223 cross thwart
223 cause … born i.e. fate
224 of all hands in any case
225 rent torn
227 rude ignorant, rough
227 savage uncivilized
227 Ind India
228 opening dawning
229 vassal submissive
231 peremptory determined
231 eagle-sighted eagles were supposed to be able to look directly into the sun
234 fury frenzy
236 She i.e. Rosaline
236 attending attendant
236 scarce … light barely visible
238 but were it not
238 my love i.e. the woman I love
239 the culled sovereignty those chosen as the best
241 worthies beings of excellence
241 dignity (supreme) excellence
242 wants is lacking
242 want desire
243 gentle well-born
244 Fie expression of disgust
244 painted artificial
245 of for
246 passes surpasses
246 then … blot thus any praise is inadequate and defames her
247 fivescore winters worn a hundred years old
249 varnish improve, give luster to
250 the crutch i.e. old age
250 cradle’s infancy i.e. youth
252 black as ebony dark/unattractive
254 were felicity would be bliss
255 book i.e. Bible
257 If … look unless beauty learns how to look from Rosaline’s eye
258 fair beautiful/pale
258 full so black so completely dark-complexioned
260 hue complexion/color
260 school academy (though some editors emend to “scowl” or “stole”)
261 beauty’s crest i.e. the sun
261 becomes graces, befits
262 resembling … light when they pose as angels
264 It i.e. she/her beauty
264 that the fact that
264 painting … hair cosmetics and wigs
265 doters infatuated fools
265 false aspect deceptive appearance
267 favour … days face inverts what is conventionally thought beautiful
268 native blood natural redness, a rosy complexion
268 counted painting considered artificial (i.e. to be rouge)
269 red natural rosiness
269 dispraise disparagement
272 colliers coal vendors
273 crack boast
275 come in expose themselves to
276 colours cosmetics/sparse natural color
280 then i.e. on doomsday
281 vile worthless/unattractive
282 here’s i.e. Longaville’s shoe
284 dainty light, delicate/refined
285 goes walks
285 what upward lies i.e. what is up her skirt
289 prove demonstrate using logic
291 there that’s the point
291 flattery … evil pleasing self-deception to justify our oath-breaking
293 quillets subtle distinctions/quibbles
294 salve healing ointment
295 need necessary
296 Have at you let me at it/here goes
296 affection’s … arms love’s soldiers
299 state majesty/status
302 And where … the following twenty-three lines are enclosed within solidi because, although they appear in the early printed texts, they seem to be Shakespeare’s first draft of the lines that follow; they should be cut in performance
310 Promethean fire i.e. illumination (Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give to mankind)
329 fiery numbers passionate poems
331 slow arts dull or more serious learning
331 keep occupy
332 barren unresponsive, unfruitful
335 immurèd walled up
337 Courses runs/chases
337 power faculty/function
339 Above … offices beyond their ordinary abilities
343 the … stopped even the alert thief hears nothing
344 sensible sensitive
345 cockled having a shell
346 Bacchus Roman god of wine
346 gross inferior, coarse
347 For as for
348 climbing … Hesperides Hercules’ eleventh labor was to pick the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides
349 Subtle wily
349 Sphinx mythological creature who killed anyone who couldn’t answer her riddle
350 Apollo Greek sun god, also god of music
353 durst dares
354 tempered blended
358 still … fire continually with the heavenly fire stolen by Prometheus
359 academes academies
361 Else otherwise
361 aught anything
365 loves is loved by/inspires love in/is a friend to
366 authors creators
367 whom may pun on “womb”
368 once for once/only once
370 religion within the boundaries of our beliefs
371 charity … law biblical allusion: “he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8)
374 Advance your standards raise up your flags (with phallic connotations)
374 upon them to them (with sexual connotations)
375 Pell-mell with no regard for order/at close quarters (sexual connotations)
375 be first advised first take care
376 get … them make sure the sun is in their eyes (thus giving you the advantage; puns on “[be]get the son”)
377 dealing puns on sense of “having sex”
377 glozes elaborate speeches
382 attach seize (legal term)
384 strange novel, unusual, exceptional
384 solace entertain
387 Forerun run before
389 betime happen
389 fitted used appropriately
390 Allons! “Let’s go!” (French)
390 Sowed … corn wheat won’t be harvested if weeds are planted
391 whirls … measure is distributed evenly
392 Light merry/frivolous/promiscuous
393 copper small coins
393 treasure vaginal connotations (plagues in previous line suggests sexual disease)
1 Satis quod sufficit “what is provided is sufficient” (i.e. “enough is as good as a feast”)
2 reasons observations
2 dinner main meal eaten in the middle of the day
3 sententious full of wise remarks
4 affection affectation
4 audacious bold
5 opinion arrogance
5 strange new
6 quondam (the) “other”
7 intituled entitled
7 nominated named
9 Novi … te “I know the man as well as I know you”
10 peremptory determined
10 filed smooth
12 thrasonical boastful
12 picked fastidious
13 peregrinate affectedly foreign (i.e. with the manner of one who has traveled)
14 table-book notebook
16 staple fiber/material
16 argument subject matter
16 fanatical extravagant/flamboyant
17 phantasimes fantastical people
17 insociable unsociable
17 point-device over-precise
18 rackers of orthography torturers of correct spelling
18 fine thinly/affectedly; alternatively, a misprint for “sine b” (“without the letter b”)
20 clepeth calls
21 vocatur “is called”
22 abhominable plays on the popular misconception that the word was derived from Latin ab homine—i.e. “away from man/unnatural”
