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He wasna the inventor o' gunpowder.
Meaning that a person is very timid or cowardly.
He was ne'er a gude aiver that flung at the brod.
"Spoken of them who spurn at reproof or correction, whom Solomon calls brutish."-- Kelly.
He was scant o' grey cloth that soled his hose wi' dockens.
"The return of a haughty maid to them that tell her of an unworthy suitor."-- Kelly.
He was scant o' news that tauld his faither was hang'd.
"They're scarce of news who speak ill of their mother."-- Irish.
He was the bee that made the honey.
He watsna whilk end o' him's upmost.
He does not know whether he stands on his head or his heels.
He wears Langton's coat o' mail.
"Once, in a skirmish with the English, the Laird of Langton, being unarmed, turned his coat inside out, to make his opponents believe he had on a coat of mail, and so rushed on to the fray. By 'Langton's coat of mail,' is meant a presumptuous but brave man."-- G. Henderson.
He wears twa faces aneath ae cowl.
He wha mair than his worth doth spend, aiblins a rape his life will end.
He wha marries a maiden marries a pockfu' o' pleasure; he wha marries a widow marries a pockfu' o' pleas-sure.
"These two are always joined together, and are a dissuasive from marrying a widow, because she is often involved in law suits."-- Kelly.
He wha marries for love without money, hath merry nights and sorry days.
He wha tells his wife a' is but newly married.
He winna send you away wi' a fair heart.
Or, he will not grant you the favour you are going to seek.
He woos for cake and pudding.
He would fain be forward if he wist how.
He would fain rip up auld sairs.
That is, gladly rake up old grievances, to enable him to pick a quarrel.
He would gar you trow that the mune's made o' green cheese.
Applied to simple, credulous people, who readily believe the most absurd statements.
He wouldna lend his gully,--no! to the deil to stick himsel.
In sarcastic allusion to those who decline to oblige borrowers, and who carry their principles so far that they "would not lend the devil a knife to cut his throat."-- Italian.
He would need to be twice sheeled and ance grund that deals wi' you.
He would rake hell for a bodle.
He would skin a louse for the tallow o't.
In allusion to greedy, parsimonious people, who would rather be put to a great deal of trouble than incur a trifling expense.
He would tine his lugs if they were not tacked to him.
He is so careless and forgetful, that he would lose his ears were they not attached to his head.
He's horn deaf on that side o' his head.
That is, he is wilfully deaf on that subject.
Highest in the court, nearest the widdie.
Highlanders--shoulder to shoulder.
High trees show mair leaves than fruit.
In disparaging allusion to tall persons.
His absence is gude company.
His auld brass will buy her a new pan.
Spoken of young maidens who marry wealthy old men, meaning that when the husband dies his money will help her to a younger one.
"Though auld Rob Morris be an elderly man,
Yet his auld brass it will buy you a new pan;
Then, doughter, you shouldna be so ill to shoo,
For auld Rob Morris is the man ye maun loo."
Tea Table Miscellany.
His bark's waur nor his bite.
"'Hout, mother,' said Hobbie, 'Elshie's no that bad a chield; he's a grewsome spectacle for a crooked disciple, to be sure, and a rough talker; but his bark is waur than his bite.'"-- The Black Dwarf.
His corn's a' caff
"I'll lay my hugs that's the true reason, and brawly does he ken his corn's a' caff, or he wadna keep the sack mouth tied, and try to put us aff wi' bletheration."
His e'ening sang and his morning sang are no baith alike.
His eggs hae a' twa yolks.
His geese are a' swans.
Or, his stories are all of a Munchausen order, told more for the sake of effect than of truth.
His head will never fill his faither's bonnet. His head's in a creel.
"My senses wad be in a creel,
Should I but dare a hope to speel
Wi' Allan, or wi' Gilbertfield,
The braes o' fame;
Or Ferguson, the writer chiel,
A deathless name."-- Burns.
His heart's in his hose.
His meal's a' daigh.
His purse and his palate are ill met.
As the first is light, while the second is heavy.
His room's better than his company.
His tongue's nae slander.
For his bad character or motives are so well known that none would believe him were he to speak ill of a person.
His wame thinks his wizen's cut.
This humorous saying is expressive of the most extreme hunger, when the belly has come to the conclusion that the throat has been cut, and all further supply of food stopped.
His wit gat wings and would hae flown, but pinchin' poortith pu'd him down.
Honest men marry soon, wise men never.
Honesty hauds lang the gate.
To "haud the gate" is to "maintain the even tenor of your way."
Honesty may be dear bought, but can ne'er be an ill pennyworth.
Honesty's the best policy.
Honours change manners.
Hooly and fairly gangs far in a day.
"Working constantly, though soberly (slowly), will despatch a great deal of business."-- Kelly.
Hooly and fairly men ride far journeys.
Hope hauds up the head.
Hope is sawin' while death is mawin'.
Hope weel and hae weel.
Horns an' grey hair dinna aye come o' years.
Horses are gude o' a' hues.
"A good horse ne'er had a bad colour."-- English.
Hotter war sooner peace.
Hout your dogs and bark yoursel.
"A sharp return to those that say 'Hout' to us, which is a word of contempt; in Latin, apage! "-- Kelly.
Humble worth and honest pride gar presumption stand aside.
Hunger is hard in a hale maw.
Or, to a healthy stomach.
Hunger me, and I'll harry thee.
"If servants get not their meat honestly and decently, they will neglect their master's business, or embezzle his goods."-- Kelly.
Hunger never fails of a gude cook.
Hunger's gude kitchen.
"Hunger is the best sauce."-- English.
Hunger's gude kitchen to a cauld potato, but a wet divot to the lowe o' love.
That is, hunger is good sauce for common meat, but a wet turf (vulgariter, "a damper") to love.
Hunger will break through stane wa's.
The English add to this, "or anything except a Suffolk cheese."
Hungry dogs are blythe o' bursten puddins.
"To him who is hungry any bread seems good, or none comes amiss."-- Ray.
Hungry folk are soon angry.
Hungry stewards wear mony shoon.

