Part 173

The thrift o' you will be the death o' your gudewife.

The time ye're pu'in' runts ye're no setting kail.

The tod keeps aye his ain hole clean.

"'Hout-tout, Dame Elspeth,' said Tibb, 'fear ye naething frae Christie; tods keep their ain holes clean. You kirk-folk make sic a fasherie about men shifting a wee bit for their living!'"--The Monastery.

The tod ne'er sped better than when he gaed his ain errand.

"Every man is most zealous for his own interest. Spoken to advise a man to go about such a business himself."--Kelly.

The tod ne'er fares better than when he's bann'd.

"Spoken when we are told that such people curse us, which we think is the effect of envy, the companion of felicity. The fox is cursed when he takes our poultry."--Kelly.

The tod's whalps are ill to tame.

The tree doesna aye fa' at the first strake.

The warld is bound to nae man.

The warst may be tholed when it's kenn'd.

The warst warld that ever was some man won.

The water will ne'er waur the widdie.

The water will never cheat the gallows; of similar meaning to "He that's born to be hanged," q. v.

"A neighbour of mine was so fully persuaded of the truth of this proverb, that being in a great storm, and dreadfully afraid, espies in the ship a graceless rake whom he supposed destined to another sort of death, cries out, O Samuel, are you here? why then, we are all safe, and so laid aside his concern."--Kelly.

The waur luck now the better anither time.

The weakest gangs to the wa'.

The wife's aye welcome that comes wi' a crooked oxter.

That person is always welcome who brings presents. The "oxter" is crooked because the arm is engaged carrying them.

The wife's ae dochter and the man's ae cow, the taen's ne'er weel and the tither's ne'er fu'.

The willing horse is aye worked to death.

The wolf may lose his teeth, but ne'er his nature.

The word o' an honest man's enough.

The worth o' a thing is best kenned by the want o't.

The worth o' a thing is what it will bring.

The wyte o' war is at kings' doors.

"You and me, Gilhaize, that are but servants, needna fash our heads wi' sic things; the wyte o' wars lie at the doors of kings, and the soldiers are free o' the sin o' them."--Galt's Ringan Gilhaize.