# The most annoying overused literary allusion **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145 "2005-02-03T08:44:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/1 "2005-02-03T08:44:40Z")
I would have to say, it probably has to be the phrase “There’s something rotten in the state of Denmark.” Think about it. When did Shakespeare write that? Probably around 400 years ago? And people STILL use it to describe current events. Now I know very little about Danish history, but really, I can imagine it being used time and again by some guy who thinks he’s really clever to mention it. Its used almost any time some kind of problem comes up in this country! It probably has been since it was written! Can you think of an allusion or whatever that has just really annoyed people? Something that everybody knows about but would also feel clever for using it the first time. This Denmark thing has to be sickening for the Danes. I know if I were Danish and I read this to describe something about the current state of affairs I’d go nuts. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/2 "2005-02-03T09:22:20Z")
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, especially when people write this as their parting shot when they leave a company. “All \_\_\_\_\_ are equal but some are more equal than others” is one of two that come to mind from Orwell, the other being “Big Brother”. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/3 "2005-02-03T10:54:49Z")
“42”, in the meaning of life sense. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/4 "2005-02-03T12:14:17Z")
Et tu, Brute? ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/5 "2005-02-03T12:16:27Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Et tu, Brute? That’s a good one. Best yet, IMHO. What’s 42 by the way? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/6 "2005-02-03T12:31:35Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > That’s a good one. Best yet, IMHO. What’s 42 by the way? 42 is the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/7 "2005-02-03T12:32:47Z")
It’s from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in case you wanted to know that too. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/8 "2005-02-03T12:42:46Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It’s from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in case you wanted to know that too. That’s what I was after. Never read this. ---
**Author:** ![Sami41](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@Sami41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sami41)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/9 "2005-02-03T13:13:50Z")
“I’m/you’re/we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Not so much literary, but certainly annoying. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/10 "2005-02-03T14:15:06Z")
“To sleep, perchance to dream” Annoyingly overused, yes, but worse, used wrong!! I’ve seen it used mostly in ads for bedding like mattresses and such, and I even think I saw it used as part of an ad for a sleep aid drug. Ok, one more time kids…Hamlet is talking about killing himself, not slipping off to a nice pleasant sleep from which he will wake up refreshed. If Hamlet goes to “sleep” he will not wake up. Is that really the quote you want on your medical sleep aid? I’ve seen a lot of Shakepseare quotes used out of context, but people use them b/c they think it makes them look smart, even though they have no idea what they’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/11 "2005-02-03T14:20:01Z")
As to the OP, “Methinks he doth protest too much!” ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/12 "2005-02-03T14:25:25Z")
England’s green and pleasent land? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/13 "2005-02-03T14:26:58Z")
Ira Levin scores twice: Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives. The latter is particularly overused. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/14 "2005-02-03T14:40:14Z")
The quote’s actually “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” so not only is it overused, it’s almost always mangled. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/15 "2005-02-03T14:43:11Z")
Sigh. Forgot to click on the box to quote the message. That was in reply to **don’t ask** , obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/16 "2005-02-03T17:56:33Z")
hehe yeah those are some good ones though… But I am still happy with my choice. I mean this one is only annoying to a small country, right? I mean if you are sitting at home with your family here in America or England, nobody will really care, or probably be annoyed. But imagine going to Denmark and saying it. Anybody says it will think they are being clever because its the first time they would have said it, but then I am sure the Danes have heard it a zillion times from every clever foreigner. But even the Danish press uses it. I wonder how often? That’s gotta be annoying too. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/17 "2005-02-03T20:35:08Z")
To post, or not to post. That is the question. ---
**Author:** ![MsPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@MsPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/18 "2005-02-03T20:54:00Z")
I second **Philster**! ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/19 "2005-02-03T21:13:30Z")
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/20 "2005-02-03T21:27:46Z")
Usually misquoted: “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145.md?page=2)