Page:Studies in Lowland Scots - Colville - 1909.djvu/160

136 while screams of delight greeted the "denouement" of the tale,—

The goodwife was an authority in minor morals, keeping careful watch over her flock as maturing years expanded character. An awkward girl was "a muckle tawpie" (Fr. taupe), a foolish boy was a "haveril," a "gawpus," or a "gomeril." The simpleton was a "cuif" or a "nose o' wax," while mental smartness was esteemed under the names of "gumshon," or "smeddum," or the "rummle-gumshon," of everyday common-sense. The elder sister, "fikey" and "perjink," was severe on a younger brother's hashiness, but the douce mother was wisely tolerant. "Auld maid's bairns are never misleared" (lair, lore), she would remark. She tholed much from the wheengin, raenin (Gael. ran, roar, cry, Norse, reen) bairn, but soon got out of patience with the thrawn, contermashus (contumacious) youngster. The "gansel" or insolent retort of the pert "smatchet" was sternly rebuked equally with the airs of the upsettin' brat. In Henryson's (1462) "Town and Country Mouse" the latter retorts thus: "Thy guse is gude, thy gansell sour as gall." In illustration Morley quotes the proverb, "A gude guse indeed, but she has an ill gansell," and explains the word as a severe rebuke (from agan, again, and sellan, to give), but in living use it is rather the equivalent of a "cheeky" retort, a speaking back impudently. A Morayshire phrase is, "Jist a gansellin creatur." Wright ("Dialect Dict.") says, "Originally a garlic sauce for goose, but now only figuratively, a saucy speech." Thrift was strictly inculcated, especially in the sparing use of best clothes. "Ilka day braw maks Sabbath a dilly-daw," or seedy-looking idler. Many a bien (well-to-do) good-wife went about in a short-gown and wrapper while her drawers were well-stocked with apparel.

Table manners were attended to, if at all, in somewhat blunt fashion. The hasty eater was warned not to ramsch his food. To snotter or slaver was no less objectionable in the