Caught It
Last week I posted on catch phrases, and noted John Cleese hated them. A friend reminded me of another writer who couldn't stand them--William Shakespeare. In a variant of Hamlet, the Prince, in his famous speech to the players, mentions how tiresome clowns with the same old lines can be. Even better, Shakespeare actually lists some of the catch phrases of the day:
"Cannot you stay till I eate my porridge?"
"You owe me a quarters wages."
"My coat wants a cullison."
"Your beere is sowre.”
As odd as these may sound to our ears, I don't doubt 400 years hence people will be more confused by "Homey don't play that."
posted by LAGuy @ 12:01 AM
3 Comments:
I think "your beer is sour" in mock Elizabethan would have the makings of a cool new catchphrase
Beer commercials would probably have it as something like "Thy beer is soureth."
I think it's all in how you say it. My readings would be something like this.
(Sad sack, very nasal) "Cannot you stay till I eate my porridge?"
(Close to Ralph Kramden) "YOU...owe me a quarters wages!"
(A bit swishy) "My coat wants a cullison."
Late in life, Heinlein identified his age by saying that "I remember when 'Get a horse!' was the height of wit."
I'm hoping that when I am old, replying 'Try me.' to a challenge is equally as forgotten. (Nobody says it in real life, but it's still common on TV.)
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