IANCE gied a dog his hansel, an' he was hanged ere night.
Used as a reason for not giving a gratuity, intimating that it would harm rather than benefit a person.
I bake nae bread by your shins.
Or, I am not indebted to you for any obligation.
I brought him aff the moor for God's sake, and he begins to bite the bairns.
"Spoken when they whom we have supported make unhandsome and unthankful returns. "-- Kelly.
I canna afford ye baith tale and lugs.
Spoken to a person who is inattentive to what has been said to him, and who asks to have it repeated.
I canna baith spin an' rin.
I canna sell the cow an' sup the milk.
"He cannot eat his cake and have it."-- English.
I can scarce believe ye, ye speak so fair.
I can see as far into a millstane as he that pick'd it.
I carena whether the fire gae about the roast, or the roast gae about the fire, if the meat be ready.
That is, no matter what means are employed to accomplish an end, so that it be done.
I carena whether the tod worry that goose, or the goose worry the tod.
I could hae done that mysel, but no sae weel.
I deny that wi' baith hands and a' my teeth.
Expressive of the most emphatic denial.
Idle dogs worry sheep.
Idle young, needy auld.
If a' be weel I'll be wyteless.
"Spoken with a suspicion that all will not be well, and if so, I have no hand in it."-- Kelly.
If a' bowls row right.
"Ye are right, Mr Owen--ye are right; ye speak weel and wisely; and I trust bowls will row right, though they are awee ajee e'enow."-- Rob Roy.
If ae sheep loup the dyke, a' the rest will follow.
If a gude man thrive, a' thrives wi' him.
If a lee could hae chokit you, ye wad hae been dead langsyne.
An indirect or jocular manner of intimating to a person that he is guilty of falsehood.
If a man's gaun down the brae ilka ane gies him a jundie.
"If" an' "an" spoil mony a gude charter.
If ane winna, anither will ; sae are maidens married.
If ane winna, anither will--the morn's the market day.
If a' thing's true, that's nae lee.
A saying expressive of unbelief of some improbable story.
If a' things were to be done twice, ilka ane wad be wise.
If a' your hums and haws were hams and haggises, the parish needna fear a dearth.
"To 'Hum and Haw,' to daily or trifle with one about any business by indefinite and unintelligible language."-- Jamieson.
If better were within better wad come out.
If Candlemas day be dry and fair, the half o' winter's to come and mair; if Candlemas day be wet and foul, the half o' winter's gane at Yule.
If e'er you mak a lucky puddin' I'll eat the prick.
"That is, I am much mistaken if ever you do good."-- Kelly.
If grass does grow in Janiveer, 'twill be the worse for't a' the year.
If he be na a souter, he's a gude shoe clouter.
If he cannot make new shoes well, he is very good at repairing old ones.
If he binds his pock she'll sit down on't.
"Spoken when a niggardly man is married on a more niggardly woman."- Kelly.
If he gies a duck he expects a goose.
If I canna do't by might I can do't wi' slight.
If I canna keep my tongue I can keep my siller.
If I canna kep geese I can kep gaislins.
"If I cannot work my revenge upon the principal author of my injury, I will upon his children, relations, or friends."- Kelly.
If I come I maun bring my stool wi' me.
For, as I am not properly invited, there will be no seat allotted to me.
If "ifs" an' "ans" were kettles an' pans there would be nae use for tinklers.
"Were it not for 'if' and 'but,' we should all be rich for ever."-- French.
If I had a dog as daft, I wad shoot him.
Signifying that mischievous or silly doings should be put a stop to.
If I had you at Maggy Mill's house, I would get word about wi' ye.
Used when, in argument or dispute, a man has not a proper opportunity to defend himself.
If I hae done amiss, I'll mak amends.
If I live anither year, I'll ca' this fern-year
If I'm no kind I'm no cumbersome.
If it be a faut it's nae ferlie.
Or, it is no wonder, as any other result should not have been expected.
If it be ill it's as ill rused.
"Spoken of those who discommend what we have."- Kelly.
If it can be nae better, it's weel it's nae waur.
If it sair me to wear, it may sair you to look at.
A pertinent reply to those who find fault with a person's dress.
If it werena for hope the heart would break.
If it werena for the belly the back wad wear gowd.
If it winna be a gude shoe we'll mak a bauchel o't.
If it winna sell it winna sour.
Meaning that an article is good, and will not spoil by keeping.
If marriages are made in heaven, you twa hae few friends there.
If ony body speir at ye, say ye dinna ken.
Meaning that a person is unwilling to give another some information.
"'Madge,' said Ratcliffe, 'have ye ony joes now?' 'An ony body ask ye, say ye dinna ken. Set him to be speaking of my joes, auld Daddie Ratton !'"-- Heart of Midlothian.
If she was my wife I would mak a queen o' her.
If strokes be gude to gie they'll be gude to tak.
If that God gie the deil daurna reive.
If the auld wife hadna been in the oven hersel, she ne'er wad hae thought o' looking for her dochter there.
That is, if a person had not been guilty of a particular crime himself, he would never have suspected another of it. Kelly inserts this proverb, but says it is English ; and Henderson makes it the subject of an illustration.
If the badger leave his hole the tod will creep in.
If the deil be laird, ye'll be tenant.
If the deil find ye idle, he'll set ye to wark.
For "An idle brain is the devil's workshop."-- English.
If the deil were dead, folk would do little for God's sake.
If the laird slight the leddie his menyie will be ready.
Menyie--the servants or followers will be ready to follow the example.
If the lift fa' the laverocks will be smoored.
Literally, if the sky falls the larks will be smothered. Spoken when people are anticipating some very improbable occurrence.

