Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

156
Croiseam thu ! The cross he between us Ì
Cromaidh an coileach circ' a cheann 'an dorus an tigh'
mhoir.
The cock lows his head at the great house door.
See ' Ged is iosal '.
Cruaidh mar am fraoch, buan mar an giiithas.
Hard as the heather, lasting as the pine.
The heather is the badge of the MacDonalds, the pine of the
MacGregors.
Cruaidh mu 'n pheighinn, 's bog mu 'n mharg.
Hard cibout the inmny, soft about the merle.
Penny wise and pound foolish. — -Eji^r., Scot.
Crùbaiche coin, leisgeul bhan, 's mionnan marsanta —
tha iad coltacli ri cheile.
A dog's limping, a woman's excuse, a merchant's oath —
they are like each other.
No es de vero lagrimas en la muger, ni coxear en el perro —
Woman^s tears and dog's liviping are not real. — ^ilmn.
Cruinneacliadh cruaidh agus leigeadh farsuinn.
Hard gathering and free spending.
The father scraping and the son scattering.
Cruinuichidh na fithich far am bi a' chairbh.
Where the carcase is the ravens will gcdher.
"Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered
together.— Matth. xxiv. 28.
CÙ an da fheidh, is minig a bha 'fhiadh air chall.
The dog of tvjo deer has often lost his deer.
Al. Coltach ri cù an da fheidh, a' call romhad 's 'ad dheigh.
Eith na con a n-dèigh dà lliìadh. — Ir.
'O Svo TtTcùKas èiùìKcùv òvòfTfpov KaraXafi^avei — He that chases
two hares catches neither. — Gr.
Uuos insequens lepores neutrum capit. — Lat.
Qui court deux Uèvres, n' en prendra aucun. — Fr.
Chi due lepri caccia, 1' una non piglia, e 1' altra lascia. — Ital.
Wer zwei Hasen zugleich hetzt, fangt gar keinen. — Germ.
Cuid a' ghobha — an ceann.
The smith's share — the head.
The smith's perquisite for killing a cow, which he was generally
employed to do. That great event generally took place once a
year, at Martinmas, whence possibly the word 'mart' = cow.