proverbs


A' bheinn is àirde anns an tìr, is ann oirre is fhaide a laigheas ceò.	The highest mountain in the land will be shrouded with mist the longest
A' chiad sgeul air fear an taighe, agus gabh sgeul gu madhainn air an aoidh.
Bha latha eile ann.	Things have changed for the worse
Chaidh an ceòl air feadh na fidhleadh	Things have gone out of hand
Chan e gille beag a th'ann le smugaid air a ghualain le smugaid air a' mhuileachain	Refer it to somebody of even standing/or mature person - he's above that/he's above the common 5/8ths
Chan eil port an asgaidh ann	Nothing comes for nothing - boats always had to pay a levy or duty
cho corrach ri ugh air aran	rocky/unsteady - Scalpay
Far a bheil an toil bidh an gniomh	Where there's a will there's a way
Fasan a bh'aig Niall, bidh e riamh ris	A leopard doesn't change his spots
Feadaireachd bhan is gairm chearc da nith a tha air toirmisgt.	Two things that are forbidden - a woman whistling and a hen crowing
Fluich do shuil	Regarding the evil eye - if someone over-praised something of yours, you told him to fluich his suil - a cronachadh. Or people praising something, a nice polite way of telling someone to stop. Nowadays, this expression has changed his meaning - today it wouldn't be a rebuke.
Gach dileas gu deireadh	Faithful to the last/sticking together through thick and thin (this might be said of a person or a dog maybe)
Ged a tha e gun mhòine, cha bhi e gun teine	Although he has no peat, he won't be without a fire
Is coma leam an rud nach toil leam	Stating the obvious
Is coma leam an rud nach toil leam, eireagan a' dol nan coillich	Disappointment with the outcome
Is fhurasda duine gun nàire a bheathachadh	It's easy to feed a man without shame
Is olc an sgrìobadh nach lion an sgroban (crop in hen's breast)	If you don't feed a hen in the morning, when you put your hand on the breast, it is empty. Very little effort is better than nothing at all. It contributes to something.
Is righ duine na thaigh fein	A man is a king in his own home
Millidh bò buaile, is buairidh bean baile.	One cow can ruin a herd and a wife can ruin a homestead
Mo chuideachd fhein, clann Throndarnis
Modh a chirce, gabh ealla rithe	A stubborn person always wants her own way
Mol an latha math air an oidhche	Don't count your chickens before they've hatched (literally praise the good day at night time)
Mur a dean mi spain dheth, milidh mi urc	It'll do no good
Na cuir do choran gun cead ann an nead duine eile	Mind your own business (don't put your sickle without permission into someone else's nest)
Na dean uaill a cuid duin' eile	Praise where praise is due Don't take praise that really belongs to someone else
Rinn e coilleach dubh dheth	He wiped the floor with him. Literally, he made a black cockerel of him.
'S fhearr a bhith a-staigh air a' chù na a bhith mach air	It's better to keep in with the dog than to fall out with the dog - said of someone you didn't like
'S ioma rud tha bùth ceannaiche nach leis fein	A merchant's shop contains many things that don't belong to him
'S mairg nach beathaich an truaghan	It's a pity
'S olc a fhreagras e ann an Iochdar Throndairnis
Tha an teine air do chraiceann	You've been sitting by the fire
Tha gu leòr cho math ri cuirm	Plenty is as good as a feast
Tha thu mar chearc air torr nead	You are restless (like a hen looking for a nest)
Tuigidh cù a chionta	A dog understands his guilt
Tuitidh an capall ceithir casach	If a man erred, he might use this to say it could happen to anyone Capall is an old word for horse
Is fhearr a bhith nad aonar na a bhith ann an droch chuideachd	It's better to be alone than to be in bad company.	CAIRDEAS IS CLOINNEAS
Tha do chridhe mireag ruit	without a care in the world (mireag - playful, joyful)	CHILDREN
'S e sin a fhàgas am fearann daor, fear a dol an aite fear		COTTARS
Am fear a bhios modhail, bi e modhail ris a h-uile fear	He who is well mannered is well mannered to everyone.	CROFTING
An neach nach cuir ris an latha fhuar, cha bhuain ris an latha theth	The person that won't sow in the cold days won't reap in the hot days	CROFTING
