He has skill o' roasted woo--when it stinks it's ready.
He has some sma' wit, but a fool has the guiding o't.
He has soon done that never dought.
He has spur metal in him.
He has swallowed a flee.
He has ta'en the country on his back.
A proverbial expression of the fact that a man has run away.
He hastit to his end like a moth to a candle.
He has the best end o' the string.
He has the gift o' the gab.
"'I wish,' said Dumbiedikes, 'I were as young and as supple as you, and had the gift o' the gab as weel.'"-- Heart of Midlothian.
He has wit at will that wi' an angry heart can sit still.
He hauds baith heft and blade.
That is, he has a thing entirely at his own option.
He hearsna at that ear.
He hears wi' his heels, as the geese do in hairst.
"That is, he heard, had he been pleased to answer."-- Kelly.
He hid a bodle and thought it a hoard.
He hides his meat and seeks for mair.
"Spoken when covetous people pretend poverty, and conceal their wealth to plead pity."-- Kelly.
He is not a merchant bare, that hath either money, worth, or ware.
"A good merchant may want ready money."-- Kelly.
He jump'd at it, like a cock at a grossart.
"'I had quite forgotten,' said Tyrrel, 'that the inn was your own; though I remember you were a considerable landed proprietor.' 'Maybe I am,' replied Meg, 'maybe I am not; and if I be, what for no? But as to what the laird, whose grandfather was my father's landlord, said to the new doings yonder--he just jumped at the ready penny, like a cock at a grossart.'"-- St Ronan's Well.
He keeps his road weel enough wha gets rid o' ill company.
He kens a'thing that opens and steeks.
He kens his ain groats amang other folk's kail.
He kens how many beans mak five.
He kens how to butter a whiting.
The import of the two preceding sayings is, that a man is very sharp in looking after his own interests.
He kens how to turn his ain cake.
"'Never fash your beard, Mr Bide-the-Bent,' replied Girder ; 'ane canna get their breath out between wives and ministers. I ken best how to turn my own cake. Jean, serve up the dinner, and nae mair about it.'"-- Bride of Lammmermoor.
He kens muckle wha kens when to speak, but far mair wha kens when to haud his tongue.
He kens nae a mavis frae a madge-howlet.
He kens nae a selgh frae a salmon.
He kens nae the pleasures of plenty wha ne'er felt the pains o' poverty.
He kens whilk side his bannock's buttered on.
"There was a set of ancient brethren of the angle from Edinburgh, who visited St Ronan's frequently in the spring and summer, a class of guests peculiarly acceptable to Meg, who permitted them more latitude in her premises than she was known to allow to any other body. 'They were,' said she, 'pawky auld carles, that kend whilk side their bread was buttered upon.'"-- St. Ronan's Well.
He kicks at the benweed.
Benweed, ragwort. That is, he is headstrong, or unreasonable.
He lay in his scabbard, as mony a gude sword's done.
Meaning that he prudently allowed an insult or slight to pass without notice.
He left his siller in his ither pocket.
A sarcastic allusion to those who seek to evade paying their share of the reckoning. It was remarked of a friend of ours, that on such occasions he "was the first to put his hand in his pocket, but the last to draw it out."
He likes nae beef that grows on my banes.
He'll claw up their mittans.
Metaphorically, "He will kill them, or give the finishing stroke."-- Jamieson.
He'll either win the horse or tine the saddle.
He'll gang mad on a horse wha's proud on a pownie.
Spoken of those who take undue advantage of the slight authority they possess.
He'll gang nae farther than his tether's length.
He'll gang to hell for house profit.
He'll get the poor man's answer, "No."
He'll gie his bane to nae dog.
He'll gie you the whistle o' your groat.
He'll hae enough some day, when his mouth's fu' o' mools.
"Spoken of covetous people, who will never be satisfied while they are alive."-- Kelly.
He'll hing by the lug o't.
"Keep a firm hold of it, as a bull-dog does of his prey."- Jamieson.
He'll hing that ower my head.
"'She would haud me nae better than the dirt below her feet,' said Effie to herself, 'were I to confess I hae danced wi' him four times on the green down by, and ance at Maggie Macqueen's; and she'll maybe hing it ower my head that she'll tell my father, and then she wad be mistress and mair.'"-- Heart of Midlothian.
