Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 25, 1914.djvu/383

 Collectanea. 351

Biiihan. — "There's rowth (plenty) o' a'lhing in Buchan, baud awa' freet (fruit)."

Micrus. — Of Micras, Deeside. "There's nae an honest man in Micras but een (one), an' lie stole the cannas " (the canvas on which grain was flailed) ; used in Micras eighty years ago.

Strathdon. — "Ye can aye tell Nochty-side loons by 'thee,' 'thou,' an' ' Wilta' " ; said in Strathdon eighty years ago. Glen Nochty opens into Strathdon.

Pitfodels. — "Pit fae ye Pitfodels, there's men i' the Mearns!" the Slogan of the Menzies of Pitfodels.

The Mearns. — "The men o' the Mearns canna do mair than they may."' This saying is said to have originated from an unsuccessful attack made by the men o' the Mearns on some caterans in the castle of Birse.

Weather Lore, Seasons, etc.

A caul' May an' a windy Maks a full May an' a findy.

May birds are aye cheepin'.

May cats are aye meutin' (mewing).

O' marriages in May Bairns die in a dreay.

When the sky's like the waves o' the sea Wet weather it will be.

" The Gab o' May " : cold weather at the beginning of May.

" The Teuchat (lap-wing) Storm " : coarse weather at middle or end of April.

"The Cauld Kalendars o' May."

" The Reedie Rows o' May " : large waves that come rolling in, on otherwise calm days in May. (Footdee, Aberdeen.)

"The purse-mou' " — lines of clouds converging towards one end : a forerunner of rough weather.

Black cumuli — nimbus clouds sometimes described as "awfu' swine-looking clouds."

" Goat's hair " — a cloudy sky resembling this is indicative of wind.