Ye'll ne'er be auld wi' sae muckle honesty.
Ye'll ne'er cast saut on his tail.
Ye'll ne'er craw in my cavie.
This means that such a person will never be welcomed in my house.
Ye'll ne'er grow howbackit bearing your friends.
From this we can infer that the person addressed does not allow himself to be troubled by his friends.
Ye'll ne'er harry yersel wi' your ain hands.
Ye'll ne'er mak a mark in your testament by that bargain.
That is, you will lose money by that transaction.
Ye'll ne'er rowte in my tether.
Of similar meaning to "Ye'll ne'er craw in my cavie."
Ye'll neither dance nor haud the candle.
Ye'll neither dee for your wit nor be drowned for a warlock.
A saying used to signify that a person is neither very wise nor very clever.
Ye'll no dee as lang as he's your deemster.
Ye'll no let it be for want o' craving.
Ye'll no mend a broken nest by dabbing at it.
Ye'll play a sma' game before you stand out.
Ye'll see the gowk in your sleep.
"When you awake in the morning you will see matters differently."-- Jamieson.
Ye'll sit till ye sweat and work till ye freeze.
Ye'll tak mair in your mou' than your cheeks will haud.
Ye'll worry in the band like M'Ewen's calf.
"In plain English, you'll be hanged."-- Kelly.
Ye loe a' ye see, like Rab Roole when he's ree.
Addressed to covetous, greedy persons. When Rab Roole was "ree," he was crazy with drink.
Ye look as bauld as a blackfaced wedder.
Ye look as if butter wadna melt in your mou', but cheese will no choke ye.
"I am beginning to think ye are but a queer ane--ye look as if butter wadna melt in your mouth, but I sall warrant cheese no choke ye.--But I'll thank ye to gang your ways into the parlour, for I'm no like to get muckle mair out o' ye."-- St Ronan's Well.
Ye look as if ye had eaten your bedstrae.
"Ye look like a rinner," quo' the deil to the lobster.
"Spoken to those who are very unlikely to do what they pretend to."-- Kelly.
Ye look like Let-me-be.
That is, very quiet and inoffensive.
Ye look liker a deil than a bishop.
Ye look liker a thief than a horse.
Yelping curs will raise mastiffs.
Ye maun be auld ere ye pay sic a gude wad.
Literally, you will be very old ere you can perform such a promise; proverbially, of course, that you look upon that promise as of no value.
Ye maun hae't baith simmered and wintered.
"'To summer and winter,' to spend much time in forming a plan; to ponder; to ruminate."-- Jamieson.
It also means, to trifle, to dilly-daily, to go round about a subject.
"'His heart was amaist broken.' 'It maun be unco brittle,' said Claud, with a hem. 'But what's the need o' this summering and wintering anent it? Tell us what has happened.'"--The Entail.
Ye maun redd your ain ravelled clue.
That is, you must extricate yourself from your difficulties without assistance.
Ye maun spoil or ye spin.
Ye maun tak the will for the deed.
Ye maunna throw awa the cog, tho' Crummie fling't.
Ye may be godly, but ye'll ne'er be cleanly.
Ye may be greedy, but ye're no greening.
Ye may dight yer neb and flee up.
An expression of indifference, addressed to a person whose opinion we consider of no value.
Ye may be heard where ye're no seen.
Ye may dance at the end o' a raip yet without teaching.
Ye may drive the deil into a wife, but ye'll ne'er ding him oot o' her.
Ye may end him, but ye'll ne'er mend him.
Ye may gang farther and fare waur.
Ye may gape lang enough ere a bird flee your mou'.
Ye may live and no pree the tangs.
Ye may tak a drink out o' the burn when ye canna tak a bite out o' the brae.
Ye may tine the faither looking for the son.
Ye may wash aff dirt, but never dun hide.
Ye mete my peas wi' your ain peck.
Ye needna mak a causey tale o't.
That is, I have told you so-and-so, but do not speak of it--do not publish it.
Ye ne'er see green cheese but your een reels.
Meaning that the person spoken to is very covetous of everything he sees.
Ye rave unrocked, I wish your head was knocked.
"Spoken to them that speak unreasonable things, as if they raved."-- Kelly.
Ye're a' blawin' like a burstin' haggis.
Ye're a day after the fair.
Ye're a deil and nae cow, like the man's bull.
"Ye're a fine sword," quo' the fool to the wheat braird.
