# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/21 "2005-02-04T11:49:56Z")
“Lead on, Macduff” – the original seems to be “LAY on, Macduff”, as in “Go ahead, attack me with your sword, I am immortal, mwahahaha!” Rephrasing “Methinks the lady doth protest too much” makes sense, since it’s a convenient way of conveying the concept of someone protesting a lot implying they might be guilty, but why “Lead on, Macfuff” when you mean “after you”? ---
**Author:** ![Farmwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8dc957/32.png) [@Farmwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/22 "2005-02-04T11:59:20Z")
This doesn’t really speak to the OP, but all this Shakespeare-mangling talk reminds me of an over-the-top breastfeeding advocate who used to sign-off her correspondence with: I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me I always wanted to ask her, “Did you _read_ the next couple of lines, dipshit?” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/23 "2005-02-04T12:05:06Z")
I, for one, Welcome our (Whatever) Overlords. actually, it is one of my favorite cliches. ---
**Author:** ![Farmwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8dc957/32.png) [@Farmwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/24 "2005-02-04T12:05:36Z")
Oh, and another contribution from Dickens: God bless us, everyone ---
**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 4, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/25 "2005-02-04T12:16:59Z")
And as to my mangled quote, **"Doh!"** ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/26 "2005-02-04T16:22:10Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > 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? Much like “sweets to the sweet.” Um, those are funeral flowers, not a box of choccies for your sweetie pie. Or “sea change.” You have to drown first. Or “the play’s the thing.” Wherein you’ll catch the conscience of the king? (ST:TOS, innovatively, used the _second_ half of the couplet as an episode title.) **Farmwoman** : LOL! My gods, that _must_ be the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/27 "2005-02-04T16:23:12Z")
Mmm … Danish _drools_ 😛 Sorry, I really have no problem with overused quotes, cliches or whatever. If used in the right time and place sometimes even the most annoying quotes can be hilarious. So if you have to put up with some other irritating moments to get to one of those perfect moments, well C’est la vie. 42 will never be old! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/28 "2005-02-04T16:38:23Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > That’s a good one. Best yet, IMHO. What’s 42 by the way? :🥽: You don’t know??? And I disagree this one is overused. I mean the book is not 400 years old. Give it some time, geez. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/29 "2005-02-04T17:55:35Z")
> [@Farmwoman](#): > > This doesn’t really speak to the OP, but all this Shakespeare-mangling talk reminds me of an over-the-top breastfeeding advocate who used to sign-off her correspondence with: > > I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me > > I always wanted to ask her, “Did you _read_ the next couple of lines, dipshit?” What’s the next couple of lines? I can’t even come up with the play, but it’s naggingly familiar. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145/30 "2005-02-04T18:23:59Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > What’s the next couple of lines? I can’t even come up with the play, but it’s naggingly familiar. It is _Macbeth_, Lady Macbeth quelling her husband’s cold feet and urging him to kill the king. [Here’s](http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Macbeth_-_Act_1,_Scene_7_-_Macbeth's_castle) the scene. > [@](#): > > ``` > I have given suck, and know > How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: > I would, while it was smiling in my face, > Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, > And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you > Have done to this. > > ``` [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-overused-literary-allusion/288145.md?page=1)