SHEEP— SHREW 219 



Ma dh' itheas tu teanga no cridhe na caora bidh tu meilich — 

 no gealtach — ri d'bheo. 



If you eat the sheep's tongue or heart, you will bleat, or be 

 cowardly, for ever during your life. 

 Miann caora, teas. 



A sheep's desire, heat. 

 Millidh aon oisg chlaimheach an treud. 

 One scabby ewe will spoil the flock. 

 Al. Salachaidh aonchaora, etc. 

 Mult ranatha gun chaoraich, is saothrach a ghlacadh. 



The wedder of a woman without sheep is difficult to catch. 

 Al. 'S e 's saoire gheabhteadh — would be cheapest got ; 

 or 's e 's faoilidhe'th' ann, is the most freely given. 

 Mur bitheadh an dris 's an rathad cha rachadh a' chaor' innte. 

 If the brier were not in the way the sheep would not go 

 into it. 

 Na caill caora airson luach peighinn de thearra. 



Don't lose a sheep for a pennyworth of tar. 

 Oidhch' am muigh 'us oidhch' a's tigh, math nan caorach. 



Out to-night, in to-morrow, good for sheep. 

 Pathadh na caoraich ort. 



The sheep's thirst to thee. A bad wish ; sheep seldom 

 drink and can exist without, except when hard driven. 

 Ruith na caorach caoile le leathad. 



The lean sheep's run down the slope. Ending in a fall. 

 Seachduinn an t-sionnaich, 's bu mhath nach bu bhliadhn' i. 

 The fox's week, and 'tis well that it was not a year. End of 

 April — first week in lambing time. 

 Tha claimh mo chaoraich fhein air. 



I le has the scab of my own sheep — suggestive. 

 Thainig caoraich Gheansaidh a raoir 's dh' ith iad e. 



i he Guernsey sheep came last night and ate it. Guernsey 

 sailors or fishermen who made a },ractice of robbing the 

 islanders en route to the fishing. 

 Trod chaoraich mhaola. 



The fighting of hornless sheep — a sham. 



SHREW (see also Mouse). — Beathachan or Beothachan-feoir ; 

 Dallag, dallag-feoir or dallagfheoir ; Feornachan, fionnag-feoir ; 

 Labhallan, lamhalan, luch fheoir, luch shith ; Truth. 



Artishrew, artishow, artisrobe, artisrow ; Erd-shrew ; Hardi- 

 shraow, hardishrew, hardistraw, hardistrew, hardistrow, hardy- 

 mouse, hardyshrew, hartis-straw, harvest mouse, harvest-row, 

 harvest-shrew, harvest-trow ; Ranny (Suffolk) ; Shirrow, skrew, 

 skrow, strawmouse (Moray), streaw, strow (Gall.) ; Water-mole or 

 vole, wight, wreen (Shet.). 



The etymology is said to be from "Skru," to bite, tear, etc.. 



