264 CUCKOO— CURLEW 



Chuala mi chubhag ^un bhiadh 'am bhroinn. 



1 heard the euckoo while fasting. A portent of misfortune 

 for that year. 

 Cho clomhach ris a chuthag. 



As full of itch as the cuckoo. This is thought to be a 

 mistake, and that it should be, Cho cloimhtach, etc. (as 

 downy or featliery). 

 Gach eun mar oilear ars' a chubhag a' dol san deantag. 



Every bird as he has been reared, as the cuckoo said as she 

 went into the nettles. 

 Gheabh thu e 'n uair a gheabh thu nead na cubhaig. 



You'll get it when you find the cuckoo's nest ; i.e., Never. 

 "Gug, gug," ars' a chubhag, latha buidhe bealltuinn. 



"Coo, coo," says the cuckoo on yellow May-day. (Nicolson 

 says the cuckoo is seldom heard so early now; but see 

 as given above, as to this.) 

 Guth na cubhaig 'am bial na cathaig. 



The cuckoo's voice in the jackdaw's mouth ; i.e., sweet words 

 from a known knave. 

 La Fheill-Eoin a's t-Samhradh, theid a chubhag gu 'tigh 

 geamhraidh. 



On St John's day in summer, the cuckoo goes to her winter 

 home — 24th June. 

 Luath no mall g'an tig an Maigh thig a chubhag. 



Late or early as May comes, so coines the cuckoo. 

 'Nuair a ghoireas (no a ghairmeas) a chubhag air an sgitheach 

 lorn, diol (no reic) do bho, a's ceannaich arbhar. 



When the cuckoo calls on the bare thorn. 

 Sell your cow and buy corn. 



CURLEW (also Godwit, Whaup, and Whimbrel). — Colman 

 cathaich or cathaidh (?), cranntach, crithane (Ir.), crith-eun, 

 crotach, crotach-mara or mhara, crotag, cruiteach-mara or mhara, 

 crutach (Ir.), curliun (Ir.) ; Golbhinear, guilbeann, guilbinn, 

 guilbneach, guilneach ; Roid or ruid-guilbneach (stunted). 



Awp ; Bavvdy-mawdy, bustard ; Curlew-help ; Godwit, great 

 plover, great whaup ; Hoop ; Jack cureew ; Knot ; Little whap or 

 whaup (lesser) ; Quhaip, quhaup ; Norfolk plover ; Stock whap 

 or whaup (larger), stone curlew, stone plover ; Thick-knee or 

 kneed ; Whaap, whaup, wheep, whimbrel, whitterick, whoop. 



So called from its cry. 



Kill a curlew, a wild goose, and a heron, and I'll ca' you a 

 hunter, is obviously derived from the Gaelic proverb, or equivalent 

 saying. This is from the extreme caution, wariness, and sagacity 

 of all the above three birds. 



Burns wrote: "I never hear the loud solitary whistle of the 

 curlew on a summer noon, or the wild mixing cadence of a troop 



