FOULA HERITAGE
Foula - The Edge of the World
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FOULA HERITAGE
Foula - The Edge of the World
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Foula 1924-37 Telegraph Installation Foula 1936 The Edge of the World
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FOULA HERITAGE Oral History A selection of Foula sayings about life
A spillin hand nivver wants...
If you're generous to others you will never want
A good hoose is shun skailed…House feels empty when a cheerful group leave all at once. A moose wis never crushed anunder a seed scroo...You can’t get to much of a good thing Ae loose coo braks up da byre…One undisciplined person can cause havoc for everyone Aff a leg an on a leg…Can’t make up mind Ah’ll gie de Jarom Bee…I’ll give you punishment (Jarom Bee fell in the banks) Ah’ll gie him kale trow reek...I’ll take him to task As healthy as a hoe...Very strong and healthy Be tankfu fir smaa mercies…Be grateful for what you have even if it is only a little Better a Foula man’s horse as a Waas man’s wife…Mockery (skyimp) between Foula and Walls Better lang lippened as ill begotten…Better awaited a long time than inappropriately acquired Better lang lowse as ill teddered…Better to remain single a long time than unhappily married Better ta eat a shameless eating as leave a shameless leaving…Better to risk offence by eating well than by eating poorly Caald is da kale at cools on da plate, An caald grows da love at starts ower haet…A relationship that starts too passionately will cool quickly Cauld kale hetted up…An old romance revived, probably unsuccessfully Come here an get dy paddyloo…Come here and get your porridge Da aulder da fiddle da better da tun…Older folk can do some things better Da belly keeps da back up…You need your food to keep up your strength Da best neebor is ower a daek …Best to have clearly understood boundaries with your neighbour Da better da day da better da deed...Said to excuse doing some unnecessary task on a Sunday Da crook canna call da kettle black…You can’t find fault with others when you’re not perfect Da Deil is good til his ain…Evil-doing folk often prosper Da dug kens qua’s guid til him…People know from experience who will be helpful/sympathetic Da hen peed ida sea an it aa helpit wi…Every little bit helps Da nearer da kirk da farder fae grace…Said of people who by upbringing should behave better Da owld cock craas an da young ain learns…Bairns and young folk pick up (bad) habits from their elders Da sun is ower far wast…A person is too old for something (like having another child) Da Taits and da Ratters, an da hoes ida sea, God keep dem fae de an me. (Da de’il himsell widna match dat three)...Mockery about these families Da tedder’s on, da stake is doon, so rinx awa …Said to a new-married couple disagreeing Da wirld is ill pairted... Some people have too much, some too little, and it can't be evened outDa wirld’s aa mad less de an me, an a’m no sae sure aboot de… Everyone’s mad except me Dat ain couldna mak his puddins…In poor condition, no surplus fat Dat ain dusna ken whether ta pee or get aff da pot…Can’t make their mind up Dat ain kens no whit drogers is dreed…That person hasn’t known real hardship Dat ain tinks shu’s nae smaa dirt… Woman pretending to be grander than she is Dat ain’ll be lyin in da lee o bum island…Not out of bed yet Dat ain’s brawlie up in his cuddi…Pleased with himself Dat ain’s no bune ootadaeks fir lang…Still in splendid condition Dat ain’s no steel tae da back…Person who seems good but isn’t trustworthy underneath Dat’ll pit spikk upo dy ribs…This good food will fatten you up, do you good. Days in Oolibanks... Weeping and Wailing Dem at his money kin mak gruel ida sea…Wealthy people can undertake major projects Der’ll be twa Sundays ida week an ain aboot da Helly…There’ll be a very big commotion Der’s a slippery stane afore aa man’s door…Things can go wrong for anyone so don’t judge others Du canna stand wi dy hand upon it…Don’t worry about something out of sight when you’ve done all you can Du’ll juist hae ta skeek upo hit…You’ll have to use sparingly (stores are getting short) Du'll hae ta eat anoder barrel o saat... You'll never be fit for thatDunna wirry upo da tail…Don’t delay completion by fiddling over small final details Fir sic a potridge…What an ugly unkempt person Fok, dis’ll no mak petticotts fir da bairns…Folk, we must get back to work (after a break) Fok, moose ida mell barrel!…Folk, shush, there are children listening! Fools and bairns soodna see half dun wark… Don’t show half-done work to those who won’t understand Friday’s flittin means short sittin …Don’t change jobs/houses on a Friday - it won’t last. Friday’s wark is shun dune…A job begun on a Friday is quickly completed Gien aff ida glubi…Slipped out of place, off precise setting Glower at da mun an du’ll laand ida midden…Pride comes before a fall Goo’ed atween twa wids an cam atween twa waters…Went to well with two empty pails (davicks) on wooden frame, and returned with pails full of water
