William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, wasn’t just a master storyteller; he was also a linguistic innovator who introduced roughly 1,700 words to the English language. While many of his coinages like “eyeball,” “bedroom,” and “uncomfortable” remain in common usage today, numerous colorful terms from his plays have vanished from our modern vocabulary. These linguistic relics provide a fascinating glimpse into Elizabethan England’s culture, humor, and sensibilities.
Insults and Character Descriptions
Shakespeare excelled at crafting memorable insults, many of which have sadly disappeared from our verbal arsenal:
Fustilarian: A derogatory term for a low or smelly person, this creative insult appears in Henry IV, Part 2 when Falstaff calls Pistol “you fustilarian!” (Act 2, Scene 1). The term likely derives from “fusty,” meaning something stale or moldy.
Clotpole: A wonderfully direct insult meaning a blockhead or stupid person. Appearing in King Lear (Act 1, Scene 4), it’s one of Shakespeare’s more satisfying insults. The term combines “clot” (a lump) with “pole” (head) to create the vivid image of someone with a lump of clay for a brain.
Pajock: This obscure insult appears in Hamlet when the prince refers to Claudius as a “pajock” (Act 3, Scene 2). Scholars debate its exact meaning, but it’s generally understood to mean a peacock or fool—representing vanity, pomposity, and worthlessness.
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Rudesby: A perfect term for someone lacking manners, a “rudesby” is a rough or uncivilized person. Petruchio is called this in The Taming of the Shrew (Act 3, Scene 2) for his boorish behavior at his own wedding.
Dewlap: While primarily referring to the loose skin hanging from the neck of cattle, Shakespeare repurposed this term as an insult in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act 3, Scene 5) to describe the sagging neck of an older person—a reminder that body-shaming has unfortunately ancient roots.
Everyday Behaviors and Actions
Shakespeare crafted numerous terms to describe common human behaviors:
Slugabed: Perhaps the most relatable term on this list, a “slugabed” is someone who lazily stays in bed long after they should have risen. Lady Capulet uses it to scold Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Act 4, Scene 5): “Why, lamb! why, lady! fie, you slugabed!”
Mammering: This evocative word means hesitating or wavering in indecision. Iago uses it in Othello (Act 3, Scene 3): “I speak not yet of proof. Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; wear your eye thus, not jealous nor secure: I would not have your free and noble nature, out of self-bounty, be abused; look to’t: I know our country disposition well; In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks they dare not show their husbands; their best conscience is not to leave’t undone, but keep’t unknown.” The word appears during Iago’s manipulative speech about suspicion.
Brabble: To “brabble” is to argue or quarrel noisily over trivial matters. The term appears in Twelfth Night (Act 5, Scene 1) and perfectly captures the petty disagreements that consume far too much of our energy.
Hugger-mugger: This colorful term refers to secretive or disorderly behavior. In Hamlet (Act 4, Scene 5), Claudius says Polonius was buried “in hugger-mugger”—meaning hastily and secretly. The term has a wonderful sound that evokes skulking and concealment.
Wappened: To be “wappened” is to be overcome with fatigue or exhausted. The term appears in Timon of Athens (Act 4, Scene 3) when Timon insults a prostitute as a “wappened widow”. The word captures the bone-deep weariness we sometimes feel.
Gleek: To “gleek” means to jest or joke, often in a mocking way. Used in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act 3, Scene 1), it captures the playful banter that Shakespeare’s characters frequently engage in.
Expressions and Exclamations
Shakespeare’s plays are filled with colorful expressions that have since vanished:
Tilly-vally: An expression of dismissal or rejection, essentially meaning “nonsense!” Sir Toby Belch uses it in Twelfth Night (Act 2, Scene 3) to dismiss Maria’s concerns. It serves a similar function to our modern “whatever!”
Pell-mell: This adverb describes doing something in a hasty, disorderly manner. It appears in multiple plays including Richard III (Act 5, Scene 3). While not entirely obsolete, its usage has significantly declined in modern English.
Relationship Terms
Kicky-wicky: This humorous, somewhat dismissive term for a wife appears in All’s Well That Ends Well (Act 2, Scene 3). Spoken by Parolles, it reveals much about attitudes toward marriage in Shakespeare’s time.
Criminal Language
Shakespeare was fascinated by the underworld of Elizabethan England:
Cony-catching: This term for cheating or swindling appears in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act 1, Scene 3). A “cony” was a rabbit, so “cony-catching” literally meant trapping rabbits but was used metaphorically to describe tricking naïve victims.
Pickpurse: A more direct ancestor of our modern “pickpocket,” this term from The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act 1, Scene 3) plainly describes someone who steals purses.
Other Forgotten Terms
Fap: This word meaning “drunk” appears in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act 1, Scene 1) when Sir Hugh Evans says, “I am not able to be fap.” The term has obviously taken on entirely different meanings in modern slang.
Fallow: This term, meaning uncultivated land, appears in Shakespeare’s works, but not in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act 1, Scene 3) to describe color, as often misattributed. While fallow can refer to a yellowish-brown hue in modern English, Shakespeare primarily used it in its agricultural sense, such as in Henry V and Coriolanus. Today, it remains in use to describe farmland left unplanted.
The Richness of Shakespeare’s Language
These forgotten words represent just a small fraction of Shakespeare’s linguistic creativity. They remind us that language is constantly evolving, with words appearing and disappearing as culture shifts. Perhaps some of these colorful terms deserve a revival—next time you’re tempted to call someone lazy, why not try “slugabed” instead?
Shakespeare’s abandoned vocabulary offers us a window into Elizabethan sensibilities while demonstrating the playwright’s genius for crafting language that perfectly captured human nature. Though these words may have fallen out of common usage, they remain preserved in his immortal works, waiting to be rediscovered by each new generation of readers.
