14 cast sculpted/cast-off/chaste
14 Diana goddess of chastity
15 of winter’s sisterhood i.e. sworn to coldness
22 verity sincerity
22 concave hollow
23 covered goblet empty drinking vessel (covered when not in use)
28 tapster barman, tavern keeper
29 reckonings personal esteem/bills
31 question conversation
37 traverse crosswise/poorly aimed and broken across (jousting term)
37 puny tilter insignificant, petty jouster
39 goose fool
42 complained of lamented over
47 pageant spectacle, scene
51 mark observe
52 remove move
Act 3 Scene 5
5 Falls lets fall
6 But … pardon without begging pardon first (a traditional practice)
7 he … lives the executioner who earns his living until he dies
11 pretty ingenious
13 coward gates i.e. eyelids
13 atomies atoms, specks
17 counterfeit pretend
22 rush waterside plant
23 cicatrice scar
23 capable impressure palpable impression
29 fancy love
31 keen sharp
38 What though what does it matter
40 Than … bed i.e. than ought to go to bed in darkness so that your lover will not see you
43 ordinary common condition
44 sale-work ready-made goods of inferior quality
44.’Od’s (may) God save
45 tangle ensnare
48 bugle glass beads, usually black
51 south south wind
51 wind and rain i.e. sighs and tears
52 properer more handsome, finer
55 glass mirror
57 lineaments facial features
62 Cry beg
63 Foul … scoffer ugliness is most hideous when it is rough and abusive
65 together uninterruptedly
70 sauce rebuke
74 in wine when drunk
76 tuft of olives clump of olive trees
76 hard close
77 ply urge
80 abused in sight deceived in his perception
82 Dead Shepherd i.e. Christopher Marlowe (murdered in 1593), from whose poem Hero and Leander the ensuing quotation is taken
82 saw maxim, saying
82 of might powerful, convincing
91 extermined exterminated
92 love … neighbourly refers to the biblical instruction to “love thy neighbor as thyself”
94 covetousness refers to the Tenth Commandment, which prohibits coveting one’s neighbor’s goods
98 erst formerly
103 poverty deficiency
105 ears i.e. of corn
108 erewhile a short time ago
110 bounds land
111 carlot churl, peasant
113 peevish silly, foolish/spiteful
119 complexion face/appearance
124 lusty lively
126 constant unchanging
126 damask pink or light red
128 parcels bits, parts
134 am remembered remember
135 again back
136 omittance … quittance not having done so does not mean I never shall
140 straight straight away
142 passing excessively
Act 4 Scene 1
6 betray expose
6 modern censure commonplace judgment
8 sad Rosalind quibbles on the sense of “massive, solid”
9 post stout pole
11 emulation envy of those who are superior
11 fantastical fanciful, extravagant
13 politic crafty
14 nice fastidious
15 simples ingredients (literally, medicinal herbs)
16 sundry varied
17 often frequent
18 humorous moody
26 travel voyage/take pains
28 an if
29 lisp put on a foreign accent
30 strange suits foreign clothes
30 disable disparage
31 nativity birth (i.e. nationality)
33 swam floated, traveled
41 clapped him o’th’shoulder merely tapped him/arrested him
42 heart-whole essentially unaffected, with the heart unengaged
48 jointure marriage settlement that provided for the wife in the event of her husband’s death
51 horns of a snail/of a cuckold
51 fain obliged
52 beholding indebted
52 armed … fortune i.e. as a snail, naturally possessed of horns
53 prevents the slander forestalls the disrepute
58 leer complexion, appearance
59 holiday humour festive mood
61 very true
64 gravelled stumped
65 out at a loss for words
66 warn protect, warrant
66 cleanliest shift most skillful measure
71 Who … out Rosalind goes on to play with the sense of “denied vaginal entry”
73 honesty chastity
73 ranker more corrupt
74 of my suit out of my courtship/clothing
81 by attorney by proxy (as opposed to “in person”)
83 videlicet “namely” (Latin)
83 Troilus lover of Cressida, who proved faithless to him; he was killed by Achilles during the Trojan war
85 die may play on the sense of “experience orgasm”
85 patterns models
86 Leander in classical mythology, Leander regularly swam across the river Hellespont to see his lover Hero of Sestos, until one night he drowned
86 though even if
90 found it concluded the cause
94 right real
97 coming-on agreeable, encouraging
100 Fridays and Saturdays days on which Christians abstained from eating meat
102 twenty twenty more
112 Go to expression of impatient dismissal
115 fast firmly/quickly
118 commission authority
119 goes … priest proceeds with the service more quickly than the priest
124 possessed married/had sex with
