Read The Taming of the Shrew Online

Authors: William Shakespeare

The Taming of the Shrew (32 page)

65
pricks
spurs

66
mean-apparelled
dressed humbly/ moderately

74
Saint Jamy
probably Saint James of Compostella, whose shrine was a popular object of pilgrimage

75
hold
bet

79
gallants
fashionable, fine young gentlemen

81
come not well
am not welcome (Baptista responds to the sense of “walk with difficulty”)

82
halt
limp

86
Gentles
gentlemen

87
wherefore
why
goodly
fine

88
monument
portent

89
comet
thought to be a bad omen
prodigy
omen

92
unprovided
ill-dressed, unprepared

93
doff
take off
habit
clothing
estate
rank

94
solemn
ceremonious

95
occasion of import
important event

104
wears
is passing, being wasted

105
unreverent
disrespectful

109
Good sooth
truly
ha’
have

111
wear
wear out (with sexual connotations)

112
accoutrements
clothes

116
lovely
loving

120
event
outcome

122
liking
approval
to pass
about

125
skills
matters
fit
adapt

132
steps
movements
narrowly
closely

133
steal our marriage
marry secretly

137
watch our vantage
look for a favorable opportunity

138
overreach
outwit

139
narrow-prying
inquisitive

140
quaint
crafty

145
groom
lowly character/servingman

147
Curster
more quarrelsome

150
a fool to
innocent compared to

151
Sir
respectful term of address

153
gogs-wouns
God’s wounds (a common oath)

154
book
i.e. Bible

156
took
gave

158
them
probably refers to the priest and his book; possibly refers to the hem of Kate’s skirt with Petruchio claiming to suspect the priest of peeping at her undergarments
any list
anyone is listening/wants to

160
for why
because

161
cozen
cheat

162
many
various

165
quaffed off
drank up, drained
muscadel
a sweet wine

166
sops
pieces of bread or cake placed in wine

168
hungerly
sparsely

169
him
him for

174
rout
company

176
minstrels
musicians

178
think
expect

179
cheer
food and drink

184
Make … wonder
don’t be surprised

186
honest
worthy, kind

199
not stay
not content to stay

202
oats … horses
i.e. the horses are more than ready to gallop (as they have been so well fed)

207
be … green
go while your boots are still fresh

209
jolly
self-confident, arrogant

210
take … roundly
behaves so presumptuously from the start

212
hast … do
is it to do with you

213
stay my leisure
wait until I’m ready

214
it … work
things are beginning to happen

220
domineer
feast riotously

221
Carouse full measure
drink heartily
maidenhead
virginity

222
mad
high-spirited

224
big
threatening, irate

226
my … anything
an echo of the Tenth Commandment, which lists the possessions one should not covet
chattels
movable possessions

227
stuff
furnishings

230
bring mine action
take legal action against/respond with physical force
proudest he
bravest/most self-assured man

235
buckler
defend (a buckler was a small round shield)

237
Went they not
if they had not gone

241
Kated
mated
with Kate/infected with “the Kate”

242
wants For to
are lacking to

244
junkets
sweetmeats

246
room
place

247
bride it
play the bride

2
foul ways
muddy roads
rayed
dirtied

4
little … hot
small pot that boils rapidly—i.e. small man who is quick to become angry (proverbial)

8
taller
braver/ nobler/less short

10
coldly
unenthusiastically/like one who is physically chilly

12
run
running start

15
fire … water
refers to the musical round “Scotland’s burning, Scotland’s burning / See yonder! See yonder! / Fire, fire! Fire, fire! / Cast on water! Cast on water!”

16
hot
fiery tempered

18
winter … beast
“winter and wedlock tame both man and beast” (proverbial)

21
beast
Curtis objects to the implication that he is Grumio’s
fellow
after Grumio compares himself to a
beast

22
horn
cuckold’s horn (the sign of a man with an unfaithful wife)

23
so … least
i.e. I/my penis must be at least as long to have made you a cuckold (picking up on the
three-inch
insult)

26
hot office
fire-making duty

29
do … duty
do your duty and take your dues (wages)

33
Jack … news
alludes to the musical round “Jack boy, ho boy, News: / The cat is in the well”

35
cony-catching
trickery (puns on “catch”—i.e. a musical round, such as that quoted by Grumio)

37
trimmed
decked out, prepared

38
strewed
i.e. on the floor, the usual Elizabethan practice

39
fustian
type of coarse cloth

40
jacks
male servants/leather drinking vessels
jills
female servants/metal drinking vessels (which would need polishing
without
)

41
laid
usually on tables or hung on walls

48
ha’t
have it, hear it

53
sensible
felt by the senses/easily understood

55
Imprimis
first (Latin)

57
of
on

60
crossed
interrupted/irritated

62
miry
boggy

63
bemoiled
covered with mud

67
burst
broken

68
worthy memory
worth remembering

69
unexperienced
in ignorance

72
proudest
bravest

73
what
why

75
blue
traditional color of a servant’s livery

76
indifferent knit
modest/matching pattern

77
curtsy
bow
left legs
as a show of subservience (to put your right foot forward was considered arrogant)

78
kiss their hands
to kiss your own hand was a mark of respect to a superior

83
countenance
honor (in the next line Grumio puns on the sense of “face”)

88
credit
respect (in the next line Grumio puns on the sense of “provide financial credit for”)

97
spruce
lively/smart

98
neat
spotless/elegant

100
this
this time

101
Cock’s passion
by God’s passion

107
logger-headed
stupid

111
swain
yokel
whoreson
rogue, son-of-a-whore
malt-horse drudge
plodding idiot (literally, heavy brewer’s horse used to grind malt by working a treadmill)

112
park
enclosed hunting ground

114
made
finished

115
unpinked
lacking ornamentation

116
link
blacking (from a burnt torch)

117
come from sheathing
returned from being fitted with a scabbard

118
fine
properly dressed

122
“Where … those—”
lines from of an old (lost) ballad

124
Soud
unclear; possibly an exclamation of impatience or despair (many editors emend to “Food”)

126
when
exclamation of impatience

127
“It … way”
fragment of a ballad (possibly bawdy, now lost)
friar … grey
Gray friar or Franciscan

129
Out
exclamation of anger
pluck … awry
pull my foot the wrong way (as you remove my boot)

130
mend
make a better job of

131
water
for handwashing

132
Troilus
a name associated with fidelity

133
Ferdinand
no such character ever appears

139
beetle-headed
thick-headed (a “beetle” is a heavy wooden mallet)
flap-eared
with long hanging ears

140
stomach
appetite

141
give thanks
say grace

148
dresser
kitchen table on which food was prepared/sideboard from which food was served

150
trenchers
plates

151
joltheads
blockheads
unmannered
insolent

152
be … straight
deal with you immediately

154
well
satisfactory

157
choler
anger (associated with heat and dryness)

159
of ourselves
by our natures

162
for company
together

165
kills … humour
defeats her with her own temperament

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