JEDDART justice--first hang a man syne try him.
"According to Crawford, in his Memoirs, the phrase Jedburgh justice took its use in 1574, on the occasion of the Regent Morton there and then trying and condemning, with cruel precipitation, a vast number of people who had offended against the laws, or against the supreme cause of his lordships faction. A different origin is assigned by the people. Upon the occasion, say they, of nearly twenty criminals being tried for one offence, the jury were equally divided in opinion as to a verdict, when one who had been asleep during the whole trial suddenly awoke, and, being interrogated for his vote, vociferated, 'Hang them a' !'
"The English phrase 'Lidford Law,' commemorated by Grose, bears the same signification."-- Robert Chambers.
Jock's a mislear'd imp, but ye're a run deil.
That is, "Jock," although very mischievous, is a quiet and well-behaved person compared to you.
Joke at leisure; ye kenna wha may jibe yoursel.
Jouk, and let the jaw gang by.
Literally, stoop, and let the rush of water go over your head; meaning, yield to adverse circumstances, and their effects will pass away.
"Just as it fa's," quo' the wooer to the maid.
"A courtier went to woo a maid she was dressing supper with a drop at her nose. She asked him if he would stay all night; he answered, 'Just as it falls:' meaning, if the drop fell among the meat, he would be off; if it fell by, he would stay."-- Kelly.

Just enough and nae mair, like Janet Howie's shearer's meat.
Just, father, just; three half-crowns mak five shillings; gie me the money and I'll pay the man.

KAIL hains bread.
Kame sindle, kame sair.
If the hair is seldom combed it soon becomes a difficult and painful operation to perform. Proverbially applied when simple but necessary matters of business are neglected to such an extent they become troublesome.
Kamesters are aye creeshy.
"Kamesters," or Wool-combers, are always greasy. People are always like their work.
Katie Sweerock, frae where she sat, cried, "Reik me this, and reik me that."
"Applied to lazy people, who ask others to do this or that for them which they ought to do for themselves."- Kelly.

More Scottish Proverbs