130 Barbary cock-pigeon male pigeon thought to be from Barbary (north Africa)
131 against before, in anticipation of
131 new-fangled fond of novelty, easily distracted by new things
133 Diana … fountain the goddess was a fairly popular figure to adorn fountains
140 waywarder more obstinate, willful
140 Make shut
140 wit possible play on the sense of “genitals”
141 casement window
145 “Wit, whither wilt?” Wit, where are you going? (proverbial; refers to one with “wandering” wits)
146 check rebuke
150 take catch/possess sexually
152 fault error (plays on the sense of “vagina”)
152 husband’s occasion excuse to attack her husband (plays on the sense of “sexual business, opportunity for use”)
152 nurse breastfeed
160 but … away only one abandoned woman
165 behind your hour late
166 pathetical miserable, deplorable
168 gross whole/inferior
169 censure condemnation/judgment
171 religion faithfulness
174 try test/judge
175 simply misused absolutely abused
175 love-prate love talk
177 what … nest proverbially, the bird fouls its own nest (nest also plays on the sense of “vagina”)
179 fathom six feet
180 sounded measured, penetrated
184 bastard of Venus Cupid, son of Venus by Mars (or, variously, Mercury or Jupiter), not by her husband, Vulcan
185 begot conceived
185 thought fancy
185 spleen impulse
186 blind Cupid was traditionally depicted as sightless
186 abuses deceives
189 shadow shade
Act 4 Scene 2
5 branch wreath (plays on the sense of “subdivision of a deer’s horn”)
13 bear this burden sing this refrain/bear the cuckold’s horns
18 lusty lively/lustful
Act 4 Scene 3
2 here much Orlando “much Orlando there is to be seen here” (said in irony)
9 waspish spiteful
10 use employ, adopt
14 swaggerer quarreler, blusterer
17 phoenix mythical Arabian bird that was consumed by fire every 500 years, then resurrected from the ashes; only one existed at a time
17.’Od’s God is
20 device devising
21 protest declare, vow
25 leathern leathery, rough
26 freestone sandstone or limestone
26 freestone-coloured brownish yellow
26 verily truly
28 huswife’s housewife’s (i.e. hard and coarse)
30 invention style
30 hand handwriting
32 boisterous violent, rough
35 giant-rude extremely rough
36 Ethiope Ethiopian (i.e. black)
40 Phoebes i.e. is cruel to
45 apart aside
49 vengeance harm
51 eyne eyes
54 aspect gaze (with astrological connotations)
56 prayers entreaties
59 by … mind i.e. employ Silvius to bring me your decision in a sealed letter
60 kind nature
62 make offer
68 instrument tool/musical instrument
69 strains melodies
70 snake i.e. drudge
76 purlieus borders
78 neighbour bottom nearby valley
79 rank of osiers row of willows
80 Left passed by
86 favour appearance/face
86 bestows acquits
87 ripe mature/elder
87 low short
91 commend him i.e. offers his respectful greetings
93 napkin handkerchief
97 handkercher handkerchief
102 fancy love
106 bald i.e. leafless
109 gilded gold
112 unlinked uncoiled
113 indented undulating
116 couching stretched out/hidden
117 When that for the time when
123 render him describe him as
127 to with regard to
130 kindness feelings of kinship
131 just occasion justifiable reason
133 hurtling tumult
141 for what about
144 recountments accounts of events
144 kindly naturally/affectionately
147 array clothing
147 entertainment welcome, provision
154 Brief in short
154 recovered revived
155 space time
170 a body anyone
174 passion of earnest genuine emotion
Act 5 Scene 1
3 old gentleman’s i.e. Jaques’
8 interest in right to/share in
10 clown rustic
12 flouting mocking
12 hold resist, stop
14 God ye God give you
16 Cover thy head i.e. put on your hat (which William has respectfully removed)
23 God’. A good Touchstone may mock William’s rustic accent
35 learnèd educated
38 figure figure of speech, device
40 ipse “he himself” (Latin)
44 vulgar vernacular
45 boorish coarse speech
46 common vulgar tongue
48 to wit that is to say
51 bastinado beating with a stick
51 bandy fight
51 in faction in insults
52 o’errun … policy overwhelm you with cunning
55 rest keep
58 Trip skip (plays on the sense of “succumb sexually”)
58 attend follow/accompany
Act 5 Scene 2
4 persever persevere
11 estate settle
13 all’s all his
13 contented willing
16 brother i.e. brother-in-law
17 “sister” i.e. responding to Orlando calling Ganymede “Rosalind” (unless Oliver sees through the disguise and realizes that it really is Rosalind)
19 scarf i.e. sling
27 where you are what you mean
29 thrasonical boastful, vainglorious
34 degrees puns on the sense of “steps”; also refers to the rhetorical device of climax Rosalind uses as her verbs link together and move the sentence forward