23 insinuateth suggests, i.e. drives me to
23 insanie insanity
23 Ne intelligis, domine? “Do you understand, sir?”
25 Laus �
�� intelligo “Praise God, I understand well”
26 Priscian … scratched i.e. your Latin is slightly wrong (Priscian was an ancient grammarian whose works were still used in the sixteenth century)
28 Videsne quis venit? “Do you see who is coming?”
29 Video et gaudeo “I see and I rejoice”
30 Chirrah! either mispronunciation of “sirrah” or the Greek chaere (“hail”)
31 Quare “why”
36 alms-basket charity basket of food for the poor
37 eaten … word puns on pronunciation of Moth’s name as mot (“word” in French)
38 long … head tall
39 honorificabilitudinitatibus state of being honored, supposedly the longest word in Latin
40 flap-dragon edible object, such as a raisin (plucked from burning brandy and swallowed as part of the game of flap-dragon)
41 peal loud uproar/bell ringing
42 lettered educated (Moth understands “literate”)
43 hornbook paper displaying the alphabet, numbers, prayers etc. protected by a thin layer of horn
45 pueritia “childishness,” i.e. child
46 Ba sound made by a sheep
46 silly foolish
48 Quis “who”
48 consonant nonentity, since it cannot be sounded without vowels
51 i interrupted by Moth, Holofernes inadvertently identifies himself (I) as the sheep
52 concludes it finishes the list/proves my point
52 o, u i.e. “oh you/ewe”
53 Mediterraneum Mediterranean
54 touch hit (scored against an opponent)
54 venue thrust (in fencing)
54 Snip, snap remarking on Moth’s quick wit; “snip-snap” is also “smart repartee”
54 home on the target
56 wit-old pun on “wittold” or “wittol”—i.e. a contented cuckold
57 figure figure of speech
58 Horns i.e. of cuckoldry
59 disputes reason
60 gig spinning top
62 manu cita “with a ready hand”
65 halfpenny i.e. little
66 pigeon-egg i.e. small egg
66 discretion good judgment
67 wert were
68 ad dunghill corruption of ad unguem, i.e. “to the fingernail,” exact in detail
71 Arts-man scholar
71 preambulate (let us) walk
72 barbarous uncivilized
72 charge-house school
74 mons plays on mons veneris, pubic mound
76 sans “without” (French)
77 affection desire
78 congratulate pay respects to
78 posteriors buttocks, i.e. later parts
79 rude ignorant
80 generous noble
80 liable apt
81 congruent suitable
81 measurable fitting
82 culled chosen
84 familiar close friend
85 inward private
86 courtesy manners (in wearing your hat)
87 apparel cover
88 designs plans
89 by the world mild oath
91 excrement that which grows out of the body, such as hair and nails; also, feces
92 sweet heart i.e. dear friend
93 recount no fable am not telling untruths
95 all of all essence
97 chuck chick (term of endearment)
98 ostentation public display
98 antic extravagant spectacle
99 firework i.e. fireworks display
101 withal with this
102 end purpose
103 Nine Worthies popular subject for entertainments, featuring three Jews (Joshua, David, and Judas Maccabaeus), three pagans (Hector of Troy, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar), and three Christians (Arthur, Charlemagne, and Godfrey of Bouillon)
104 entertainment spending of
107 illustrate illustrious
113 swain i.e. Costard
113 great … joint i.e. he has a big build (possible phallic joke)
114 pass pass for/represent
114 Pompey the Great famous Roman general of the first century BC
116 club play on penis size
117 have audience be heard
117 in minority as a child
118 enter entrance
118 strangling a snake as a baby, Hercules strangled two snakes sent by Juno to kill him
119 apology formal explanation
120 device scheme
128 attend listen
129 fadge works out, succeeds
131 Via “come along”
135 make one take part
136 tabor small drum
136 hay winding country dance
2 fairings gifts
3 A … diamonds! presumably an ornamental lady’s portrait surrounded by diamonds
8 margent margin
9 fain … name obliged to place his seal over Cupid’s name (as he had written everywhere)
10 godhead i.e. Cupid’s
10 wax grow (puns on the wax of the seal; plays on idea of an enlarging penis)
11 five … boy a child since the world was created
12 shrewd cunning/mischievous
12 unhappy trouble-causing
12 gallows someone who deserves to be hanged
13 a … sister i.e. she died for love
