A vaunter and a liar are near akin.
A wa" between best preserves friendship.
Meaning that friends are best separate.
A wad is a fule"s argument.
"Fools, for argument, lay wagers."--_Butler._
A waited pat"s lang o" boiling.
A wamefu"s a wamefu" wer"t but o" bare cauf.
A bellyful is a bellyful, no matter what kind of meat is taken. A variation occurs in _St Ronan"s Well_:--"A wamefu"s a wamefu"
whether it be o" barley meal or bran."
A wee bush is better than nae beild.
"Dame Elspeth is of good folk, a widow, and the mother of orphans,--she will give us house-room until something be thought upon. These evil showers make the low bush better than no beild."--_The Monastery._
A wee house has a wide throat.
A wee house weel fill"d, a wee piece land weel till"d, a wee wife weel will"d, will mak a happy man.
A wee mouse will creep beneath a muckle corn stack.
A wee spark maks muckle wark.
A wee thing fleys cowards.
A wee thing puts your beard in a bleeze.
A wee thing ser"s a cheerfu" mind.
A wet May and a winnie, brings a fu" stackyard and a finnie.
"Implying that rain in May and dry winds afterwards produce a plentiful crop, with that mark of excellence by which grain is generally judged of by connoisseurs--a good feeling in the hand."--_Robert Chambers._
A whang off a cut kebbuck"s never miss"d.
A wife is wise enough when she kens her gudeman"s breeks frae her ain kirtle.
Kelly gives a very indifferent version of this proverb, and says, "This is old, and a good one if rightly understood: that is, she is a good wife who knows the true measure of her husband"s authority and her obedience."
A wight man ne"er wanted a weapon.
A wild goose ne"er laid tame eggs.
A wilfu" man maun hae his way.
""Reuben Butler! Reuben Butler!" echoed the Laird of Dumbied.y.k.es, pacing the apartment in high disdain,--"Reuben Butler, the dominie at Liberton--and a dominie-depute too!--Reuben, the son of my cottar!--Very weel, Jeanie, la.s.s, wilfu" woman will hae her way--Reuben Butler! he hasna in his pouch the value o" the auld black coat he wears.""--_Heart of Midlothian._
A wilfu" man ne"er wanted wae.
"It has been said, and may be sae, A wilfull man wants never wae, Thocht he gets little gains."--_Cherrie and the Slae._
A wilfu" man should be unco wise.
A willing mind maks a light foot.
A winking cat"s no aye blind.
A winter day and a wintry way is the life o" man.
A winter night, a woman"s mind, and a laird"s purpose, aften change.
"Women, wind, and luck soon change."--_Portuguese._
A wise head maks a close mouth.
A wise lawyer ne"er gangs to law himsel.
A wise man carries his cloak in fair weather, an" a fool wants his in rain.
"An encouragement to care, caution, and foresight, and especially not to leave your cloak, be the weather e"er so encouraging."--_Kelly._
"Chiels carry cloaks, when "tis clear, The fool when "tis foul has nane to wear."--_Ramsay._
A wise man gets learning frae them that hae nane o" their ain.
A wise man wavers, a fool is fixed.
A woman"s gude either for something or naething.
A word is enough to the wise.
A working mither maks a daw dochter.
Another rendering of "A light-heeled mother," &c.
Aye as ye thrive your feet fa"s frae ye.
"Unexpected interruptions occur in business."--_Kelly._
"The farther you go, the farther behind."--_English._
Aye flether away;--since I"ll no do wi" foul play, try me wi" fair.
A yeld sow was never gude to gryces.