Matheson Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

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224
Is coma leam comunn an oil.
/ care not for the drinhing fellowship.
Is cuma liom cumann bean-leanna (ale-wife). — Ir.
This saying illustrates the fact that the Celts, in Scotland or
elsewhere, are not prone to excess either in meat or in drink.
Is coma leam comunn gille na geire ; ge math a thois-
each, bu ro olc a dheireaclh.
/ like not the tallow lad's company ; hoivever good at
first, very had at last.
Al. mur bi an toiseach searbh, gu dearbh bidh an deireadh ann.
This is a Lewis and Long Island saying, of which no explana-
tion has been given.
Is coma leam fear-fuadain 's e liiath labhar.
I don't like a vjayfarer who talks loud and vcluUy.
Is coma leis an righ Eogliau ; 's coma le Eoglian co
dMùbh.
The King doesn't care for Eioen ; and Eiuen cares not
whether or no.
Who Ewen was, is not said, but he was perhaps the inde-
pendent miller that lived on the banks of Dee.
Is coma leis an t- saoglial c' ait 'an tuit e.
Wecdth cares not where it falls.
There is a rich truth in this observation.
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Is corrach culaidh air eon lunn.
A boat is unsteady on one roller.
Is corrach gob an dubhain.
Uncertain is the point of the hook.
See ' Is olc a' bho-laoigh '.
Is corrach ubh air aran.
An egg on bread is slippery.
Is crion a' chùil as nach goirear.
It's a small corner from which no cry can come.
The propagation of the Penny Press and Telegraph illustrates
this beautifully.
Is cruaidh an cath as nach tig aon fhear.
It's a hard fight from which one man doesn't come.
Al. Is olc am blàr as nach tar cuid-eigin.
It's a hard-fought field, where no man escapes unkilled. — Eiig.
It's a sair field where a's slain. — Scot.