Part 156

This is a familiar rendering of the great law of Homopathy, Similia similibus curantur; but is usually interpreted thus: Sober yourself by taking another glass.

Tak a piece; your teeth's langer than your beard.

Addressed to children who are diffident in accepting a "piece."

Tak a seat on Maggie Shaw's Crocky.

"Maggy Shaw's Crocky is a broad flat stone, near to the brink of a precipice, overhanging the sea-shore, about a mile to the north of Eyemouth. This stone was placed over the remains of an old woman who had hanged herself, and who is said to be frequently seen at night sitting upon it, in the shape of a white sea-mew--sitting lonely on the

"'glitty stane, Green wi' the dow o' the jauping main.'"--G. Henderson.

Tak a tune on your ain fiddle; ye'll dance till't afore it's dune.

"'I can hear no remonstrances,' he continued, turning away from the Bailie, whose mouth was open to address him; 'the service I am on gives me no time for idle discussions.' 'Aweel, aweel, sir,' said the Bailie, 'you're welcome to a tune on your ain fiddle; but see if I dinna gar ye dance till't afore a's dune.'"--Rob Roy.

"But sen ze think it easy thing To mount aboif the mune, Of our awin fidle tak a spring, And daunce quhen ze haif done."--Cherrie and the Slae.

Tak care o' that man whom God has set his mark upon.

"I went once to a conventicle on a mountain side, in company of a very sage intelligent gentleman, who, seeing the preacher want two joints of each ring finger, having a nail upon the third, he immediately took horse and rode away. I asked him what ailed him? He said, 'God had set a mark upon that man, and he was sure it was not for nothing.' This man proved a great plague to his country, was the death of a great many, and came to a violent end himself."--Kelly.

Tak a man by his word and a cow by her horn.

Tak him up on his fine eggs, and ane o' them rotten.

Tak nae mair on your back than ye're able to bear.

Tak pairt o' the pelf when the pack's dealing.

Tak the bit and the buffet wi't.

"What tho' sometimes, in angry mood, When she puts on her barlik hood, Her dialect seems rough and rude, Let's ne'er be flee't, But tak our bit, when it is gude, An' buffet wi't."--Allan Ramsay.

Bear patiently taunts and ill usage, if advantages come with them.

Tak the head for the washing.

Tak the readiest to serve the needfu'ist.

Tak the will for the deed.

Tak time ere time be tint.

"Tak tyme, in tyme, or tyme be tint, For tyme will not remain."--Cherrie and the Slae.

Tak your ain will and ye'll no dee o' the pet.

Tak your ain will o't, as the cat did o' the haggis--first ate it, and then creepit into the bag.

This and the preceding proverb, Kelly says, "are spoken to them who obstinately persist in an unreasonable design."

Tak your meal wi' ye an' your brose will be thicker.

Used sarcastically by those who take a good meal before they go to partake of one with a friend; signifying that they do not expect to be too well treated.