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!
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
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHilarious!
ReplyDeleteHere's a tongue twister: Thou beslubbering boil-brained bum-bailey!
Hedge-pig is awesome. Thou wart-necked rump-fed measle!
ReplyDeleteThou ruttish pock-marked meal worm!
ReplyDeleteHaHa, this is great, River. My daughter was a Shakespeare fan in high school and I bought he one of those insult books. Totally awesome.
LOL! This is awesome! Shakespeare was definitely the king of clever insults.
ReplyDeleteJulie - I love the Buzzfeed cats too! Furry awesomeness. :)
ReplyDeleteAngela - 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
Clearly, we need to pull out the Shakespearean insults more often. :)
ReplyDeleteNicole - We really should. They are smile-worthy. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, thou artless, dizzy-eyed harpy. Put thy clothes and thy glasses on and get thee hither to thy writing.
ReplyDeleteDebra - ROFL! That's wonderful...and advice I should be following right now. ;)
ReplyDeleteNothing better than a Shakespearean insult!
ReplyDeleteClever insults!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
Clever insults!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
L.G. - That's the pure truth of it! Nobody dishes insults like him. :)
ReplyDeleteAndrew - They are certainly clever and I love how they're mix and match. :)
Oh no he didn't.
ReplyDeleteHa, those are great!
Thanks, Theresa! These were a lot of fun. :)
ReplyDeleteI'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.
ReplyDeleteHi Margo! I wonder if he had as much fun with them as we do? :D
ReplyDelete