He can mair as maet himsell…He’s very well off but tries to hide it He gings nearest da tail at aans da coo…The owner should make the biggest effort when help is given Hert ida nicht…Middle of the night; Heicht ida day…Midday Hit gooed laek snaa aff a daek…It vanished very quickly Hit'll be lying in da kiln/kirn moo...Said of a piece of work lying discarded and unfinished somewhere for a long time and likely to become useless Hit’s gien in me wrang hass…Gone down the wrong way Hit’s laek a wirm ida mooth o a kishie…Something that’s far too small for the purpose Hit’s nae guid at da craa spews…Anything a greedy person gives away isn’t of any use I hae a bonn ta pick wi dee…I have something to complain to you about I ken every lirk a’ dy lakki…I know every quirk of your nature I nivver own da story tae da butter…Don’t care much for boring bits, only like the best part II’m gyaain ta leave dis weary world an tak a room in Scallowa…I'm going to give up crofting and do something that pays better If du claas my back I’ll claa dine…If you do a favour for me, I’ll do one back. If you lay aa tae aa, you’d neider dell nor saa…If you added up all the jobs you’d never start Juist tak dy fit in dy hand an ging!…Stop prevaricating and just get on with it! Kale trow da reek...A Halloween tradition was for someone to throw a kale plant into the house. This was what they cried out while doing it Lang hairst and little coarn…A lot of effort for very little gain Lay dy wird upo dy knee afore du lets it spoken be…Think before you speak Learn young learn fair...Things learnt in childhood stay all life through He’ll juist hae ta mak a kirk or a mill o hit…He must deal with what happens any way he can Mak da kunga…Brew the tea (Erik Isbister’s grandfather) Makkin a trooni…Pursing lips for a kiss Mezzir twice an cut wance…Prepare carefully, before you start, to avoid mistakes Mony a puckle maks a muckle…Small amounts will add up to a lot in time Mony an errand to da Haa ta bid da lady good day…Excuses to visit a lady Mud ida slap…Said when last burden of fodder is carried in to the yard My een’s bune bigger as my belly…I wasn’t able to eat as much as I thought Na, yon ain’s juist hingin in da swithers…Can’t make up his mind Neider win nor want…Can’t make any progress back or forward in a situation Nae fir use tae caa oot i’da kail yard…Not up to much Pairt smaa and sair aa…Divide out in small portions to serve everyone Peerie breeks, aa sheeks…Said to a child who is a chatterbox Pit on da Murphy’s…Put the tatties on to boil Pooder an pent covers mony a rent...Flaws can be covered up in many ways Ja, pit up dy hand an tak doon Hamnafield…You are bragging! Quat’s a Frim Froy (or Frim Frass)? A stick ida mooth o a spuirin boy (or lass)… Said to a child always asking questions Ridin’ da sweerie horse…Giving impression of being busy but doing very littleSettin da sleb…Turning down corners of mouth ready to cry Sheenin laek a shillin…Cleaned up and looking brand new Shaw me da calf and no da cug …I need proof of your bragging Short man, short faa…Said to bairns to distract them from crying when they fall Shu’s gotten her wakki dracht…She’s had a bad blow, possibly fatal Sic hairy butter’ll aye do sic hairy bread…They’re both bad, a good match for each other Spit apo da gaa …Superstition to avoid bad luck taking gall bladder off liver Tak da hank in dy ain hand…It’s up to you, take a grip of the situation and deal with it Tak her anunder da flud mark ta get her wi bairn…Superstition to enhance chance of pregnancy Tiddley ower winkie…Head over heels Wha hauds on tae my clew end?...Called out by each lass to hear the name of her future sweetheart when pulling on the end of one of the lengths of wool dangled by the boys down through a hole/lum When da drink is in da hand da wit is in da can…A drunkard speaks no sense. When petticotts coorts, breeks come speed (Aggie Jean)…Men soon gather round an ‘available’ girl Wir aa Jock Tamson's bairns...Everyone is equally human (and can make mistakes). Yon ain’s surely peed upon a nettle…That person has got out of bed the wrong side Yon’ll stick in his craa…He’ll find it hard to swallow/accept that
You dinna miss da watter till da well rins dry…You
only appreciate something after it’s gone
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