As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Thou weedy elf-skinned canker-blossom!
Interpretation
This quote captures a humorous insult filled with imaginative imagery.
In this quote, Shakespeare cleverly uses vivid and absurd imagery to craft an insult, showcasing his mastery of language and wit. The terms 'weedy', 'elf-skinned', and 'canker-blossom' evoke strange and humorous associations, illustrating the creativity of language in expressing disdain while also entertaining the audience.
In practice
During a comedic roast, one could use this quote to add flair to an insult with a Shakespearean twist.
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
The news just came in from the County of Keck That a very small bug by the name of Van Vleck Is yawning so wide you can look down his neck. This may not seem very important, I know, but it Is, so I'm bothering telling you so.
It is a cliche that most cliches are true, but then like most cliches, that cliche is untrue.
For a loser, Vegas is the meanest town on earth.
It seems like once people grow up, they have no idea what's cool.
When a dramatic actor does a funny film, people are like, 'Wonderful! I didn't know he was funny!' But when it flips, people can get really thrown by it.
A good laugh is a mighty good thing, and rather too scarce a good thing; the more's the pity. So, if any one man, in his own proper person, afford stuff for a good joke to anybody, let him not be backward, but let him cheerfully allow himself to spend and be spent in that way. And the man that has anything bountifully laughable about him, be sure there is more in that man than you perhaps think for.
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