B

Bare gentry, bragging beggars.—Bastard brood are ay proud.

Be lang sick that ye may be soon hale.

Beggars shou’d na be choosers.

Beg frae beggars you’ll never be rich.

Better a bit i’ the morning than fast a’ day.

Better a clout than a hole out.

Better a dog fawn on you than bark at you.

Better a finger aff than ay wagging.

Better a mouse in the pat than nae flesh.

Better a tocher in her than wi’ her.

Better a toom house than an ill tenant.

Better a wee ingle to warm you, than a muckle fire to burn you.

Better auld debts than auld sairs.

Better sma’ fish than nae fish.

Better be alane than in ill company.

Better be blythe wi’ little than sad wi’ naethin’.

Better be envied than pitied.—Better be idle than ill employed.

Better be out o’ the warld than out o’ the fashion.

Better be kind than cumbersome.

Better buy than berrow.—Better day the better deed.

Better eat grey bread in youth than in eild.

Better flatter a fool than fight wi’ him.

Better find iron than tine siller.—Better gi’e the slight than tak it.

Better haud by a hair than draw wi’ a tether.

Better ha’f egg than toom doup.

Better hain at the brim than at the bottom.

Better hand loose than in an ill tethering.

Better kiss a knave than cast out wi’ him.

Better keep the deil without the door than drive him out o’ the house.

Better keep weel than mak weel.

Better late thrive than ne’er do weel.

Better live in hope than in despair.

Better my bairns seek frae me than I beg frae them.

Better my friend think me fremit than fashious.

Better ne’er begun than ne’er ended.

Better rue sit than rue flit.—Blude’s thicker than water.

Better the end of a feast than the beginning of a fray.

Better to haud than to draw.—Better twa skaiths than ae sorrow.

Better wait on the cook than the doctor.

Better wear shoon than sheets.—Black will tak nae ither hue.

Between the deil and the deep sea.—Burnt bairns the fire dreads.

Bid a man to the roast and stick him wi’ the spit.

Bigging and bairns marrying are great wasters.

Birds of a feather flock thegither.

Birth’s gude but breeding’s better.

Biting and scarting is Scotch fouk’s wooing.

Blind men shou’d na be judges o’ colours.

Boden gear stinks.—Bourd na wi’ Bawty lest he bite ye.

Broken bread makes hale bairns.

Butter and burn trouts are kittle meat for maidens.

Buy a thief frae the gallows and he’ll cut your throat.