Why you lily livered flap dragon canker blossom!

Let’s say you have no interest in Shakespeare.  But let’s also say someone called you a wayward beef-witted barnacle, and that left you speechless!  Well, not to fear – the Bard is here!  Shakespeare wrote some of the best insults of all time and you can use them to express yourself.  The language is great fun.  Try saying “paunchy plume-plucked pignut” three times fast!  Better yet, act out a paunchy plume-plucked pignut! Here’s how to play charades with Shakespeare’s insults:  Player One picks a word from each column making a three word slur.  She/he acts out the three words and Player Two guesses what is being acted out.  Then you switch.  Like charades, there can be many people on a team.  Narrow down the list if needed.  Make up your own words and add them to the list if you dare!

column 1             column 2             column 3

artless             base-court          apple-john

bawdy               bat-fowling         baggage

beslubbering        beef-witted         barnacle

bootless            beetle-headed       bladder

churlish            boil-brained        boar-pig

cockered            clapper-clawed      bugbear

clouted             clay-brained        bum-bailey

craven              common-kissing      canker-blossom

currish             crook-pated         clack-dish

dankish             dismal-dreaming     clotpole

dissembling         dizzy-eyed          coxcomb

droning             doghearted          codpiece

errant              dread-bolted        death-token

fawning             earth-vexing        dewberry

fobbing             elf-skinned         flap-dragon

froward             fat-kidneyed        flax-wench

frothy              fen-sucked          flirt-gill

gleeking            flap-mouthed        foot-licker

goatish             fly-bitten          fustilarian

gorbellied          folly-fallen        giglet

impertinent         fool-born           gudgeon

infectious          full-gorged         haggard

jarring             guts-griping        harpy

loggerheaded        half-faced          hedge-pig

lumpish             hasty-witted        horn-beast

mammering           hedge-born          hugger-mugger

mangled             hell-hated          joithead

mewling             idle-headed         lewdster

paunchy             ill-breeding        lout

pribbling           ill-nurtured        maggot-pie

puking              knotty-pated        malt-worm

puny                milk-livered        mammet

qualling            motley-minded       measle

rank                onion-eyed          minnow

reeky               plume-plucked       miscreant

roguish             pottle-deep         moldwarp

ruttish             pox-marked          mumble-news

saucy               reeling-ripe        nut-hook

spleeny             rough-hewn          pigeon-egg

spongy              rude-growing        pignut

surly               rump-fed            puttock

tottering           shard-borne         pumpion

unmuzzled           sheep-biting        ratsbane

vain                spur-galled         scut

venomed             swag-bellied        skainsmate

villainous          tardy-gaited        strumpet

warped              tickle-brained      varlot

wayward             toad-spotted        vassal

weedy               unchin-snouted      whey-face

yeasty              weather-bitten      wagtail

Dr. Bloom and I challenge you to give Shakespeare’s slurs a whirl!  Go on, you puny milk livered minnows!  Will you feel silly doing this?  Only if you are doing it right!