Friday, February 9, 2018


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