Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

when sense was being shared. Your grandmother's death is long
in your memory. Better ^Heyday!' than 'Alas!' Pity
him who would put you in the ship's boiv ! It's a big beast that there
isn't room for outside. An inch off a man's nose is a great deal.
He is lucky to whom you would promise the gallows. Geese under-
stand each other. ' There's meat and mrisic here,' as the fox said
when he ran away with the bagpipe. The fish in the sea like us
mortals be. You spoiled a dwarf, and didn't make a man. Even a
haggis will run down hill. Two will have peace to-night, myself
and the u-hite horse, as the wife said when her husband died. Like
the white horse at the mill-door, thinking more than he said. Like the
the old coxo's tail, always last. It's not easy to put trevjs on a cat.
You may be a good man, as Neil of the Mountain said to the cat, but
you haven't the face of one. Pity your sweet mouth should ever go
under ground. Women's patience — up to three. The sod is a good
mother-in-law. The sea will settle when it marries.
Poetical sayings. — Among purely poetical and
pretty sayings, the Gaelic ones take a high place.
Here are a few examples, in addition to some already
given.
Blue are the hills that are far from us. Night is a good herd-
man; she brings all creatures home. The three prettiest dead, a child,
a salmon, and a black-cock. The sea likes to be visited. Thy heart's
desire to thy pulse ! There is no smoke in the lark's house. Black is
the berry but siveet ; black is my lassie but bonnie. * / ^ciU keep to
my sweetheart,' said the girl, ' a mouth of silk, and a heart of hemp.'
High is the stag's head on the mountain crags. Pretty is the mouse
in the corn-plat. The ocean hides much. Like stone sent uphill is
the long Spring evening, like stone running down glen is soft Autumn
evening.
It now becomes me to mention those to whom I have
been most indebted for their contributions to this col-
lection, and their help in other ways. The largest and
best collections were received from the Eev. J. G.
Campbell of Tiree, and Mr. A. A. Carmichael, North
Uist. Both came unasked, and were supplemented, as