ll company.

Better a laying hen than a lying crown.

Better a lean horse than a toom halter.

Better a poor horse than no horse at all.

Better a mouse in the pat than nae flesh.

Better an auld man's darling than a young man's warling.

"Used as an argument to induce a young girl to marry an old man, to
the doing of which no argument should prevail."--_Kelly._

Better an even down snaw than a driving drift.

Better an ill spune than nae horn.

Better a saft road than bad company.

"'I redd ye, Earnscliff' (this Hobbie added in a gentle whisper),
'let us take a cast about, as if to draw the wind on a buck--the bog
is no abune knee-deep, and better a saft road than bad
company.'"--_The Black Dwarf._

Better a sair fae than a fause friend.

Better a shameless eating than a shamefu' leaving.

Better a sma' fish than an empty dish.

Better at a time to gie than tak.

Better a thigging mither than a riding father.

Better a tocher in her than wi' her.

That is, better that a wife have good qualities without money than
_vice versa_.

Better a toom house than an ill tenant.

Better auld debts than auld sairs.

Better a wee bush than nae beild.

Better a wee fire to warm you than a big fire to burn you.

Better bairns greet than bearded men.

Better be a coward than a corpse.

"Discretion is the better part of valour."--_English._

Better be at the end o' a feast than at the beginning o' a fray.

Better be before at a burial than ahint at a bridal.

Better be blythe wi' little than sad wi' naething.

Better be envied than pitied.

Better be friends at a distance than enemies at hame.

Better be happy than wise.

Better be idle than ill doing.

Better be John Tamson's man, than Ring and Dinn's, or John Knox's.

"John Thomson's man is he that is complaisant to his wife's humours;
Ring and Dinn's is he whom his wife scolds; John Knox's is he whom
his wife beats."--_Kelly._

Better be kind than cumbersome.

Better belly burst than gude meat spoil.

A plea for gluttony on the score of economy.

Better bend than break.

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

Better be sonsy than soon up.

Better be the head o' the commons than the tail o' the gentry.

"To reign is worth ambition, though in hell;
Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven."--_Milton._

Better be the lucky man than the lucky man's son.