Matheson Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

Aiteamh na gaoithe tuath, sneachd 'us reodliadh anns
an uair.
After thaw with northern blast, snow and frost fol-
low fast.
Aithne an Leodhasaich mhoir air an Leodhasach
eile.
The 'big Lewis man's recognition of the other Lewis
man.
The big man is supposed to say, ' Tlia aithne gun chuimhn'
agam ort,' I recognise, but don't remember you.
Hf^inS Aithneachadh bo badhail, no fàilt a' chruidh.
( rtWiU/'^^ k.x, ■^^'"^ loandering cow's welcome, or the kine's salute.
n '>,,MJCy^^ Macintosh's explanation of this saying is, that when a strange
6'^'' beast joins a herd the rest attack it. An ingenious commentator
suggests as the proper reading, ' Aithnichidh bo a badhail,' A
cow knows her own stall, which makes good sense. But the noun
' badhail ' is Irish ; ' buabhail ' is our word for stall.
Aithnicliear air a* bheagan ciamar a bhiodh am moran.
From the little may be seen what the big might have
been.
Aithnicliear am balach 's a'mhaduinn — bristidh e
barrall a bhròige.
The clown is known at morning — he breaks his shoe-tie.
This is a curious illustration of the general amenity of man-
ners characteristic of the Celts. The 'balach' is a combination of
'bully' and 'snob,' and it is meant that he is so rude and impatient
that he can't even tie his shoe without showing his roughness.
Curiously enough, a word expressing much the same thing
in modern Greek is ^Xàxos-
Aithnichear an leomhan air sgriob de 'ionga.
The lion is knotvn by a scratch of his claw.
Ex ungue leonem. — Lat. P. Dall' unghia si conosce il
leone. — Ikd. A I'ongle on connait le lion. — ^V.
Aithnichear fear doimeig air fàire. '''
The slattern's husband can be known afar.
The Ulster version is, ' Aithnighear fear na cuaròige air
fàithche a measg chàich '. A South Uist saying is, 'Is luath fear na
droch mhna air a' mhachair Uibhistich ' — Swift goes the bad
wife's husband on the Uist plain.