Ye're a foot behint the foremost.
Ye're a' grease, but I'm only grushie.
Ye're a gude seeker but an ill finder.
Ye're a' made o' butter, an' sew'd wi' soor milk.
Ye're a maiden marrowless.
Satirically applied to conceited maidens who hold high opinions of themselves, that they are unequalled.
Ye're a man amang geese when the gander's awa.
Ye're ane o' Cow-Meek's breed, ye'll stand without a bonoch.
Ye're ane o' snaw-ba's bairn time.
"That is, such as health and prosperity make worse, or who insensibly go behind in the world."-- Kelly.
Ye're ane o' the tender Gordons--you daurna be hang'd for ga' in your neck.
Ye're an honest man, and I'm your uncle--that's twa big lees.
Ye're a' out o't and into strae.
That is, you are quite mistaken about the matter.
Ye're a queer fish no to hae fins.
Ye're as braw as Bink's wife,--like the sun on shairney water.
Ye're as daft as ye're days auld.
Ye're as fu' o' maggots as the bride o' Preston, wha stopt half way as she gaed to the kirk.
"We have not been able to learn who the bride o' Preston really was; but we have frequently heard the saying applied to young women, who are capricious and changeable.
'The bride took a maggot, it was but a maggot,
She wadna gang by the West Mains to be married.'"
G. Henderson.
Ye're as o' mischief as an egg's fu' o' meat.
Ye're as lang tuning your pipes as anither wad play a spring.
Ye're as mim as a May puddock.
Ye're as sma' as the twitter o' a twined rash.
Ye're as souple sark alane as some are mither naked.
Ye're as stiff as a stappit saster.
"'Stappit saster,' a crammed pudding."- Jamieson.
Ye're a widdiefu' gin hanging time.
Ye're aye in a hurry, and aye behint.
Ye're best when ye're sleeping.
Ye're black aboot the mou' for want o' kissing.
"A jest upon a young maid when she has spot about her mouth, as if it was for want of being kissed."- Kelly.
Ye're bonny enough to them that loe ye, and ower bonny to them that loe ye and canna get ye.
"Spoken as a comfort to people of an ordinary beauty."- Kelly.
Ye're busy to clear yoursel when naebody files you.
Ye're buttoned up the back like Achmahoy's dog.
Ye're but young cocks--your craw's roupy.
Ye're cawking the claith ere the wab be in the loom.
Or plucking your geese before they are caught.
Ye're come o' blude, and sae's a pudding.
A taunt upon those who boast of their gentle blood.
Ye're Davy-do-little and gude for naething.
Ye're either ower het or ower cauld, like the miller a' Marshach mill.
Ye're feared for the day ye never saw.
"You are afraid of far-enough."- English.
Ye're fit for coarse country wark--ye're rather strong than handsome.
Ye're gude to be sent for sorrow.
Ye're gude to fetch the deil a priest.
The two last sayings are applied to persons who take a long time to do anything about which they are sent.
Ye're like a bad liver--the last day there's aye maist to do wi' ye.
Ye're like a hen on a het girdle.
Ye're like an ill shilling--ye'll come back again.
Jocularly addressed to a person who is about to go away.
Ye're like a singed cat--better than ye're bonny.
Ye're like a Lauderdale bawbee, as bad as bad can be.
"The obnoxious Duke of Lauderdale, who was at the head of affairs in Scotland's 'persecuting times,' had, it appears, a principal hand in some detested coinage. The bawbee, or halfpenny so issued, soon became base money, and these Lauderdale bawbees were branded with a bad name."-- G. Henderson.
Ye're like a rotten nit--no worth cracking for the kernel.
Ye're like Macfarlane's geese -- ye hae mair mind o' your play than your meat.
"Macfarlane (of that ilk) had a house and garden upon the island of Inch-Tavoe. Here James VI. was on one occasion regaled by the chieftain. His majesty had been previously much amused by the geese pursuing each other on the loch. But when one, which had been brought to table, was found to be tough and ill fed, James observed. 'That Macfarlane's geese liked their play better than their meat,'--a proverb which has been current ever since."- Note to The Monastery.
Ye're like a sow--ye'll neither lead nor drive.
Ye're like Brackley's tup--ye follow the lave.
Ye're like laird Moodie's greyhounds--unco hungry like about the pouch lids.
Ye're like me, and I'm nae sma' drink.
