Need help with Old Broad Scots Language

[FintryGirl]

Thanks to all of you for getting involved in my quest.   This has become very interesting to me.  I wish my Mum could answer me to help out.  As of right now she is really failing and has lost conversation.  Probably it make sense that it is the last one posted by Blanched.

Thanks again

[Hard_Yards]

Just my two cents worth - the 'transliteration' and spelling that makes most sense to me is Ostler's (argument about language and dialect notwithstanding), although I'd be taking "buik" before "book".


"Guid gear gaes intae a wee buik!" (or bouk).


FintryGirl - I dinnae ken the saying, but have a look at this link:

http://www.dsl.ac.uk/getent4.php?plen=1820&startset=3692074&query=BOUK&fhit=book&dregion=form&dtext=snd#fhit

and see the third reference:

 *Sc. 1896 A. Cheviot Proverbs 122:
    Gude gear gangs into little bouk.


This would be in keeping with Blanched's meaning - so not a book, but a quantity; which leads us to Viktoria's take: "good things come in small packages".

Finally then, I'd go with:  "Guid gear gaes intae a wee bouk!"

Use that in your tribute and you'll have others guessing for ages.

[FintryGirl]

Thanks for your concern Hard_Yards I will use that, basically the meaning is just for us being it was something she used to say often and I was trying to get better spelling for it .  But I'm just remembering right after she used to say it, she would add "and so does poison".  But the first part is just her.

Thanks all

[Lodger]

Bulk is the word! The saying was most often used (and still is) by shorter people. Anyone under 5' 4" at a guess.

[rondem]

How about "Guid gear gaes intae a meikle buik"

as in "many a meikle makes a muckle"

[Skoosh]

Lodger's right, bulk. Mony a meikle etc' sometimes puckle, save up the wee things and you'll end up with a lot! As for a dialect!  havers!     Skoosh.

[FintryGirl]

Thank you all !!  for your input