Part 166

The poor man's shilling is but a penny.

The post o' honour is the post o' danger.

The proof o' the pudding's the preein' o't.

The proudest nettle grows on a midden.

And a very proud person may have sprung from a poor family.

The rain comes scouth when the wind's in the south.

To rain "scouth," is to rain abundantly or heavily.

There are great stots in Ireland, but they canna get here for horns.

There are mair foxes than there are holes for.

There are mair knaves in my kin than honest men in yours.

There are mair maidens than maukins.

Literally, there are more maidens than young hares. Figuratively, he has lost one sweetheart, but he'll soon get another.

There are mair married than gude house hauders.

Or more persons in the capacity of householders than are competent for the duties of the position.

There are mair wark-days than life-days.

There are nane sae weel shod but may slip.

There belangs mair to a bed than four bare legs.

Spoken to persons about to marry, signifying that more expenses are incurred in housekeeping than they are aware of.

There belangs mair to a ploughman than whistling.

There grows nae grass at the market cross.

There ne'er came ill frae a gude advice.

There ne'er was a bad that couldna be waur.

There ne'er was a fair word in flyting.

There ne'er was a fire without some reek.

There ne'er was a poor man in his kin.

There ne'er was a slut but had a slit, or a daw but had twa.

There ne'er was a five pound note but there was a ten pound road for't.

Such was the reply of a respected lady friend of ours when asked what she did with all the money she got. It does not appear in any previous collection, but it is too good to be lost.