5 Sloth

Syne sweirnes, at the secound bidding

Come lyk a sow out of a midding,

Ful slepy wes his grunyie [snout];

(Dunbar)

This is not a sin that the Scots give in to. The work ethic is deeply ingrained and although there are occasional temptations and lapses, it is hard to find many examples of Scottish laziness. Robert Burns did express some reluctance in the lines 

Up in the mornin’s  for me, 

Up in the mornin early; 

When a’ the hills are covered  snaw, 

I’m sure it’s winter fairly.

but the Scots really do believe that Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. In fact there are a large number of Scots sayings and admonitions against sloth, such as the one from the excellent Consail and Teiching at the Vys [wise] Man gaif his Sone sometime around 1460 to Be besy euir and luf na sleuth. More modern exhortations include:

Ae hour in the mornin is worth twa at nicht. [One hour in the morning is worth two at night.]

Fit’s deen’s nae tae dae. [What is done is not still to do.]

Seener yokit seener deen. [Sooner started, sooner done.]

Sweirty is an enemy tae thrift. [Laziness is an enemy to thrift.]

A gangin fit’s aye gettin. [A going foot is always earning.]

And one that definitely strikes a chord as the years fly past: He that grieves maist grieves maist for wastit time. 

See if you can recognise any Scots characteristics here:

If there are, indeed, quite a lot of words for sloth in Scots, it may be because any evidence at all of this sin attracts immediate censure. It might seem like quite a harmless sin but it is well known that all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.  Besides, as sins go, it is not a lot of fun. If you must lie around all day, which sin is preferable – sloth or lust?