Read The Taming of the Shrew Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
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