Cha trogh gach bliadhna ga cheile	No two years are the same	CROFTING
Mura b'e eagal an dà mhàl, bheireadh Tiriodh an dà bhàrr	Tiree could have two harvests if they didn't fear the two taxes (the Duke of Argyll was imposing a levy on harvest)	CROFTING
'S e Nollaig dhubh a dh'fhàgas an cladh miath	Snow is the prospect of a good spring; things will come on; otherwise bad weather comes in spring - frost and snow killed viruses, flus and colds	CROFTING
'S fhearr treabhadh anmoch na gun treabhadh idir	Better late than never (literally, it's better to plough late than not to plough at all)	CROFTING
treinnsear mor le beagan air	about someone who is not very kind; promising you the earth	EMIGRATION
Cha ni na tha anns a' mhuir a dh'uisge air falbh an cairdeas	Blood is thicker than water.	GLEN WILLIAM STORY
Is fhiach each math breab a leigeadh leas	Let a good horse kick - ie put up with a flaw in someone who is worthy in other ways	HORSES
Is olc an each nach fhiach a chriathadh	It's a poor horse that's not worth shoeing. if you don't shoe them, they can't work.	HORSES
Oidhche muigh is oidhche staigh, math na caorach, is olc an eich		HORSES
Is olc an each nach giùlan an trathair	(sits on horse's back, with a chain - you need to be equipped/it's past its best)	HORSES PLOUGHING
Is treasa tuath na tighearna		LAND
Am fear a bhios gun each gun eathur, 's fheudar dha coiseachd	He who has neither a horse nor a boat has no option but to walk	MACDONALD CLAN
A reir do mheas ort fhein, 's ann a mheasas càch thu	Your own opinion of yourself is how others will assess you	NATURE
Duine dùr, duine gun tùr	(wisdom)	NATURE
Fear a bhios aig an aiseag gheibh e thairis uaireigin	Things come to those who wait (literally he who is at the ferry will get across sometime or other)	NATURE
Gog-gog mor ach ugh beag	Much ado about nothing (literally plenty of clucking but a small egg results)	NATURE
Is coma leis an righ Eoghann, is coma le Eoghann co-dhiubh	Literally the king doesn't 'give a monkey's' about Eoghann, and Eoghann doesn't give a monkey's full stop! We haven't ascertained who this Eoghann was.	NATURE
Latha Feill Eoghain theid a' chubhag do thaigh geamhraidh	On Eoghan's feat day, the cuckoo goes to his winter home	NATURE
Mar a theid an t-eun o dhoire gu doire, theid a miaran bho dhuine gu duine.	Yawning is infectious. As a bird goes from copse to copse, so a yawn goes from person to person	NATURE
Na spion feusag far nach aithnich dhuit	Don't overstep your mark (literally, don't tug the beard of someone you don't know well)	NATURE
'S ioma ceann a theid an currachd mun tachair sin	Don't hold your breath waiting (literally, many's a head will go in a bonnet before that happens)	NATURE
Taobh a theid am feannag, bheir i a h-earball leatha	Wherever the raven goes, she will take her tail with her. (This implies badness)	NATURE
Tha car eile air ruileadh bhodaich	There's another side to that person (literally, there's another twist to the old man's reel)	NATURE
Adharcan mor air a' chrodh tha fad as, ach nuair a ruigear iad, chan eil iad ach maol	the grass is always greener on the other side of the hill. Literally, you think there are big horns on the cows far away, but when you get there they have no horns at all	PEOPLE
An car a tha anns an t-seann mhaide, tha e doirbh a thoirt as.	It's difficult to remove the twist in the old stick	PEOPLE
Ceann mor air duine glic, is ceann circe air amadan	A wise man has a large head and a fool has a hen's head	PEOPLE
Each iasaid, buail breab air	Refers to treating something on loan not very well. Literally, a loaned horse, give it a kick	PEOPLE
Fàinne mun mheur is gun snàithean mun tòin	fur coat and no knickers! Literally, rings on the fingers but a threadbare backside	PEOPLE
Fios fithich agad	You have prior knowledge. Seemingly, the raven seems to know what's going to happen beforehand.	PEOPLE
Ged a chual iad an ceol, cha do thuig iad am port	The real meaning of what happened was missed; didn't get the point	PEOPLE
Is ionmhuinn (delight) leis gach neach a choltas	People delight in their own kind - said of children	PEOPLE
