Tickle of the sear (tickled o'the sere)
I wanted to highlight an inspired piece of word research by a 19th century scholar, Dr Brinsley Nicholson.It concerns a passage in Hamlet, Act II, sc.ii"He that plays the king shall be welcome; his...
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Mind-boggling, Aldi.For some reason, this calls to mind another odd Shakespearean phrase. It's from "Twelfth Night" (Act I Scene 3)--- Maria says it to Sir Andrew Aguecheek: "Bring your hand to the...
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I guessed it must be something salaciousMaybe not. Though I thought a buttery was a place where butter was stored, it's the same root as "butt" (cask) and "butler" and refers to bottles and casks of...
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Here's what the Arden editor says, Lionello,Maria: I pray you, bring your hand to th'buttery-bar and let it drink.Sir Andrew: Wherefore, sweetheart? What's your metaphor?Maria: A dry one.bring ........
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I knew about the "buttery/butler" part, but supposed there was something subtler under the surface. Maybe there is; or perhaps it's simply one more of those romps, where the author has fun with the...
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A degenerate hawk; hence, a paltry fellow.More here: www.bartleby.com/81/4271.htmlI think, fwiw, that "tickled o' the sere" ostensibly refers to a dry cough but that it also has a salacious double...
View ArticleRe: Tickle of the sear (tickled o'the sere)
Thanks, ElizaD. Nice to know one's in good company.
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