The guy in the cover pic and "Sleekit"

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie....

Robert Burns

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✍️ I'm inspired by the quote on the cover picture from the works of Scottish poet Robert Burns, who as a proud Scotsman born and bred is very close to my heart.

"That man to man the world o'er, shall brothers be for a' that" - Robert Burns, 1795

This is from the poem “A man’s a man for a’ that” - translated from the Old Scots language he wrote in to something like “consider a man’s value is not contained in how much he owns or how he acts. It comes from somewhere deeper”.

The poem is here: Robert Burns Original Encyclopaedia Website, “A man’s a man for A’ That” (this is a very old school website but the original and best Burns reference).

The poem has always been the embodiment of social justice for me.

“Sleekit” Scotsman

🐭 "Sleekit" is an Old Scots language word from the opening line of another favourite Robert Burns poem "To A Mouse" (1785)

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!

The word “sleekit” simply means "crafty" - see here a translation of the poem from Old Scots to modern English - “To A Mouse”

To be honest, I didn't choose it specifically because of the meaning (it sounds like “sneaky” which is not the intent!) but simply because it begins with "S" like Scotsman for alliteration reasons and I like the poem!

Final word to of all people ex-Prime Minister David Cameron, demonstrating fine cultural appropriation quoting back the words of Burns to the Scottish National Party hecklers - snap! 🤣