They'll flit in the Merse for a hen's gerse.
"They will flit for a matter of very small importance. Formerly in Berwickshire every hind was allowed to keep a few hens ; and some of them actually removed for the sake of the hen's keep. Hence the saying."-- G. Henderson.
They gang far aboot that never meet.
They'll gree better when they gang in by ither kirk doors.
Spoken of two persons who have quarrelled, meaning that they should avoid each other.
They maun be sune up that cheat the tad.
They maun hunger in frost that winna work in fresh.
They may dunsh that gie the lunch.
"Dunsh" is a word for which there is no perfect equivalent in English. It means to jog or thrust in a violent manner ; but those who know its proper application will see how feeble these meanings are. Jamieson approaches it when he says it is to "push as a mad bull." The proverb here means that they upon whom we depend can do with us as they please.
They may ken by your beard what ye had on your board.
They need muckle that will be content wi' naething.
They ne'er baked a gude cake but may bake an ill ane.
They ne'er gie wi' the spit but they gat wi' the ladle.
Or they never confer a small favour, or give a trifling gift, but they expect a greater in return.
They ne'er saw great dainties that thought a haggis a feast.
They're a' ae sow's pick.
Or all one kind--all bad alike.
"They're a bonny pair," as the craw said o' his feet.
"They're a bonny pair," as the deil said o' his cloots.
They're a' gude that gies.
They're a' gude that's far awa.
They're a' tarr'd wi' ae stick.
"'For my part,' said Macwheeble, 'I never wish to see a kilt in the country again, nor a red coat, nor a gun, for that matter, unless it were to shoot a paitrick. They're a' tarr'd wi' ae stick.'"-- Waverley.
They're aye gude will'd o' their horse that hae nane.
"He's free of his fruit that wants an orchard."- English.
They're as thick as three in a bed.
"They're curly and crookit," as the deil said o' his horns.
They're fremit friends that canna be fash'd.
That is, they are strange or false friends who will not allow themselves to be troubled in the least about their relations.
They're keen o' company that taks the dog on their back.
They're lightly harried that hae a' their ain.
They're like the grices, if ye kittle their wame they fa' on their backs.
Synonymous with "Give him an inch and he'll take an ell."-- English.
They're no a' saints that get the name o't.
They're no to be named in the same day.
Or they are so different that there is no room for comparison.
They're queer folk that hae nae failings.
They're scant o' horseflesh that ride on the dog.
They're weel guided that God guides.
They rin fast that deils and lasses drive.
They should kiss the gudewife that wad win the gudeman.
They speak o' my drinking, but ne'er think o' my drouth.
"They censure my doing such a thing who neither consider my occasions of doing it, or what provocations I have had."-- Kelly.
They that bourd wi' cats may count upon scarts.
They that burn you for a witch will lose their coals.
Applied to stupid people who pretend to be very clever. "Nobody will take you for a conjuror."
They that come wi' a gift dinna need to stand lang at the door.
They that deal wi' the deil get a dear penny-worth
They that drink langest live langest.
They that get the word o' sune rising may lie a' day.
They that hae maist need o' credit seldom get muckle.
They that herd swine think aye they hear them grumphin'.
They that hide ken where to seek.
They that laugh in the morning will greet ere night.
They that lie dawn far love should rise up for hunger.
They that like the midden see nae motes in't.
They that live langest fetch wood farthest.
They that lose seek, they that find keep.
They that marry in green, their sorrow is sune seen.
"It is rather strange that green, the most natural and agreeable of all colours, should have been connected by superstition with calamity and sorrow. . . . . To this day, in the north of Scotland, no young woman would wear such attire on her wedding day."-- Robert Chambers.
They that love maist speak least.
They that never filled a cradle shouldna sit in ane.
"Because such will not consider whether there may be a child in it; whereas they who have had children will be more cautious."-- Kelly.
They that rise wi' the sun hae their wark weel begun.
They that see but your head dinna see a' your height.
"Spoken to men of low stature and high spirits."-- Kelly.
They that see you through the day winna break the house for you at night.
This ungallant proverb signifies that the person addressed is not very good looking.
They that sin the sin maun bear the shame.
They that stay in the howe will ne'er mount the height.
They walk fair that naebody finds faut wi'.
They were never fain that fidged, nor fu' that lickit dishes.
Spoken when people shrug their shoulders, as if it was a sign that they were not content."-- Kelly.
They were never first at the wark wha bade God speed the wark.
They were scant o' bairns that brought you up.
They wha are early up, and hae nae business, hae either an ill wife, an ill bed, or an ill conscience.
They wist as weel that didna speir.
There are those who are more Concerned for my welfare than you are, but do not make so many outward protestations of it.
They wyte you an' you're no wyteless.
Things maun aye be someway, even if they're crookit.
Thirteen o' you may gang to the dizzen.
This and better may do, but this and waur will never do.
This world's a widdle as weel as a riddle.
"'A widdle,' a wriggling motion ; metaphorically a struggle or bustle."-- Jamieson.
Thole weel is gude for burning.
"Patience and posset-drink cure all maladies."- English.
Though auld and wise still tak advice.
Thoughts are free, and if 1 daurna say I may think.
Thoughts beguile maidens,
Though ye tether time and tide, love and light ye canna hide.
Three can keep a secret when twa are awa.
Three failures and a fire make a Scotsman's fortune.
Thrift's gude revenue.
Time and thinking tame the strongest grief.
Time and tide for nae man bide.
Time tint is never found.
Time tries a', as winter tries the kail.
Time tries whinstanes.
Tine heart, tine a.