14 heavy sorrowful
15 light merry/light-hearted/promiscuous
17 grandam grandmother
19 dark hidden
19 mouse term of affection
19 light word frivolous talk/word “light”
20 condition disposition
22 taking … snuff trimming the wick/taking offense (proverbial)
23 darkly obscurely/enigmatically
24 Look what whatever
24 do it plays on sense of “have sex”
25 light wench i.e. unchaste
26 not i.e. not the same as
27 weigh esteem
27 that’s that means
28 past … cure there’s no point worrying about what can’t be helped (proverbial); some editors transpose “care” and “cure”
29 bandied exchanged, tossed to and fro
29 set game (of tennis/wit)
30 favour love token
32 would wish
36 numbers true poetic meter correct
36 numbering enumeration/calculation
38 fairs beautiful women
41 letters lettering
41 praise content
43 text B elaborately written capital B, possibly for “black” or “Berowne”
43 copy-book writing practice book
44 ’Ware beware
44 pencils fine paintbrushes
44 Let … debtor i.e. I’ll not owe you an insult, I’ll get my own back (proverbial)
45 red dominical red lettering used to mark Sundays of the church year in calendars
45 golden also used to mark Sundays or Easter, or a reference to Katherine’s hair
46 O’s possibly small scars caused by smallpox
47 pox curse (may pick up on the idea of smallpox scars)
47 beshrew curse
47 shrews vexatious, scolding women
51 twain two
54 translation expression
55 simplicity foolishness/lack of skill
60 would wish
60 these … part perhaps Maria has bound the chain around her hands
62 purchase deserve, earn
64 in by th’week fully ensnared
66 the season for the right time
66 observe the times keep to the rules
67 prodigal lavish, excessive
67 bootless useless
69 make … jests make him feel grateful even for Rosaline’s proud mockery of him
70 pert aunt like Folio’s “pertaunt” (Quarto “perttaunt”) is unexplained: perhaps “like a lively older woman” (or with French tante for “aunt”?), though many e
mendations have been proposed, including “planet-like,” “fortune-like,” and “pair-taunt-like” (supposedly a strong hand at cards)
70 o’ersway overrule
71 his fate controller of his destiny
72 surely securely
74 warrant authorization
77 gravity seriousness/respectability
77 wantonness foolish, uncontrolled, desirous behavior
78 note stigma/reproach
79 dote behave foolishly
80 all … simplicity the wise man will use his intelligence to demonstrate the wisdom of folly
86 Arm prepare (for combat)
86 Encounters mounted are skirmishes are prepared
88 surprised ambushed
89 Muster assemble (like troops)
91 Saint Denis patron saint of France
91 to against
92 charge load/fire
92 breath i.e. words
92 scout spy
93 sycamore tree associated with melancholy
95 purposed intended
96 might behold addressed saw approaching
98 by nearby
99 overhear hear told again
100 by and by shortly
102 conned learned
102 embassage message
103 Action appropriate gestures
103 accent verbal delivery
105 ever and anon every now and then
105 made a doubt voiced their fear (that)
106 majestical regal
106 put him out disconcert him/make him forget his lines
112 wag mischievous young man
113 rubbed his elbow gesture of satisfaction
113 fleered grinned
115 with … thumb i.e. snapping his fingers
116 Via! “Come along!”
117 capered leaped/danced joyfully
118 turned … toe pirouetted
121 spleen ridiculous ludicrous fit of merriment
122 check restrain/reprimand
125 Like … guess no rhyme for this line, so a line may be missing
126 parley enter into conversation
127 love-feat perhaps a misprint for “love-suit”
128 several individual
130 gallants fine gentlemen/suitors
130 tasked tested
132 grace privilege
133 Despite of suit in spite of entreaty
134 Hold … dear these two lines might be a first draft of the two that follow
138 change exchange
139 removes exchanges
140 most in sight conspicuously
142 cross thwart
145 counsels private intentions
145 unbosom disclose
146 loves mistook i.e. the wrong women
146 withal with this
148 visages displayed faces visible, i.e. unmasked
150 to the death i.e. we’d rather fight to the death than
151 penned composed
151 render yield
151 grace favor
153 kill … heart discourage his affection
Love's Labour's Lost Page 23
