What is your favourite single word of Shakespeare?

In this thread, Derleth mentions his affinity with the word “pignuts” in The Tempest.

What’s your favourite single word of Shakespeare? Mine has always been “borogoves” from Macbeth. (I think Lewis Carroll liked it, too.)

“Nothing”, after learning what it was a euphemism for.

Now, everyday conversations become hilarious and perverse.

“What are you doing tonight?”
“Nothing.”

“What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing.”

Bwahahahaha!

The rest is “silence”

“multitudinous”

Oh, this is a wonderful topic…but I’d have to do a bit more thinking to pick just one. (Though I have to admit “honorificabilitudinitatibus” is a pretty good one… ;))

“Strumpet”, from Taming of the Shrew.

“maltworm”

Okay, I’ll bite. What is it a euphemism for?

Methinks

If ever there was such a contradiction…

Usually the female genitalia. (“Thing,” otoh, doesn’t have to be a male reference, though it often is – Shakespeare uses it for the naughty bits of both genders.)

Murther.

Gaskins.

Hugger-mugger!!! :smiley:

Used in Hamlet. Means secrecy, but I had a giggle fit when I was reading the passage that contained it in class.

“Macroks”


Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Morons!
~Only 13 hours until I am hanging with Better Than Ezra!

“Porpentine” (of course!)

aroint

I like gorbellied (fat, literally shit-bellied) best. Unpregnant (stupid, ignorant) and lewdsters (lewd men) are good too. Cox my passion (apparently a euphemism for “God’s passion”) is certainly interesting.

“Illumined” from Two Gentlemen of Verona. It sounds so much prettier and more poetic than the common use.

“She is my essense, and I leave to be
If I be not by her fair influence
Fostered, illumined, cherished, kept alive.”

“Damasked” - he uses this in Sonnet…I can’t remember the number, but the one that starts “My mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun…” I think 130? Also, it appears in Twelfth Night.

Sonnet 130 (?)
“I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
but see I no such roses in her cheeks.”

Twelfth Night
“She never told her love, but let concealment
like a worm i’ the bud, feed on her damask cheek.”

I just love this word, and I love hearing Judy Dench say it. I try to use it on conversation, but it just never comes out right.

“The”
It just works on so many levels, and it has withstood the test of time.

“lug”.