"'I couldna maybe hae made muckle o' a bargain wi' yon lang callant,' said David, when thus complimented on his valour; 'but when ye deal wi' thae folk, it's tine heart, tine a'.'"-- Heart of Midlothian.
Tine needle, tine darg.
If you lose your needle you lose your day's work. Spoken to shiftless persons who complain loudly on the least trifle going wrong with them.
Tine thimble, tine thrift.
Tit for tat's fair play.
To hain is to hae.
Toom barrels mak maist din.
Toom be your meal pock, and mine ne'er hang on your pin.
Toom stalls mak biting horses.
Touch a gaw'd horse on the back an he'll fling.
"Spoken when you have said something to a man that intrenches upon his reputation, and so have put him in a passion."-- Kelly.
To work for naething maks folk dead-sweer.
"'Dead-sweer,' extremely averse to exertion."-- Jamieson.
Traitors' words ne'er yet hurt honest cause.
Tramp on a snail, and she'll shoot oot her horns.
Tramp on a worm and she'll turn her head.
Tramping straw makes trottin' owsen.
Travell'd men are sindle trow'd.
Trot faither, trot mither; how can the foal amble?
"It is hard for those who have had a bad parentage, and, consequently, an ill education, to be good."-- Kelly.
True blue will never stain, but dirty red will dye again.
True love is aye blate.
True love kythes in time o' need.
"Kythes," that is, shows itself.
True love's the waft o' life, but it whiles comes through a sorrowfu' shuttle.
Truth and honesty keep the crown o' the causey.
Truth and oil come aye uppermost.
Truth hauds lang the gate.
Try before you trust.
Try your friend ere you need him.
Twa blacks winna mak ae white.
Twa cats and ae mouse, twa mice in ae house, twa dogs and ae bane, ne'er will agree in ane.
Twa fools in ae house are a pair ower mony.
Twa gudes seldom meet--what's gude for the plant is ill for the peat.
Twa hands may do in ae dish, but ne'er in ae purse.
"Twa heads are better than ane," as the wife said when she and her dog gaed to the market.
Twa heads are better than ane, though they're but sheep's anes,
Spoken when a person offers a suggestion to another who is considering how he will do a thing.
Twa heads may lie upon ae cod, and nane ken whaur the luck lies.
"Spoken when either husband or wife is dead, and the sorrowing party goes back in the world after."-- Kelly.
Twa hungry meltiths makes the third a glutton.
Twa things ne'er be angry wi'-- what ye can help and what ye canna.
Twa words maun gang to that bargain.
Addressed to a person who is in too great a hurry to conclude a bargain, indirectly implying that the speaker is not quite satisfied with the article or terms.
Twine tow, your mother was a gude spinner.
"Spoken to those who curse you or rail upon you, as if you would say, take what you say to yourself."-- Kelly.

UNCO folk's no to mird wi'.
"Ye ken yoursel best where ye tint the end-Sae ye maun foremost gae the miss to mend. 'Tis nae to mird wi' unco folk ye see,
Nor is the blear drawn easy o'er their e'e."
Ross's Helenore.
Under water dearth, under snaw bread.
If a field has been inundated with water the crop will be spoiled; but if covered with snow it will be improved, as the soil is warmed and nourished thereby.
Unseen, unrued.
"Unsicker, unstable," quo' the wave to the cable.
"'Unsicker,' not secure, not safe, unsteady."- Jamieson
Upon my ain expense, as the man built the dyke.
Untimeous spurring spoils the steed.
Up hill spare me, doun hill tak tent o' thee.
Use maks perfyteness.
The Scottish version of the very common saying, "Practice makes perfect."
WAD ye gar us trow that the mune's made o' green cheese, or that spade shafts bear plooms?
That is, Would you really try to make us believe anything so false or absurd as we know such a thing to be?
Waes the wife that wants the tongue, but weel's the man that gets her.
Waes unite faes.
Wae tae him that lippens to ithers for tippence.
Or, who trusts to another for a small obligation.
Wae tae the wame that has a wilfu' maister.
"Wae worth ill company," quo' the daw o' Camnethan.
"Spoken when we have been drawn by ill company into an ill thing. A jack-daw in Camnethan (Cambusnethsn) learned this word from a guest in the house when he was upon his penitentials after hard drinking."-- Kelly.
Walk as your shoes will let ye.
Waly, waly! bairns are bonny; ane's enough and twa's ower mony.
Want o' cunning's nae shame.
Wanton kittens mak douce cats.
Want o' warld's gear aft sunders fond hearts.
Want o' wit is waur than want o' gear.
Want siller, want fish.
Wark bears witness wha does weel.
War maks thieves and peace hangs them.
War's sweet tae them that never tried it.
"'A soldier! then you have slain and burnt, and sacked, and spoiled?' 'I winna say,' replied Edie, 'that I have been better than my neighbours--it's a rough trade--war's sweet to them that never tried it.'"-- The Antiquary.
Waste water, waste better.
Watch harm, catch harm.
Wealth has made mair men covetous than covetousness has made men wealthy.
Wealth, like want, ruins mony.
Wealth maks wit waver.
'Weel, weel,' said the banker, 'that may be a' as you say, sir, and nae doubt wealth makes wit waver but the country's wealthy, that canna be denied, and wealth, sir, ye ken--' 'I know wealth makes itself wings,' answered the cynical stranger ; 'but I am not quite sure we have it even now.'"-- St Ronan's Well.
Weapons bode peace.
We are a' life-like and death-like.
We are aye tae learn as lang as we live.
We are bound to be honest, and no to be rich.
We can live without our kin, but no without out neighbours.
We canna baith sup and blaw.
That is, we cannot do two things at once.