34 pair flight
35 incontinent at once (sense then shifts to “unchaste”)
36 wrath full passion
38 bid invite
44 serve your turn act as a substitute (puns on the sense of “satisfy you sexually”)
49 conceit understanding, intelligence
51 insomuch inasmuch as
51 Neither … me nor am I trying to gain greater approval from you other than that which is necessary to enable you to trust me enough to help you; I am not seeking my own promotion
56 not damnable i.e. not practicing black magic
57 gesture … out manner proclaims
59 straits confined places
60 inconvenient unsuitable
61 human … is i.e. the real Rosalind, not a spirit conjured up by black magic
63 sober serious
64 tender value
65 array clothing
69 ungentleness discourtesy
71 study purpose
72 despiteful cruel, scornful
81 service devotion
88 observance due respect/service
108 satisfy content (plays on the sense of “sexually satisfy”)
116 fail be absent
Act 5 Scene 3
4 dishonest unchaste
4 woman … world i.e. married (plays on the sense of “sexually experienced”)
6 honest honorable
9 clap into’t roundly begin immediately
9 hawking throat clearing
10 only usual
12 in a tune keeping time/in unison
17 ring-time time for giving or exchanging rings (i.e. wedding season)
20 take seize/enjoy
22 prime spring/height of perfection
28 carol song
33 ditty lyrics
33 note music, tune
33 untunable unmelodious
Act 5 Scene 4
5 compact agreement
5 urged presented formally
18 make … even smooth out all these matters
27 lively lifelike/striking
27 touches qualities/features
27 favour appearance/face
31 rudiments basics
32 desperate dangerous
34 Obscurèd concealed
34 circle surroundings/magic circle
35 toward approaching
37 tongues languages
39 motley-minded foolish-minded
43 purgation test
43 measure stately dance
44 politic crafty
44 smooth seemingly amiable
45 undone ruined, bankrupted
45 like to have almost
47 ta’en up settled
52 ’ild yield (i.e. reward)
52 desire … like wish you the same
53 copulatives people being joined in marriage (with play on “those engaged in copulation”)
55 blood breaks passion declines
56 humour inclination, whim
57 honesty chastity/virtue
58 foul dirty
59 swift quick-witted
59 sententious given to utt
er pointed sayings
60 fool’s bolt “a fool’s bolt is soon shot” (proverbial; phallic and ejaculatory connotations)
60 bolt short, thick arrow
60 dulcet diseases sweet afflictions
65 seeming seemingly
65 as for instance
67 in the mind of the opinion
71 disabled disparaged
75 Countercheck rebuke
75 Circumstantial told indirectly through circumstances or details
80 measured swords checked that the length of the swords was the same (a necessary preparation for dueling)
82 nominate name
84 in print in a precise manner
91 take up settle
94 swore brothers vowed devoted friendship
96 rare extraordinary/splendid
98 stalking-horse horse behind which a hunter concealed himself in order to get within easy range of the game
99 presentation show
99.1 Hymen god of marriage (commonly depicted as a young man carrying a torch); sometimes played as a god, sometimes as a part enacted by Amiens or another courtier
99.1 Still subdued/soft
100 mirth joy
101 made even are reconciled
102 Atone unite
112 shape appearance, physical form
117 bar prohibit
121 bands bonds, i.e. marriage
123 cross adversity
125 accord agree
126 lord husband
127 sure securely bound
130 questioning conversation/inquiry
133 Juno queen of the gods and goddess of marriage
134 board and bed food and lodging
135 peoples populates
141 thou i.e. Silvius
142 fancy love
142 combine unite
148 Addressed prepared
148 power army
149 In … conduct under his own leadership
154 world secular life/material interests
158 engage pledge
160 offer’st fairly contribute finely
162 at large of full size
163 do those ends accomplish those aims
165 every every one
166 shrewd hard
168 states ranks, status
169 new-fall’n newly received
172 With … joy in abundant joy
172 th’measures stately dances
173 patience permission
175 pompous vainglorious/ceremonious
177 convertites converts
182 allies relatives
185 but … victualled has sufficient supplies for only two months
193 unhandsome faulty in appearance/inappropriate
194 good … bush proverbial: something of good quality needs no advertising as its merits speak for themselves
194 bush tavern sign (originally a small bush)
197 case state/predicament
198 insinuate with work on/stealthily win the favor of
199 furnished dressed
200 conjure entreat/put a spell on
205 the play As You Like It/sexual dalliance