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Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 12h

"Tie it well and let it go" (Tilley T287).
Do your best, then release it. A fine proverb and terrible advice for posting online. 🎀💨📱

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 2d

“When the devil is a hog you’ll eat bacon” (Tilley D306).
Translation: same day England wins Eurovision. 🐖🎤🥓

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 3d

"He claws it as Clayton clawed the pudding when he ate bag and all" (Tilley C407).
The modern version: “He bought Twitter.” 🍮👜🐦

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 10d

"When the fox sleeps nothing falls into his mouth" (Tilley F657). Even the sly need to hustle. No snacks for a snoozing fox.

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 14d

"When the frog has hair thou wilt be good" (Tilley F766). You’ll be good when frogs grow beards—i.e., never.

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 16d

“All women are good – either good for something or good for nothing” (Tilley W680).
A 17th-century zinger that shows its age—and its sexism. History, not advice.

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 17d

"A good meal, a bad meal, and a middling meal preserves a man in health" (Tilley M786).
Tudor wellness plan: feast, flop, average—repeat. Balance is the real superfood.

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 20d

"All things grow worse and worse" (T168).
Read the news lately? Some things never change.

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 28d

"A stitch in time saves nine" - from 1732, but the idea? Timeless. Why do some proverbs survive centuries while others vanish? What makes wisdom stick? #ProverbialWisdom #History

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · 29d

"All that glisters is not gold" - Shakespeare borrowed this proverb for Merchant of Venice, perfect for awards season! Medieval wisdom about appearances vs reality, still relevant as we debate what makes "peak TV" actually good. #Emmys #Shakespeare #Proverbs

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Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Sep 13

“No good attorney will ever go to law.” ⚖️ (Tilley A393)
Tudor wisdom: the only people who enjoy lawsuits are the lawyers. Still true.

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Sep 9

“The more the merrier, the fewer the better cheer.” (Tilley M1153)
The Tudors knew: small dinner, good conversation; big dinner, shouting match. Never realised I'd been passive aggressive when I said "the more the merrier" until now... #oops

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Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Sep 7

🐴 “Better ride on an ass that carries me than a horse that throws me.” (Tilley A361)
Reliable donkey, or dramatic stallion?
Give me the one that gets me home alive.
Same goes for cars, jobs, software, and dating apps.
#TeamDonkey #StableWins

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Sep 6

“The physician is more dangerous than the disease.” ⚕️ (Tilley P267a)
Medieval doctors: leeches for a headache.
Us: side effects may include everything but relief.
#ReadTheLabel #ProverbialPrescription

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Sep 2

"Shunning the smoke he fell into the fire" (Tilley S570) - the eternal human tendency to overcorrect straight into worse problems. Avoiding one social media platform by joining three others. Medieval frying pan → fire dynamics still perfectly relevant. #OutOfTheFryingPan #EarlyModernOops

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 31

"A dwarf on a giant's shoulder sees farther of the two" (Tilley D659) - Newton's "standing on shoulders of giants" but make it medieval and honest about the height dynamics. #Teamwork

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 30

“The way to be gone is not to stay here.” 🏃 (Tilley W151)
Sixteenth-century productivity hack: if you want to leave… actually leave.
Still relevant for meetings, bad parties, and doomscrolling.
#ExitStrategy #TimelessAdvice

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 26

“You cannot take a trout with dry breeches.” (Tilley T538)
No risk, no reward: the Renaissance edition. If you want results, you’ll have to wade in—figuratively or otherwise. #WadersOn

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 24

“All his geese are swans.” (Tilley G369)
Everything he touches is “brilliant,” “genius,” or “disruptive.” Translation: he has no idea it’s just a goose. #DelusionsOfExcellence #EveryIdeaIsNotASwan

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Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 23

“Two dogs never agree about one bone.” (Tilley D544)
Put one cookie on the table and watch civility vanish.
Whether it’s siblings, colleagues, or nations — one bone, two egos, no peace.
#ProverbialWisdom #EarlyModernTruth

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 19

“We shall live til we die.” (Tilley L385)
Early modern existentialism, plain and undefeated. Stoic, blunt, and suspiciously applicable to the academic job market. #ProverbialRealism #LifeGoals

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 17

“They are scarce of horses where two ride on a dog.” (H716)
If you're pushing a plan that clearly doesn’t work—maybe it's not the dog’s fault. #DoingTooMuch #TeamworkFails

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Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 16

“Kings and bears often worry their keepers.” (K85)
Lesson: if you're in charge of something powerful and unpredictable, don't turn your back. Applies to monarchs, CEOs, and toddlers. #BearWithIt #ThroneAndDanger

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 12

“Look high and fall low.” (Tilley L431)
Ambition meets gravity. Aim for tenure, land unemployed. The proverb saw it coming. #CareerTrajectories #TheFallIsReal

Shakespeare and Early Modern Proverbial Culture @proverbialculture.bsky.social · Aug 10

“Better a louse in the pot than no flesh at all.” (L468)
Early modern comfort food: something between “protein-rich” and “please don’t ask.” Culinary optimism at its grimmest. #EarlyModernMealPrep