Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Words, Words, Words

"....and Petruchio is the master;
That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long,
To tame a shrew and charm her chattering tongue."
- The Taming of the Shrew, IV.ii.57

eleven and twenty long
meaning: just right, perfect
derived from: a winning hand in the card game of Thirty-one

all entries for "Words, Words, Words" taking from Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion by David and Ben Crystal, Penguin Books, 2002

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