Ye're like Piper Bennet's bitch--ye lick till ye burst.
Ye're like the cooper a' Fogo, ye drive aff better girs than ye ca' on.
"Said of those who attempt to reform anything, but who instead of that, make matters worse."-- G. Henderson.
Ye're like the corbie messenger--ye come wi' neither alms nor answer.
"He send furth Corbie Messingeir,
Into the air to espy
Gif he saw ony mountains dry.
Sum sayis the Rauin did furth remane,
And corn nocht to the ark agane."
Sir David Lyndsay.
Ye're like the cow-couper o' Swinton, ye'll no slocken.
Ye're like the dead folk o' Earlstoun--no to lippen to.
"This is founded on a popular story, kept up as a joke against the worthy people of Earlstoun. It is said that an inhabitant of this village, going home with too much liquor, stumbled into the churchyard, where he soon fell asleep. Wakening to a glimmering consciousness after a few hours, he felt his way across the graves; but taking every hollow interval for an open receptacle for the dead, he was heard by some neighbour saying to himself, 'Up and away ! Eh. this ane up an away too ! Was there ever the like o' that? I trow the dead folk o' Earlstoun's no to lippen to !'"- Robert Chambers.
Ye're like the dog a' Dodha', baith double an' twa-faced.
Ye're like the dogs a' Dunraggit--ye winna bark unless ye hae your hinder end to the wa'.
Spoken to persons who will not complain or "make a noise" about a thing, unless they are guaranteed against any consequences that may ensue.
Ye're like the Kilbarchan calves--like best to drink wi' the wisp in your mou'.
Ye're like the lambs--ye do naething but sook and wag your tail.
Ye're like the man that sought his horse, and him on its back.
Ye're like the miller's dog--ye lick your lips ere the pock be opened.
"Spoken to covetous people who are eagerly expecting a thing, and ready to receive it before it be proffered."-- Kelly.
Ye're like the minister a' Balie, preaching for selie.
Ye're like the swine's balms--the aulder ye grow ye're aye the thiefer like.
Ye're like Towy's hawks--ye eat ane anither.
Ye're looking ower the nest, like the young craws.
Ye're minnie's milk is no out o' your nose yet.
Ye're mista'en o' the stuff; it's half silk.
"Jocosely spoken to them that undervalue a person or thing, which we think indeed not very valuable, yet better than they repute it."-- Kelly.
Ye're nae chicken for a' ye're cheepin.
Ye're never pleased, fu' nor fasting.
Ye're new come ower--your heart's nipping.
Ye're no light where you lean a'.
Ye're no worth ca'ing out a' a kail-yaird.
Ye're a' sae mony minds, ye'll never be married.
Ye're out and in, like a dog at a fair.
Ye're ower auld farrant to be fley'd wi' bogies.
Ye're ower het and ower fu', sib to some o' the laird's tenants.
Ye're queer folk no to be Falkland folk.
Falkland, in Fife, was formerly a Royal residence; and the court manners, contrasted with those of the surrounding country, gave rise to the saying.
Ye ride sae near the rump, ye'll let nane loup on ahint you.
Ye rin for the spurtle when the pat's boiling ower.
That is, take precautions when it is too late.
Ye're sae keen o' clockin', ye'll dee on the eggs.
"Spoken to those who are fond of any new place, condition, business, or employment."-- Kelly.
Ye're sair fashed hauding naething thegither.
Ye're sair stressed wi' stringing the milsey.
"A proverb addressed to those who make much ado about nothing, or complain of the weight of that work which deserves not to be mentioned. It refers to the cloth through which the milk is strained, being taken off the wooden frame, wrung out, and tied on again."-- Jamieson.
Ye're seeking the thing that's no tint.
Ye're sick, but no sair handled.
Ye're the weight a' Jock's cog, brose and a'.
Ye're there yet, and your belt hale.
"Spoken when people say, 'They will go to such a place, and there do thrive and prosper,' &c., which we think unlikely."-- Kelly.
Ye're thrifty and thro' thriving, when your head gangs doun your bottom's rising.
Ye're unco gude, and ye'll grow fair.
Ye're up in the buckle, like John Barr's cat.
Ye're very foresighted, like Forsyth's cat.
Ye're wed awa if ye bide, an' we're weel quat.
Ye're welcome, but ye'll no win ben.
Ye rin awa wi' the harrows.