How the world wags

In researching some of these 'aul sayins' two things, at least, have become clear. One the poverty of language that was cited as one of the main the reasons for so many of the proverbs in rural Ulster is a complete misunderstanding of the wit and economy of language possessed by the Ulster-Scots. And two that the hamely tongue is in many ways much closer to middle English that much of todays so called standard English. Indeed this is the second time this week that my research has turned up direct links between the works of Shakespeare and an aul sayin.

This iz yin ma great granda use tae say

You wag bush an I'll wag wae ye.

Which means what ever you do I'll go along with it. The word wag is used here in pretty much the same context as in Shakespeare's - As You Like It: 2.7.21

"...And then he drew a dial from his poke,

And looking on it with lack-lustre eye,

Says very wisely, “It is ten o’clock:

Thus we may see,” quoth he, “how the world wags.”

Did ye iver think in a blog aboot aul Ulster-Scots sayins thur bae sa much Shakespeare?