Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

Hltmoeous Sayings. — The notion of most Sas-
senachs anent ' Scotch Wut ' is derived at second-
hand from our dear Elia and Sydney Smith, both of
whom, though exquisitely clever and delightful, were
quite fallible men. Any one who thinks the Scottish
people inferior in humour to the English had better
contrast the Proverbs of the one nation with those of
the other. At the risk of being considered partial or
parochial, the present editor has no hesitation in saying,
that the Sassenach is incarnate prose compared with the
Scot, that the Northern sayings greatly surpass the
Southern in humour, felicity, and love of artistic form.
He cannot claim for the Scottish Celts a greater sense
of humour than is found among the Lowlanders, but he
does claim for them a very delicate edge, with a cut
not less severe. As for their being a melancholy
people, there could be nothing more absurd imagined.
One can be thoughtful, even pensive, and yet very fond
of fun, in loco. Irony and satire, more than humour
strictly so called, are characteristic of the Scottish Gael.
Here follow some specimens : —
Twenty-one captains over twenty soldiers. The birds live, though
not all hawks. IVs the bigger of that, as the wren said, when it dropped
something in the sea. Big egg never came from, wren. ' Where art
thou, wren ' ì said the eagle: '■Far above thee,' said the wren (on the
eagle's back). Howling is natural to dogs. He's a fine man
if you don't ask of him. The wren spreads his feet ivide in his own
house. The highway is wide, and may be trod. Better a lobster than
no husband. Better peace with a hen than strife. You ivould be a
good messenger to send for death. The longest lay will end at last.
The old imman is the better of being icarmed, bid not of being burned.
It would be thick water that would wash his face. Bold is the puppy in
the lap of strength. He sat very awry when he did that. You were
born far from the house of good manners. You were not in