Page:Studies in Lowland Scots - Colville - 1909.djvu/94

70 in "Better rue sit than rue flit," or "Better twa skaiths (Ger. Schade, injury) than ae sorrow," we are to sturdily face consequences with "The warst may be tholed (endured) when it's kenned," or "Better finger aff as ay waggin'." The old-time peasant had much of that spirit of independence on which Burns harps so often. "My ain hose will be tied wi' my ain gairtans (garters)" is the fearless resolve of the man that "will to Cupar, so maun to Cupar," while "We can dicht oor corn in oor ain cannis," points to the custom of clearing out the chaff in the process of winnowing by throwing up the grain between the doors of the barn and letting it fall on the canvas spread out to receive it. "I'm mebbe poor but I'm no misleared" (badly brought up) is a croose claim to respect for native worth. Popular philosophy put the truth that the will dominates the understanding, as "Gar'd (forced) gress is ill to grow." The virtue of thrift is commended in "Hained mooter (multure) bauds the mill at ease and 'fends the miller," the analogue of "A penny hained (saved) is a penny gained." Scott finely expresses true independence in his favourite motto, "A hedge about his friends, a heckle (for dressing flax) to his foes." Contempt for the opposite attitude of spiritless acquiescence breathes in his "They liket mutton weel that licket whaur the yowe lay."

Some of these maxims are severely condemnatory. The retort of shallow insolence is but "a goose's gansell." The cotter's children in the "Twa Dogs" are " a' run-deils thegither"—runs, ründs (Ger. Rand) or clippings from the selvage of a very bad web. But there was generally playful exaggeration in this as well as in the commoner reproach, a "limb o' Sawtan." The boy, mischievous as a monkey, is said to be "as ill-sets a puggie," which last is, by the way, a very good test-word for the survival of dialect. Few of the rising generation, and many even of the risen, specially if brought up away from the east side of Scotland, can make a guess at puggie. I have had it explained as a kind of engine, and again as a fox. In Orcadian pieg is anything of diminutive growth, as a pieg o' kale, a very small cabbage. The Danish is paeg. Pioo, a small quantity, may be Forfarshire peeay. Pug in English is a monkey, as in the above proverb. In Scots anything small is a pug or a puggie