Is sleamhain an clach aig dorus an taigh mhoir	Be content with what you have. Literally, the threshold of the big house is slippery	PEOPLE
Is suarach an càirdeas a dh'fheumas a bhith ga shior cheannach	It's not a good relationship that needs to be constantly bought - good deeds/one-sided	PEOPLE
Na cuir do spàin an an càl neach eile	Mind your own business	PEOPLE
Ruigidh each mall muileann	Same idea as the story of the tortoise and the hare - persistence will get there in the end	PEOPLE
'S fhearr am bonnach beag le beannachd no am bonnach mor le mollachd	A small cake with blessing is better than a large cake with cursing	PEOPLE
'S minig a thainig fior a fanaid	The truth is stranger than fiction/stranger things have happened (literally, frequently the truth came about from joking)	PEOPLE
'S miosa amaideach na h-aoise na amaideach na h-oige	Stupidity in old age is worse than stupidity in youth	PEOPLE
'S toigh le bò sgartach bò sgartach eile	People recognise their own kind	PEOPLE
Taghaibh do bhean is i na currachd oidhche	Choose your wife when she's at her least - literally in her night clothes	PEOPLE
Taigh gun chu, gun chat, gun leanamh beag, taigh gun ghean gun gaire	A house without a dog, a cat, a child is a house without good humour and laughter	PEOPLE
Taigh-osda, muileann is ceardaich, is fhearr airson naidheachdan	Hotel, mill and smithy, these are the best places for news	PEOPLE
Tha e anns a chuideachd mar a bha cù luideach a cheaird	He is in the company as was the tinker's scruffy dog	PEOPLE
Tha e tarraing uisge ga mhuileann fhein	He's just out for himself	PEOPLE
Tha sin an-diugh aig coin a' bhaile	An expression said on hearing old news (literally even the dogs in the town have heard about that)	PEOPLE
Tha theanga air a gualain	He is a blether (literally, his tongue is on his shoulder	PEOPLE
Thachair sruth ri steall	One's as bad as the other	PEOPLE
Theid an t-eolas far a chàirdeas	A friendship can go deeper than a relation	PEOPLE
Thig fealla dha gu fealla tri	Don't overdo the fun	PEOPLE
Is ioma ni a chailleas fear na h-imrich	He who moves often loses many things	PLACES
Is mairg a ni tàir (complain) air biadh	It's a bad thing to be choosy about food	RECIPES
A' chuilean ris an t-sean chù	Kissing the baby for the sake of the nurse	ROMANCE
Chaidh iad cho mor aig a' cheile ri dà cheann each	tempestuous relationship (horses gather and have their heads close right up snuggling and then they would bite and squeal and neigh)	ROMANCE
Cho eolach sa tha lodair air a' phoit	As well known as the ladle to the pot	ROMANCE
Faodaidh sean each seidir a dheanamh	Said if an older person indulged in the pastimes of young men or women (literally, an old horse can still neigh)	ROMANCE
Foighidinn nam ban, gus an cunntar a tri	The extent of women's patience - until you count to three! - obviously a banter phrase between men	ROMANCE
Nadair circe, nadair muice, is nadair mnatha, gabhaidh iad an doigh fhein	The nature of a hen, a pig and a woman - they will do it their own way	ROMANCE
Suiridhe fada bhon taigh is pòsadh aig an dachaigh	Refers to someone marrying the person next door (which often happened) having courted elsewhere	ROMANCE
Taghaibh nighean an deagh mhathair gu be an diabhal a b'athair dhi	Choose a girl from a good mother, even if the devil was her father	ROMANCE
Mios roimh gach reith a choltas	(a month before the quarter (March), the weather takes on a change before the equinox	WEATHER
Theid cathadh Earraich troimh bhòrd daraich	A Spring blizzard will go through an oak board	WEATHER
Beul a labhras ach 's e gniomh a dhearbhas.	The mouth may speak, but the proof is in the work.	WORK
Chan urrainn mi a mhin itheadh agus an teine a sheideadh	Can't do two things at the same time	WORK
Lianar bearn mhor le clachan beaga	Every little helps. Literally, a large gap is filled with small stones	WORK
'S e mathair easgaidh a ni nighean leisg	A willing mother creates a lazy daughter	WORK
Togaidh obair fianais.	Work testifies.	WORK
Togar càrn mor le clachan beaga	Every little helps You can build a big cairn with small stones	WORK