Shakespearean Insult Kit

From Jack Bogut

There is no doubt, William Shakespeare was a genius with words. And some of his terminology could be used today, if for no other reason than to give us new ammunition to express our displeasure with public figures and politicians. Here are three columns of Shakespearean terms. Just pick one term from each column at random and simply preface it with, “You…”

Column 1                 Column 2                  Column 3

bawdy                        bat-fowling                baggage

beslubbering            beef-witted               barnacle

bootless                    beetle-headed          bladder

cockered                   clapper-clawed         bugbear

craven                       common-kissing      canker-blossom

currish                        crook-pated               clack-dish

dankish                     dismal                       clotpole

droning                     doghearted               codpiece

fawning                     earth-vexing              dewberry

fobbing                      elf-skinned               flap-dragon

gleeking                    flap-mouthed             foot-licker

goatish                      fly-bitten                    fustilarian

impertinent               fool-born                   gudgeon

jarring                         guts-griping               harpy

lumpish                     hasty-witted               horn-beast

mangled                   hell-hated                 joithead

mewling                    idle-headed               lewdster

paunchy                   ill-breeding                lout

pribbling                   ill-nurtured                maggot-pie

puny                           knotty-pated              malt-worm

qualling                     motley-minded          measle

rank                            `onion-eyed              minnow

roguish                     pottle-deep                moldwarp

saucy                          reeling-ripe                nut-hook

spleeny                     rough-hewn              pigeon-egg

spongy                      rude-growing             pignut

tottering                      shard-borne              pumpion

unmuzzled               sheep-biting              ratsbane

vain                            spur-galled                scut

venomed                  swag-bellied            skainsmate

villainous                  tardy-gaited               strumpet

warped                      tickle-brained             varlet

wayward                   toad-spotted              vassal

weedy                       unchin-snouted        whey-face

yeasty                         weather-bitten          wagtail