Scottish Proverbs

Scottish Proverbs

Proverbs are popularly defined as short expressions of popular wisdom. Efforts to improve on the popular definition have not led to a more precise definition. The wisdom is in the form of a general observation about the world or a bit of advice, sometimes more nearly an attitude toward a situation.

• A child may have too much of his mother's tit.
• A day to come seems longer than a year that's gone.
• A dry Lent, a fertile year.
• A penny saved is a penny gained.
• A thistle is a fat salad for an ass's mouth.
• Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead.
• Better be ill spoken of by one before all than by all before one.
• Better bend than break.
• Better keep the devil at the door than turn him out of the house.
• Bring a cow into the hall and she'll run the byre.
• Confessed faults are half-mended.
• Cutting out well is better than sewing up well.
• Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
• Every fisher loves best the trout that is of his own tickling.
• Finders keepers, losers weepers.
• Fools look to tomorrow; wise men use tonight.
• Fur coat and nae knickers
• He that has one sheep in the flock will like all the rest the better for it.
• He that loves law will get his fill of it.
• It is ill fishing if the hook is bare.
• It's an ill wind that blows naebody any good.
• It's sin and not poverty that makes men miserable.
• Learn young, learn fair; learn old, learn more.
• Many haws, many snows.
• Money is flat and was meant to be piled up.
• Never go to the devil and a dish-clout in your hand.
• Never marry for money. Ye'll borrow it cheaper.
• One for sorrow, two for joy,
  Three for a girl, four for a boy.
  Five for silver, six for gold,
  And seven for a secret that must never be told.

- superstition relating to how many magpies one might observe at any given time.

• One may ride a free horse to death.
• Open confession is good for the soul.
• Red sky at night, Shepherds Delight; Red sky in the morning, Shepherds Warning.
• The first dish pleaseth all.
• They are good that are away.
• To marry is to halve your rights and double your duties.
• Twelve highlanders and a bagpipe make a rebellion.
• What baites one, banes another.
• What may be done at any time will be done at no time.
• When all fruits fails, welcome haws.
• What's for you will not go by you.