Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

Ill
he covets ; lohat the Mull man covets the Coll man steals; and wJud
the Coll man steals the Tiree man hides.
Sliob am Muileach, 'us sgròbaidh e thu ; sgròb am Muileach,
'us slìòbaidh e thu. — Stroke the Mull man, and he'll scratch you :
scratch him, and he'll stroke you.
Ged a bhiodh tu cho caracli ris a Mhiiileach, gheabbar a macb
thu. — Were you as tricky as the Mull man, you'll be found out.
All these dreadful imputations remind one of an Eastern say-
ing, ' The Koords are worse than the Arabs, the Arabs are worse
than the Yezidees, and the Yezidees are worse than Eblis '.
Cha 'n 'eil ann ach an t-uan na 's duiblie na 'mhàthair.
It's merely the lamb blacker than its dam.
Cha 'n 'eil ann ach an dara duine 'bhreith, 's an
duine eile 'bhreith 'us àrach.
07ie man needs but to be born, another to be born arid
bred.
This is an acute observation on the advantages of hereditary
aristocracy and primogeniture.
Cha 'n 'eil ann ach fear ri caomhnadh 's fear ri
caitheanih.
One man saves and another spends.
Cuid an taisgeair aig an caithteair. — Ir.
Narrow gathered, widely spent. — Eiig., Scot.
Cha'n 'eil ann ach Iain 'us DònuU ; DònuU cho math
ri Iain, 's Iain cho math ri Dònull.
It is plain John and Donald, — Donald as good as
John, and John as good as Donald.
Cha 'n 'eil ann ach leth-phlaide gun f huaghal.
He is but an unhemmed half -blanket.
Cha 'n 'eil ann ach mogan gun cheann.
He is a stocking without foot.
Cha 'n 'eil ann do 'n t-seann amadan.
No fool to the old fool. — Fiig.
Chan 'uil amadan air bith is measa na sean- amadan — Ir.
Nae fules like the auld fules. — Scot.
The head grey, and no brains yet 1—Eng.
Je alter der Geek, je schlimmer. — Germ.
Cha 'n 'eil heart an aghaidh na h-eigin.
There is no contrivance against necessity.
'AvdyKf] òvSè 6foì fiaxovrai. — Or.
Ingens telum necessitas. — Cic.