Seeing how much you enjoyed my post, Of Canker-blossomed Fishwives and Faithless Prunes: Creative Insults, here are a couple of Infographics and photos with Shakespearean insults. This proves that (a) Shakespeare was beyond doubt a creative genius, and (b) you can find an Infographic about pretty much everything on the Internet.
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Image: www.charleychartwell.com
Image: Pinterest
Image: buzzfeed
Image: Amazon
Sadly, my personal favorite – “I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I can see that you are unarmed” – is falsely attributed to the Bard. The closest he said to that effect is from Much Ado about Nothing [Source]:
In our last battle of wits he lost most of his, and now he’s only left with one, so I’m going to let him keep it so people can tell the difference between him and his horse.
This is pre-Hemingway, remember, so people loved long, run-on sentences.
So, what’s your favorite one?
NB. The original post had trouble magnifying properly the infographic. The link has now been changed, to allow you to do so. Apologies for any trouble.
Hmm… I could use these on a few… ahem… people I know ;D
they are great, thanks Nicholas.
Lol – same here. But you’d also need to hand them a dictionary 😀
They’d throw the dictionary out the window!!
Ha ha, or eat it, I guess… 😀
I did as much as I could, Nicholas, but I didn’t see “Reblog” on either of your blogs. Great infographics. 😀 — Suzanne
Thanks! It should be right there at the end of the post on the nicholas.wordpress.com one, but WordPress works in mysterious ways, as you well know… 🙂
An insult should come readily to the tongue on any occasion. Thus, brevity would be a virtue, but somehow I don’t think “You egg!” would be sufficiently biting. Not nearly as effective as an actual egg, thrown at the offender. I rather like “You scullion, you rampallian, you fustilarian!” but doubt I would be able to get it out smartly at need.
Lol – yes, that *is* a bit of a problem 😀
Heh, heh, heh … that was fun! 🙂
Thanks 😀
😀 😀 What a comedian.
A comedian *and* a dramatist. Not too bad 🙂
‘That stuff cloak-bag of guts’ is one of my favourite descriptions of Falstaff.
I also like ‘slug’, which I admit to using a lot myself, as a derogatory term.
Thanks for sorting it out for this old Mr Magoo, Nicholas.
Best wishes, Pete.
Lol – a pleasure 🙂
I can’t pick a favorite. There are too many good ones. I’ve tried making them up myself and they aren’t easy. Shakespeare had a talent for insults (and a few other writerly things). 🙂
The Barbed Bard, as I’ve taken to calling him… 🙂
Sadly, my eyes are sharp enough to read it. Seems I’m saying that a lot lately. lol
I’m sorry! Turns out the image did NOT turn full-screen as it should, when clicked on. I have now changed the link to point to the original location, so you should be able to view it full-size. My apologies for the trouble (believe me, you’re not the only one whose eyesight is going… 🙂 )
One can almost judge a writer by his ability to insult… 🙂
Lol – absolutely 😀
I do love the quote about wit, even if isn’t the Bards. Great post but the infographic was a test to the eyes.
I’m sorry! Turns out the image did NOT turn full-screen as it should, when clicked on. I have now changed the link to point to the original location, so you should be able to view it full-size. My apologies for the trouble.
Love these infographics.
Lol – same here 😀
Unfortunately, I would need a large magnifying glass to be able to read the chart, but I enjoyed those my failing eyesight allowed me to view.
Best wishes, Pete.
I’m sorry! Turns out the image did NOT turn full-screen as it should, when clicked on. I have now changed the link to point to the original location, so you should be able to view it full-size. My apologies for the trouble (believe me, you’re not the only one whose eyesight is going… 🙂 )
Lol – the great bard sure had a witty tongue – loved the toad insult and the one from much ado about nothing 😀
Lol – yes, these are pretty good ones 😀
The great barbed, he should be called 😉
LOL! These are fantasticv! 🙂
Lol – thanks 🙂
I can’t wait to call someone a fustilarian. Of course, I will then have to give them a dictionary reference before they know whether to thank me or chase me around the room with a rolled up newspaper.
Lol – yes, that could be a bit of problem 😀
My favourite is the toad one!
Lol – yes, that’s one of the better ones 😀