The preference for French wine and spirits before the days of Hanoverian fiscalities, relates to the old alliance with France, which has left its mark also on Scottish speech. That warning cry “Gardy-loo” (_gardez l’eau_), which gave such scandal to early English tourists, was of course a survival of a far-spread practice in cities before the days of drainage or even of ash-backets (_baquets_). Many French household words are used in Scotland at this day, as “caraff” (_carafe_), “ashet” (_assiette_), a “jiggot” of mutton (_gigot_) a “haggis” (_hachis_); and Burns’s “silver tassie” was of course a _tasse_. A “cummer” (_commère_) “canna be fashed” (_se fâcher_) to step out to the “merchant’s,” who may be “douce” or “dour” and an “honest” man (_honnête_), though sharp in his bargains. “Ma certie (_certes_), that’s a braw (_brave_) vest!” quoth a lass to her lad, a word here used like the French _garçon_ or _gars_, while _gosse_ will be distinguished as a “laddie,” who grows to be a “young lad” in spite of orgies on sour “grozers” or “grozets” and “gheans,” which in France are _groseilles_ and _guignes_, but in England gooseberries and wild cherries. French names too have taken root in Scotland, Janet (Jeannette) being very common with one sex, as Louis or Ludovic is not unknown in the other. For the matter of that, one might string together instances of how the well of Old English flows undefiled by time in the north. Then brought to him that maiden meek _Hose_ and _shoon_ and _sark_ and _breek_. These words are used to this day in every Scottish cottage, as once in the stately style of an early southron minstrel. Shakespeare and the Bible show many picked phrases which are now wild flowers in the north; and high example might be found for the _shalls_ and _wills_ that here run loose from the enclosures of modern grammarians. But as Mr. David MacRitchie suggests in an interesting pamphlet, “to _doubt_ that one is _colded_ and can’t go to _the_ church,” seem rather specimens of French idioms transplanted during the three centuries or so that Capets and Stuarts stood together against the Plantagenets.