If the mare has a bald face the filly will hae a blaze.
Equivalent to saying, that if the mother is of one complexion the child will be the opposite.
If this be a feast, I hae been at mony.
The inference is, that he is not pleased with the treatment he is receiving.
If we canna preach in the kirk, we can sing mass in the quire.
If we haena the warld's wealth, we hae the warld's ease.
If wishes were horses beggars wad ride, and a' the warld be drowned in pride.
If you be angry, claw your wame, an' cool I' the skin ye het in.
"Spoken to them whose anger we value not."-- Kelly.
If you be angry, sit laigh and mease you.
If ye be na gall'd ye needna fling.
If ye dinna haud him he'll do't a'.
Spoken of lazy people, meaning, that if not restrained they will do too much. Applied tauntingly of course.
If ye dinna like what I gie ye, tak what ye brought wi' ye.
If ye dinna see the bottom, dinna wade.
If you do not see your way clearly through an undertaking, do not venture on it at all.
If ye do nae ill, dinna be ill like: if ye steal na my kail, breakna my dike.
"He that would no evil do, must do nought that's like thereto."-- English.
If ye gang a year wi' a cripple, ye'll limp at the end o't.
For "Evil communications corrupt good manners."
If ye had as little money as ye hae manners, ye would be the poorest man o' a' your kin.
If ye'll blaw your ain whistle, ye maun uphaud the win'.
If you had been anither, I would hae denied you the first word.
Meaning that you are granted more indulgence than another would be if similarly situated.
If ye had stuck a knife in my heart it wadna hae bled.
He was so much surprised by some information.
If ye hae little gear ye hae less care.
If ye're nae better, ye're snoder like, quo' the wife, when she cut off the doggie's lugs.
If you laugh at your ain sport, the company will laugh at you.
If you lo'e me, let it kythe.
That is, if you love me let it appear.
If ye like the nut, crack it.
If ye sell your purse to your wife, gie her your breeks to the bargain.
For if your wife command your purse, she will certainly have the mastery in everything else."-- Kelly.
If you spend muckle, put mair to the fore.
If you want your business weel done, do't yoursel.
If you win at that you'll lose at naething.
"Spoken to them that are about an ill thing, which will undoubtedly prove to their damage."-- Kelly.
"If you winna come you'll bide," quo' Rory to his bride.
It was a matter of perfect indifference whether Rory got her or not.
If you would be a merchant fine, beware o' auld horses, herring, and wine.
Because, proverbially speaking, the first will die, the second stink, and the third sour.
I gaed through the bear-land wi' him.
"This is a phrase used by a person who has gone through all the particulars of a quarrel with another, or told him all the grounds of umbrage at his conduct."- Jamieson.
I gied his birn a hitch.
Or, assisted him in a strait.
"Though he bans me, I wish him well,
We'll maybe meet again;
I'll gie his birn a hitch, an' help
To ease him o' his pain."
Poems in the Buchan Dialect.
I had but little butter, an' that I coost on the coals.
Said by a person who has been reduced either in circumstances, or in the possession of a particular article, signifying that even the little that was left had been allowed either by carelessness or accident to slip through his fingers.
I had nae mind that I was married, my bridal was sae feckless.
Meaning that a circumstance was of so little importance that no notice was taken of it.
I hae a gude bow, but it's i' the castle.
Satirically remarked of those who pretend that they could do great things if they had some article by them, but which they know very well is not near at hand.
I hae a Scotch tongue in my head--if they speak I'se answer.
I hae baith my meat and my mense.
I hae gi'en a stick to break my ain head.
Engaged in an undertaking which wilt be to my own disadvantage.
I hae gotten an ill kame for my ain hair.
I hae had better kail in my cog, and ne'er gae them a keytch.
"The return of a haughty maid to them that tell her of an unworthy suitor. It alludes to an art among the Scottish reapers, who, if their broth be too hot, can throw them up into the air, as they turn pancakes, without losing one drop of them."-- Kelly.
I hae ither fish to fry.
I hae ither tow on my rock.
That is, I have other work to do.
I hae mair dogs than I hae banes for.
I hae mair to do than a dish to wash.
That is, I have work of importance to do.
I hae muckle to do, and few to do for me.
