1.28.2014

Smack Talk




William Shakespeare has to be the Grand Master of Insults. Really. How many people do you know who can talk smack with such finesse as:

More of your conversation would infect my brain.

-or-

There is no more mercy in him than there is milk in a male tiger.

-and how about this one-

Thou sodden-witted lord! Thou hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows.

Here is a link to Buzzfeed, showing seventeen Shakespearean insults…featuring cats! It doesn't get any better than that. Buzzfeed Shakespearean Insults

As both a reader and a writer, I appreciate the nuances of insulting someone without having to resort to cussing all the time. The Bard shows us how creative words can truly be.

Here's a link to a Shakespeare Insult Kit. You start with "Thou" and pick one word from each column to create a unique insult, like "Thou goatish, milk-livered, canker-blossom." Or use your own words to make something up and give me a sentence in the comments. Maybe I'll even use one of your creations in an upcoming novel!

19 comments:

  1. OMG I love the Buzzfeed cats. I think "Thou art a flesh monger, a fool and a coward" is my favorite. The cat's expression is so classic. LOL. :D

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  2. Hilarious!

    Here's a tongue twister: Thou beslubbering boil-brained bum-bailey!

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  3. Hedge-pig is awesome. Thou wart-necked rump-fed measle!

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  4. Thou ruttish pock-marked meal worm!

    HaHa, this is great, River. My daughter was a Shakespeare fan in high school and I bought he one of those insult books. Totally awesome.

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  5. LOL! This is awesome! Shakespeare was definitely the king of clever insults.

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  6. Julie - I love the Buzzfeed cats too! Furry awesomeness. :)

    Angela - I made you laugh!

    Christine - That is one bodacious tongue-twister!

    Mary - That is an insult most worthy of a hedge-pig too! :)

    Gwen - Another great insult! I think all high school kids should be taught the insults. They'd have more fun studying. :)

    Cherie - He really was, which makes him my hero. :D

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  7. Clearly, we need to pull out the Shakespearean insults more often. :)

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  8. Nicole - We really should. They are smile-worthy. :)

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  9. Oh, thou artless, dizzy-eyed harpy. Put thy clothes and thy glasses on and get thee hither to thy writing.

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  10. Debra - ROFL! That's wonderful...and advice I should be following right now. ;)

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  11. Nothing better than a Shakespearean insult!

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  12. Clever insults!

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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  13. Clever insults!

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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  14. L.G. - That's the pure truth of it! Nobody dishes insults like him. :)

    Andrew - They are certainly clever and I love how they're mix and match. :)

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  15. Thanks, Theresa! These were a lot of fun. :)

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  16. I've been a fan of the Bard's insults for a long time and I love discovering new ones! My favorite one is Thou map of woe.

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  17. Hi Margo! I wonder if he had as much fun with them as we do? :D

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