amang cottars as courtiers.

"The rose blooms gay on shairney brae, As weel's in birken shaw; And love will lowe in cottage low, As weel's in lofty ha'."--Tannahill.

Love ower het soon cools.

Love your friend and look to yoursel.

Maidens should be mild and meek, quick to hear, and slow to speak.

Maidens should be mim till they're married, and then they may burn kirks.

"Spoken often, by way of reflection, when we say that such a one is a good-humoured girl, as if you would say, 'Observe how she'll prove when she is married.'"--Kelly.

Maidens' tochers and ministers' stipends are aye less than ca'd.

Maidens want naething but a man, and then they want a'thing.

Mair by luck than gude guiding.

That is, a person has been successful by mere force of circumstances, and by no particular merit of his own.

Mair hamely than welcome.

"Mair haste the waur speed," quo' the tailor to the lang thread.

Mair nice than wise.

Mair pride than pith.

Mair than enough is ower muckle.

Mair than the deil wear a black manteel.

"Mair whistle than woo," quo' the souter when he sheared the sow.

The saying, "Great cry and little wool," is common to all nations; the Scottish version, however, is the most expressive and humorous we have met with.

Maister's will is gude wark.

For the master himself is sure to be pleased with it.

Maistry maws the meadows doun.

"The captain's a queer hand ... he keeps a high hand ower the country, and we couldna deal with the Hielandmen without his protection, sin' a' the keys o' the kintray hings at his belt; and he's no an ill body in the main; and maistry, ye ken, maws the meadows doun."--Heart of Midlothian.

Mak ae wrang step and down ye gae.

Mak ae pair o' legs worth twa pair o' hands.