I hae my back to the wa': if I dinna slip I'll no fa'.
A saying expressive of a feeling of confidence or security.
I hae seen as fu' a haggis toom'd on the midden.
Or as good an article thrown away. Applied disparagingly to any article in question.
I hae seen mair snaw on ae dike, than now on seven.
I hae seen mair than I hae eaten, else ye wadna be here.
A sharp retort to those who doubt a statement of which the narrator has had ocular demonstration
I hae taen the sheaf frae the mare.
I hae the Bible, an' there's no a better book in a' your aught.
I hae tint the staff I herded wi'.
I have lost the support I depended upon
I hae twa holes in my head, an' as mony windows.
"I hate 'bout gates," quo' the wife when she haurl'd her man through the ingle.
Meaning that she approves of straightforward conduct. Kelly says that the second part is "added only to make it comical."
I ken a spune frae a stot's horn.
"I had the honour to visit his late gracious Majesty, at his palace of Holyrood, where, I can assure you, I was as civilly entreated as the first in the land, not excluding the Lord Provost of Glasgow, tho' he and his tounfolk tried to put themselves desperately far forrit ; but the king saw thro' them brawly, and kent a spoon frae a stot's horn as well as the maist of his liege subjects."-- Motherwell.
I ken by my cog how the cow's milk'd.
That is, I know by the appearance of a thing when it is properly done.
I ken by your half-tale what your hale tale means.
Having told me so much I can guess the rest. Applied to those who come to borrow money.
I ken him as weel as if I had gane through him wi' a lighted candle.
I ken how the warld wags: he's honour'd maist has moniest bags.
I ken your meaning by your mumping.
Ilka bean has its black.
"Ye hae had your ain time o't, Mr Syddall ; but ilka bean has its black, and ilka path has its puddle; and it will just set you henceforth to sit at the board end, as weel as it did Andrew langsyne."-- Rob Roy.
Ilka bird maun hatch her ain egg.
Ilka blade o' grass keps it's ain drap o' dew.
Ilka corn has its shool.
Ilka dog has its day.
"'You have made a most excellent and useful purchase, Cuddle. But what is that portmanteau?' 'The pockmantle?' answered Cuddie: 'It was Lord Evandale's yesterday, and it's yours the day. I fand it ahint the bush o' broom yonder. Ilka dog has its day--ye ken what the auld sang says,
"Take turn about, mither," quo' Tam o' the Linn.'"
Old Mortality.
Ilka land has its ain land-law.
"Jeannie Deans, writing from London to Reuben Butler, says,--' Ye will think I am turned waster, for I wear clean hose and shoon every day but it's the fashion here for decent bodies, and ilka land has its am land-law.'"-- Heart of Midlothian.
Ilka land has its ain leid.
"Leid," language.-- Jamieson.
Ilka man as he likes--I'm for the cook.
Ilka man buckles his belt his ain gate.
"'Oh but, sir, what seems reasonable to your honour will certainly be the same to them,' answered Jeanie. 'I do not know that,' replied the Duke ; 'ilka man buckles, his belt his ain gate--you know our old Scots proverb?'"- Heart of Midlothian.
Ill bairns are aye best heard at hame.
I'll big nae sandy mills wi' you.
Or I will not join with you in any project.
Ill comes upon waur's back.
Parallel to the saying, "Misfortunes never come single." In this case it is more forcibly expressed, and means literally, a great misfortune is followed by a greater one.
Ill counsel will gar a man stick his ain mare.
I'll do as the man did when he sell't his land.
"That is, I will not do it again, for selling of an estate is a fault that few are twice guilty of."-- Kelly.
Ill doers are aye ill dreaders.
Ill flesh ne'er made gude broo.
Bad meat never made good soup; or, a bad man cannot be expected to do a good act.
I'll gar him draw his belt to his ribs.
Meaning that a person will be compelled to defend himself.
I'll gar his ain garters bind his ain hose.
"That is, what expense his business requires I will take it out of his own money."-- Kelly.
I'll gar ye blairt wi' baith your een.
I'll gar ye claw where its no yeuky.
"Ye hardy loon, gae but the house and mind your wark. Ye thought and they thought ; but if it wasna mair for ae thing than anither, I hae a thought that wad gar baith you and them claw where it's no yeuky."-- Sir Andrew Wylie.