He'll kythe in his ain colours yet.
"He'll appear without disguise; he'll be known for the man he is."-- Jamieson.
He'll lick the white frae your e'en.
"This phrase is always applied when people, with pretence of friendship, do you an ill turn, as one licking a mote put of your eye makes it blood shot."-- Allan Ramsay.
Hell mak a spune or spoil a horn.
"Ay, ay, we're a' subject to a downcome. Mr Osbaldistone is a gude honest gentleman; but I aye said he was ane o' them wad mak a spune or spoil a horn, as my father, the worthy deacon, used to say."-- Rob Roy.
He'll mend when he grows better, like sour ale in summer.
"The young laird of Balmawhapple, . . . he had no imperfection but that of keeping light company at a time such as Jinker the horse-couper, and Gibby Gaethroughwi't, the piper o' Cupar ; 'O' whilk follies, Mr Saunderson, he'll mend, he'll mend,' pronounced the bailie. 'Like sour ale in summer,' added Davie Gellatley, who happened to be nearer the conclave than they were aware of."-- Waverley.
He'll need to dree the dronach o't.
He'll ne'er send you awa wi' a sair heart.
He'll neither dance nor haud the candle.
Like the dog in the manger, lie will neither enjoy himself, nor allow others to do so.
He'll neither dee nor do weel.
Sarcastically applied to people who may be peevish or fretful through ill health.
He'll neither haud nor bind.
"'Then, if ye maun hae't, the folk in Lunnun are a' clean wud about this bit job in the north here.' 'Clean wood! what's that?' Ou, just real daft--neither to haud nor to bind--a' hirdy girdy--clean through ither--the deil's ower Jock Wabster.'"-- Rob Roy.
"A proverbial phrase expressive of violent excitement, whether in respect of rage, or of folly, or of pride , borrowed, perhaps, from the fury of an untamed beast, which cannot be so long held that it may be bound with a rope."-- Jamieson.
He'll neither hup nor wine.
Of similar import to the preceding. Hup and wine are two words used in guiding plough and cart horses.
He'll never rue but ance, and that'll be a' his life.
"Ride down to Portanferry, and let nae grass grow at the nag's heels; and if ye find him in confinement, ye maun stay beside him night and day for a day or twa, for he'll want friends that hae baith heart and hand ; and if ye neglect this, ye'll never rue but ance, for it will be for a' your life."-- Guy Mannering.
He'll no gie an inch a' his will for a span a' his thrift.
That is, regardless of expense, his wishes must be gratified.
He'll no gie the head for the washing.
To "keep the head for the washing" is to retain possession of an article which has been made to order or repaired until all charges upon it are paid.
He'll no let the grass grow at his heels.
He'll no sell his hen on a rainy day.
He will not sell his wares at an unpropitious time.
He'll rather turn than burn.
He'll shoot higher that shoots at the moon, than he that shoots at the midden, e'en though he may miss his mark.
He'll soon be a beggar that canna say "No."
He'll tell it to nae mair than he meets.
He'll wag as the bush wags.
That is, he will do as circumstances compel him.
He loes me for little that hates me for nought.
His love has never been very strong if it turns for a trifle.
He'll wind you a pirn.
"An my auld acquaintance be hersel, or anything like hersel, she may come to wind us a pirn. It's fearsome baith to see and hear her when she wampishes about her arms, and gets to her English, and speaks as if she were a prent book--let a-be an auld fisher's wife."-- The Antiquary.
He lo'ed mutton weel that lick'd where the ewie lay.
"Spoken to them who will sip the bottom of a glass where good liquor was, or scrape a plate after good meat."-- Kelly.
"He loved mutton well that dipped his bread in wool."-- English.
He looks as if he could swallow a cow.
This saying and the four which follow are expressive of peculiarities in the appearance of persons.
He looks as if the wood were fu' o' thieves.
He looks like a Lochaber axe fresh frae the grundstane.
He looks like the far end of a French fiddle.
"Gin ye wad thole to hear a friend,
Tak tent, and nae wi' strunts offend,
I've seen queans dink, and neatly prim'd
Frae tap to middle,
Looking just like the far-aff end
O' an auld fiddle."
