Part 203

Ye wad be a gude piper's bitch--ye smell out the weddings.

Ye wad clatter a cat to death.

"'Clatter,' to prattle, to act as a tell-tale."--Jamieson.

Ye wad gar me trow my head's cowed, though there's no shears come near't.

That is, you would make me believe a thing which I know to be quite false.

Ye wad mak a gude wife, ye haud the grip ye get.

Ye wad mak muckle o' me if I was yours.

Ye wad marry a midden for the muck.

Ye wad steal the pocks frae an auld wife, and syne speir where she got them.

Ye was bred about the mill, ye hae mooped a' your manners.

"Spoken to inferiors when they show themselves rude in their speech or behaviour."--Kelly.

Ye was ne'er born at that time o' the year.

"Spoken to them that expect such a place, station, or condition which we think above their birth."--Kelly.

Ye was put out o' the oven for nipping the pies.

With the same meaning, we once heard a vulgar little boy say to another, that he was "Put out of the workhouse for eating the number off his plate!"

Ye was sae hungry ye couldna stay the grace.

Ye watna what's behint your hand.

Ye watna what wife's ladle may cog your kail.

Ye watna where a blessing may light.

Ye winna craw trade.

That is, you will never admit that trade is good.

Ye winna put out the fire wi' tow.

Ye work by Macfarlane's lantern.

"The clan of MacFarlane, occupying the fastnesses of the western side of Loch Lomond, were great depredators on the Low Countries, and as their excursions were made usually by night, the moon was proverbially called their lantern."--Note to Waverley.

Ye yirr and yowl--ye bark, but daurna bite.

Young cowtes will canter.

"Meg, on her part, though she often called them 'drunken neer-do-weels, and thoroughbred High Street blackguards,' allowed no other person to speak ill of them in her hearing. 'They were daft callants,' she said, 'and that was all--when the drink was in, the wit was out; ye could not put an auld head upon young shouthers; a young cowt will canter, be it up hill or down--and what for no?' was her uniform conclusion."--St Ronan's Well.

Young ducks may be auld geese.