# the wench is dead

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 17, 1999, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264 "1999-09-17T01:32:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/1 "1999-09-17T01:32:00Z")

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Help!

My wife and I have long been quoting a line without even truly knowing its origin. Yes, we may be dense and poorly-read. Get over it.

From whence originates (paraphrased, I’m sure):  
“it was long ago in another land, and besides, the wench is dead.”

## -andros-

There’s always a bigger fish.

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**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/2 "1999-09-17T01:41:00Z")

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Thou hast committed fornication–

But that was in another country  
And besides, the wench is dead.

Christopher Marlowe. The Jew of Malta

trisha

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**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/3 "1999-09-17T02:01:00Z")

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George Lucas’ first draft for the opening of Star Wars: Episode IV

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**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/4 "1999-09-17T02:14:00Z")

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The Unadulterated Oz:

“Ding dong, the wench is dead. The wench old wench, the wicked wench.”

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**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/5 "1999-09-17T03:37:00Z")

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THANK you Jazzmine! You are my hero!

And ummm . . . thanks Chief and GuanoLad. You’re my . . . ummm . . . sorta-heroes.

-andros-

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There’s always a bigger fish.

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**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/6 "1999-09-17T04:02:00Z")

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Christopher Marlow = William Shakespear

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not wanting to start a thread about this…

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**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/7 "1999-09-17T04:03:00Z")

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or actually its the other way aroung (maybe in both cases??)

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**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/8 "1999-09-17T13:10:00Z")

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Citations, B\_12? Evidence? Anything to add to the debate that hasn’t already arisen over the past 200 years?

-andros-

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There’s always a bigger fish.

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**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 1999, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wench-is-dead/3264/9 "1999-09-18T05:36:00Z")

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It’s from Kit Marley’s “Jew of Malta”, all right, but it’s

> [@](#):
>
> ?: Thou hast committed –
> 
> Barrabas: – fornication, but that was in another country, and beside, the wench is dead.

? is trying to arrest Barrabas, as I recall – something along those lines, anyway – and Barrabas interrupts him with a smart-ass remark.

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John W. Kennedy  
“Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.”  
– Charles Williams