The Farmer's Ha'.
He looks like the laird o' fear.
He loses his time that comes sune to a bad bargain.
Help for help in hairst.
Farmers in time of harvest occasionally give each other a "day's shearing," or the use of the whole reaping staff for a day. Of course, the favour is returned, and the benefit rendered mutual.
Help is gude at a'thing, except at the cog.
"At the cog," signifies in taking our food.
He maks nae bairn's bargains.
He maun be a gude friend when you dinna ken his value.
He maun be soon up that cheats the tad.
He maun hae leave to speak that canna haud his tongue.
Addressed to people who talk foolishly or without purpose.
He maun lout that has a laigh door.
He maun rise soon that pleases a'body.
He may be trusted wi' a house fu' o' unbored millstanes.
Meaning that such a person cannot be trusted at all.
He may find fault that canna mend.
He may laugh that wins.
He may tine a stot that canna count his kine.
"The man may ablens tyne a stot
That cannot count his kinsch,
In zour awin bow ze are owre-schot
Be mair than half-an-inch."-- Cherrie and the Sla.
He may weel soom wha has his head hauden up.
Meaning that a task is easy when assistance is given.
He needs a lang-shanket spoon that sups kail wi' the deil.
"He that has to do with wicked and false men had need to be cautious and on his guard."-- Kelly.
He needs maun rin that the deil drives.
He ne'er did a gude darg that gaed grumbling about it.
"A gude darg" means here a good day's work.
He ne'er tint a cow that grat for a groat.
Literally, he never lost a cow who cried for the loss of a groat.
He never lies but when the holly's green.
The holly being an evergreen, that is to say, a person never speaks truth at all.
He picked it up at his ain hand, as the cow learned flinging.
He puts his meat in an ill skin.
Meaning that although a person takes plenty of food and nourishment, his appearance belies it.
He puts in a bad purse that puts in his pechan.
He reads his sin in his punishment.
Henry Clark never slew a man till he come at him.
"A ridicule upon them that threaten hard and dare not execute."-- Kelly.
Hen's are aye free o' horse corn.
Hen scarts and filly tails, make lofty ships wear lowly sails.
"Certain light kinds of clouds are thus denominated, from their supposed resemblance to the scratches of hens on the ground and the tails of young mares. They are held as prognosticative of stormy weather."-- Robert Chambers.
Here-awa, there-awa, like the Laird o' Hotch Potch's lands.
"Castle fa'an?--na', but the sute's fa'an, and the thunners come right down the kitchen-lumm, and the things are a' lying here-awa, there-awa, like the Laird o' Hotch Potch's lands."-- Bride of Lammermoor.
Here's the wine, but where's the wa-nuts?
He reives the kirk to theek the quire.
To "steal from the church to roof the choir," is "to rob Peter to pay Paul."
He rides on the riggin' o't.
That is, he goes to a very great extreme.
He rides sicker that never fa's.
He rides well that never falls: he is a perfect man who never errs.
He rules easier wi' a saugh wand than wi' a sharp brand.
He's aftener there than in the parish kirk.
He's a bodie o' the nick-stick kind.
"One who proceeds exactly according to rule; who will not dine a second time with any person till he has made a return in kind. "-- Jamieson.
He's a cake and pudding courtier.
He's a causey saint and a house deil.
One whose outward deportment towards strangers is not in unison with the harshness which he exercises at home.
He's a' fair gude e'en, and fair gude-day.
He's a fool that asks ower muckle, but he's a greater fool that gies it.
He's a fool that forgets himsel.
He's a fool that marries at Yule; for when the bairn's to bear the corn's to shear.
He's a gude horse that never stumbled, and a better wife that never grumbled.
"Both so rare, that I never met with either."-- Kelly.
He is a gude piper's bitch; he's aye in at meal-times.
He's a gude shot that hits aye the mark.
He's a hardy man to draw a sword at a haggis.
He's a hawk o' a right nest.
He's a man o' wise mind that o' a foe can mak a friend.
He's an auld horse that winna nicher at corn.
He's ane a' snaw-ba's bairntime.