Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

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tliat beautiful liill called Tomnaliiuricli near Inverness. A man
found himself one evening at the entrance of a cave leading into
the bowels of the hiU. He entered, and saw the Feinn lying all
around. From the roof of the cave hung a chain that would
ring when shaken — 'Slabhruidh — eisdeachd' audience-chain. He
shook it, and it sounded a ringing peal, at which the sleeping
heroes awoke, and turned their great cold eyes on the man. The
poor creature instantly took to his heels, and rushed out of the
cave and down the hill, hearing behind him. amid the howling of
w;xkened deerhounds, a voice that cried, 'A dhuine dhona ghòraich,
is miosa 'dh' f hag na 'fhuair thu ' ! Thou wretched foolish man,
that worse left than thou foundest !
An gad air an robh 'n t-iasg.
TJie witlie mi vjhich the fish vjas.
An gad a 's faisge do 'u sgòrnan, 's e 's coir a gliear-
radh an toiseach.
The withe next the loindpipe should he cut first.
Before hemp was used in this country the commonest kind of
rope was made of t\visted twigs of osier or birch, as it was
in the days of Samson and the Philistines. "Ulien a criminal
was hanged with one of these rude ropes (whence the Scottish
term ' mddie,' = ' withy '), any one A\'ishing to save his life
would cut the -R-ithe round his throat, or if a horse fell aiid
was in danger of being .strangled by his harness, the same rule
would follow. — See Note by R. MacAdam, on Irish proverb
' Gearr an gad is foisge do 'n sgòrnach '. — Ulster Journal of
ArchmoL, Vol. VI., p. 178. Lord Bacon, in his Essays ('Of
Custom ') says he remembers that " an Irish rebel condemned put
up a petition to the deputy that he might be hanged in a "wyth, and
not in an halter, because it had been so used with former rebels."
An gog mor 's an t-ubh beag.
Loud cackle, little egg.
Great cry and little ^voo\.—Eng.
Grand vanteur, petit faiseur.— i^r.
An gran a's luaith' a theid do'n mhuileanu, 's e 's
luaitb' a thig as.
The grain that soonest goes to mill, icill come soonest out.
Ante molam primus qui venit non molat imus. — Lat.
Chi primo arriva al molino primo macina. — Ital.
Quien primero viene primero muele. — Span.
Hvo der kommer forst til ]\Iòlle faaer forst malet. — Dan.
Qui premier arrive au mouUn premier doit mouldre. — Fr.
An Inid, an ciad Mhàrt de'n t-solus Earraich.
Slirove-tidc, the first Tuesday of the Spring muon.