When Lions write history

Idioms and proverbs are part of our narrative, but their use can change or disappear over time.

Some of my thoughts and recollections from Scotland. I hope they will encourage you to share your own Motley Stories about the everyday things in your life, and how things change. Our ordinary lives will one day become significant and contribute to history. So, let’s share our stories, capture them in photos, and preserve them for future generations.

Proverbs¹ and idioms² are fascinating because they are often culturally specific. As tools for imparting wisdom, they mirror societal values and concerns.

Since proverbs are used to pass on wisdom they also reflect societal values. As our values and language change, so do proverbs, although many have stood the test of time.

‘Don't count your chickens before they hatch’. Don't expect results before the process is complete.

Some proverbs are still used, although they include old-fashioned words.

‘Let the cobbler stick to his last’. Meaning people should only concern themselves with things they know something about. A cobbler’s last³ is a foot-shaped tool used by shoemakers and cobblers to design, repair, and manufacture shoes.

While other proverbs are popular for a time, before fading into obscurity.

'Nail your colours to the mast', means to declare your beliefs openly. This dates back to the 17th century, when, during a naval battle, colours (or flags) on a ship were lowered as a mark of surrender. So ‘nailing your colours to the mast’ means the opposite, showing defiance when the cause seems hopeless.

While proverbs and idioms are typically seen as traditional, new ones are also emerging. The advancement of technology, and our increasing reliance on computers, is already adding new words, so I am sure sayings will follow - for instance,

"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog". This could be cautionary advice, because when using the Internet you may not truly know the identity of the person (or bot⁴) you are interacting with. The saying is based on a caption to a cartoon drawn by Peter Steiner.

It is interesting to hear the idioms and proverbs that people scatter through their conversations. Most of them are learnt in childhood, but have you passed any onto your children?

Or ‘half a loaf is better than none’. In other words it is better to accept less than one wants or expects, than to have nothing at all. Illustration by by Lizzie Lawson (1867–1905).

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How things have changed

The world’s oldest recorded proverb is from around 3,800 years ago. An ancient king of Assyria, Šamši-Adad, wrote on a clay tablet in Sumerian to Yasmah-Addu, his son and viceroy in Mari, advising him not to be hasty in his actions. “Heaven forbid that, as in the ancient proverb [says] the bitch by her acting too hastily brought forth the blind [puppies]”. Or nowadays we would say “haste not, want not”.

The title of this essay is from the African proverb, “Until the lions write history, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”⁵ The proverb challenges the dominant narrative, that the tale will is always from the hunter’s point of view. As you can imagine, this proverb is very close to my heart, since by writing these essays I am urging my readers to save the narrative of the lions (the ordinary person).

‘Never buy a pig in a poke’. A poke was a sack - always check goods inside a sack before buying. This is a warning to always know what you are buying, or that you understanding the details of any financial arrangement.

Sayings in my life

Children in my youth were more strictly brought up, especially in Scotland. We were expected to “be seen and not heard” and we were discouraged from getting all “high & mighty” or “full or ourselves”.

In my childhood I often heard the saying, "Niver cast a cloot till May be oot". My grandmother explained that in winter temperatures could drop significantly. In poor Scottish communities people would apply lard to their chest, and wear a snug vest (cloot) over the top, in order to stay warm during the winter months. The cloot was not removed until the end of May, as any warm weather before then was probably temporary.⁶ When dealing with poverty and the threat of freezing, personal hygiene was not a top priority. Lard and cloots were no longer used during my childhood, but the saying served as a reminder not to pack away winter clothing too early.

I spent my childhood with my grandparents, so I expect their ‘sayings’ were more old fashioned compared to my friends. Every night my grandmother would say, “night, night, sleep tight”, meaning to have a restful sleep. In the past, mattresses were supported on a network of ropes. If the ropes were not pulled tight the mattress would sag, leading to an uncomfortable and probably sleepless night.

‘Too many cooks spoil the soup’. If too many people are involved in a task or activity, it will not be done well.

In the past, life was tough for ordinary people, particularly in the Scottish Highlands. Perhaps that is why they had so many cautionary sayings. One warned that “a swallow makes not summer”,⁷ meaning that the sight of one swallow does not indicate the arrival of summer. The saying also serves as a reminder not to jump to conclusions based on a single piece of information.

Here are some of my favourite Scottish sayings,

• A man o wirds but no o deeds is like a gairden fou wi weeds. A man of words but no deeds is like a garden full of weeds, or ‘he’s all talk and no action’.

• Gie yer tongue mair halidays nor yer heid. Give your tongue more holidays than your head, or talk less and think more.

• Failing means yer playin. Failing means you’re playing, or actively participating. It is better to be involved and to make an attempt, rather than not try at all.

• Away an bile yer heid. Go away and boil your head! I have no idea of the origin of this saying, but it means you are bothering me, so go away.

• I'm no [not] as green as I am cabbage looking. You are mistaking me for a green (naive) person. Despite my appearance of inexperience, that is not the reality.

• Ach, dinnae fash yersel. Don’t stress or worry yourself (about whatever is upsetting you).

What are the sayings from your childhood that you remember (especially ones that are no longer commonly used), or sayings that you still use today?

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Other viewpoints

• I is for Idioms by

  Alphabet Soup
  . Funny French Food Phrases

• From an Idiom-Starved Author by

  Mike H. Mizrahi
  . Reflections and stories of about some idioms.

• About Proverbs by

  B Smith
  . Of course, we can’t forget the Book of Proverbs in the Bible.

• Underrated Proverbs by

  Arjun Panickssery
  . Some useful proverbs, and some that have an opposite proverb.

1. A proverb is a short, well-known saying that offers advice or a life lesson, and has a clear meaning. For example, “Actions speak louder than words” or “Beggars can’t be choosers”.

2. An idiom is a phrase that has a meaning different from the literal meaning of the words in the phrase. For example, “to kick the bucket” means to die, or “a piece of cake” means that something is easy.

3. The word ‘last’ comes from the Old English word laest, which means ‘footprint’.

4. Bot is an autonomous program on the internet or another network that can interact with systems or users.

5. A similar, but not as attractive saying to “Until the lions write history, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter’, is “History is written by the victors”. The quote is often attributed to Sir Winston Churchill, but its origins are unknown.

The lion in the thumbnail picture is called ‘Study of a Lion’ by Géza Jenő Ferenc Vastag (1866 - 1919).

6. My grandfather declared that over his lifetime he had seen snow in Scotland in every month, except July.

7. Presumably this saying is based on “one swallow does not make a summer”, written by Aristotle (384 to 322 BCE).