I'll gar you sing Port-youl.
That is, cry, weep :-
"I'll make them know they have no right to rule,
And cause them shortly all sing up Port-yeull."
Hamilton's Wallace.
I'll get a better fore-speaker than you for nought.
Ill getting het water frae 'neath cauld ice.
I'll gie ye a bane to pike that will haud your teeth gaun.
I will give you work to do which will keep you busy for a time.
I'll gie ye a sark fu' o' sair banes.
A shirtful of sore bones: vulgariter, a thrashing.
I'll gie ye let-a-bee for let-a-bee, like the bairns o' Kelty.
That is, he will give as good as he gets. "Let-a-bee for let-a-bee," generally speaking, is expressive of mutual forbearance ; but the "bairns o' Kelty" reversed the usual meaning.
Ill got gear ne'er prospered.
I'll haud the grip I've got.
"'When ye hae gotten the better o' the sore stroke o' the sudden removal of the golden candlestick o' his life from among us, ye'll do everything in a rational and just manner'
"''Deed, I'll do nae sic things, mother,' was the reply; 'I'm mindit to haud the grip I hae gotten.'"-- The Entail.
Ill hearing maks wrang rehearsing.
Ill herds mak fat tods.
I'll keep my mind to mysel, and tell my tale to the wind.
Ill laying up maks mony thieves.
Answered by people who are blamed for breach of confidence.
I'll learn you to lick, for suppin's dear.
Ill-less, gude-less, like the priests' holy water.
I'll mak a shift, as Macwhid did wi' the preachin'.
"Macwhid was a knowing countryman, and a great stickler for the king and the church. At the Restoration, clergymen being scarce, he was asked if he thought he could preach; he answered that he could make a shift ; upon which he was ordained, and got a living."-- Kelly.
I'll mak the mantle meet for the man.
"That is, I'll pay you according as you serve me."- Kelly.
I'll neither mak or mar, as the young cock said when he saw the auld cock's neck thrawn.
I'll ne'er brew drink to treat drinkers.
Applied to those who are slow to partake of anything which us offered to them, and signifying that although the article is good, still, if unwilling, they will not be "treated," i.e., urged or forced to take it.
I'll ne'er buy a blind bargain, or a pig in a pock.
I'll ne'er dirty the bannet I'm gaun to put on.
I'll ne'er keep a cow when I can get milk sae cheap
I'll ne'er keep a dog and bark mysel.
To "keep a dog," &c., is to keep servants and do their work for them.
I'll ne'er lout sae laigh an' lift sae little.
That is, I will never put myself to so much trouble for such a small remuneration.
I'll ne'er put the rogue aboon the gentleman.
I'll no slip my dog afore the game's afoot.
I'll no tell a lee for scant o' news.
Ill payers are aye gude cravers.
I'll pay you, and put naething in your pouch.
Intimating that a person will give another a flogging.
I'll put daur ahint the door, and do't.
Or carry my threats unto execution. Used when in a dispute one person "daurs" another to do such a thing.
I'll rather strive wi' the lang rigg than the ill neighbour.
Meaning that a person would rather conduct a large business himself than be troubled with a disagreeable partner.
Ill's the gout, an' waurs the gravel, but want o' wit maks mony a travel.
I'll say naething, but I'll yerk at the thinking.
He will keep his sorrows to himself, but this recollection of them will make him "yerk," i.e., writhe, or start with pain--applied in a mental sense.
I'll see the stars gang withershins first.
"Bid Iceshogehs hammer red gauds on the staddy,
And fair simmer mornings nae mair appear ruddy:
Leave thee, leave thee, I'll never leave thee ;
The stains shall gang withershins ere I deceive thee."
Tea Table Miscellany.
I'll sell my lad, quo' Livistone ; I'll buy't, quo' Balmaghie.
"If a man have a good pennyworth to sell, he will still find a buyer."-- Kelly.
I'll serve ye when ye hae least to do.
I'll take nae mair o' your counsel thin I think fit.
I'll tak the best first, as the priest did o' the plooms.
I'll tell the bourd, but no the body.
That us, I will tell the jest or story, but cannot mention the name of the person to whom it refers.