Scots proverbs, ancient and modern, selected from Allan Ramsay and others

A bairn may hae ower muckle o’ his mither’s benison. A bare moor maks a lean hirsel. A’ burdens are light except to the bearer. A blate maiden may mak a bardy gudewife. A blate suitor should hae a gude cause. A’ blews are no true blews. A borrowing man is a sorrowing man. A begun turn is hauf ended. A blate cat maks a proud mouse. A blythe heart maks a blooming look. A bit but, and a bit ben, maks a mim-mou’d maiden at the board en’. A bonny bride is soon busket, and a short horse is soon whisket. A borrowed len’ shou’d gae laughing hame. Abundance of law breaks nae law. A careless maister maks a lazy man. A club fit will no mak a gude shinty. A close mouth catches nae flees. A cock’s ay crouse on his ain midden-head. A cramm’d kyte maks a crazy carcase. A daft nurse maks a wise wean. A denk maiden maks a dirty wife. A drink is shorter than a tale. A dry summer ne’er made a dear peck. A dumb man wins nae law. Ae bird in the hand is worth ten fleein’ by. A fool may win money, but it taks a wise man to keep it. A greedy e’e ne’er had a leel heart. Ae gade turn deserves anither. Ae hour’s cauld will suck out seven yeer’s heat. Ae man may lead a horse to the water, but twenty winna gar him drink. Ae man’s meat is anither man’s poison. Ae swallow maks na simmer. Ae scabbed sheep will smit the hale hirtel. Ae hour in the morning is worth twa in the afternoon. A fidging mare shou’d be weel girded. A fleer wad aye hae a follower. A fool and his money is soon parted. A fool may gi’e a wise man a counsel. A friend in court is worth a penny in purse. A friend in need’s a friend indeed. Aft counting keeps friends lang thegither. After meat mustard. After a storm comes a ca’m. A fou man and a hungry horse ay mak haste hame. A fou purse never lacks friends. A rough bane maks a fou wame. A fou wame maks a stiff back. A black hen lays a white egg. A gaun foot’s ay getting. A gentle horse shou’d be sindle spurr’d. A gi’en horse shou’d na be look’d i’ the mouth. A gi’en game was ne’er won. A gude beginning maks a gude ending. A gude cow may hae an ill cauf. A gude tongue’s a safe weapon. A gude ingle maks a roomy fire-side. A gude word is as soon said as an ill. A gude tale is no the waur to be twice tauld. A gude name is sooner tint than won. A green turf’s a gude gudemither. A green Yule maks a fat kirk-yard. A great cry and little woo, quoth the deil, when he clippet the sow. A greedy e’e never gat a gude penny worth. A hantle cry murder, and are ay uppermost. A houndless hunter, and a gunless gunner, see ay routh o’ game. A hungry man’s ay angry. Ale sellers shou’d na be tale-tellers. A liar shou’d hae a gude memory. Alike ilka day maks a clout on Sunday. A light purse maks a heavy heart. A’s no gowd that glitters. A’ the truth shou’d na be tauld. A’ the corn’s no shorn by kempers. A’ the winning’s in the first buying. A’ that’s said in the kitchen shou’d na be tauld in the ha’. A’ cats are grey i’ the dark. A’s no tint that’s in hazard. A’s fish that comes i’ the net. A’ Stewarts are no sib to the king. A’ the speed’s i’ the spurs. A’s weel that ends weel. A’ things are gude untried. A red nose maks a raggit back. A kiss and a drink o’ water maks a wersh breakfast. A man’s ay crouse on his ain cause. A man may spit in his loof and do little. A man canna bear a’ his kin on his back. A man at five may be a fool at fifteen. A man is weel or wae, as he thinks himsel sae. A mouthfu’ o’ meat may be a townfu’ o’ shame. A muffled cat was ne’er a gude hunter. An auld mason maks a gude barrowman. An ill shearer never gat a gude heuk. An ill-willy cow shou’d hae short horns. An ill servant ne’er prov’d a gude master. An ounce of mither-wit is worth a pound o’ clergy. Ane may lo’e the kirk weel aneugh, yet no be ay riding on the rigging o’t. A Scots mist will weet an Englishman to the skin. As fu’ o’ mischief as an egg’s fu’ o’ meat. As gude may haud the stirrip as he that loups on. As lang runs the fox as he has feet. As lang lives the merry man as the sad. As lang as ye serve the tod ye maun bear up his tail. As the sow fills the draff sours. As the auld cock craws, the young cock learns. As the fool thinks, the bell clinks. As the market gangs the wares maun sell. As weel be hang’d for a wedder as a lamb. As ye lo’e me look in my dish. As ye do yoursel you judge your neibours. As ye mak your bed, sae ye maun lie down. A safe conscience maks a sound sleep. A sillerless man gangs fast through the market. A sinking master maks aft a rising man. A slothfu’ hand maks a slim fortune. As ye brew weel ye’ll drink the better. A spur in the head is worth twa in the heel. A sturdy beggar shou’d hae a stout naysayer. A tale-teller is waur than a thief. A taking hand will never want. A tale never tines in the telling. A wight man never wanted a weapon. A thread will tye an honest man better than a rape a knave. A tocherless dame sits lang at hame. A twapenny cat may look at a king. A wee bush is better than nae bield. A wee thing fleys cowards. Auld men are twice bairns. Auld sparrows are ill to tame. Auld springs gi’e nae price. A yeld sow was never gude to grices.