APPLE

*Apple-john*Codling*Bitter-sweeting*Pippin*Pomewater*Costard*

SEBASTIAN

I think he will carry this island

home in his pocket

and give it his son for an APPLE.

—Tempest [Act II, sc. 1]

ANTONIO

An evil soul producing holy witness

Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,

A goodly APPLE rotten at the heart.

—Merchant of Venice [Act I, sc. 3]

ANTONIO

An APPLE cleft in two is not more twin

Than these two creatures.

—Twelfth Night [Act V, sc. 1]

HORTENSIO

As you say, there’s small choice

in rotten APPLES.

—Taming of the Shrew [Act I, sc. 1]

TRANIO

He in countenance

somewhat doth resemble you.

BIONDELLO

As much as an APPLE doth an oyster,

and all one.

—Taming of the Shrew [Act IV, sc. 2]

MALVOLIO

Not yet old enough for a man,

nor young enough for a boy;

as a squash is before ’tis a peascod,

for a CODLING when ’tis almost an APPLE.

—Twelfth Night [Act I, sc. 5]

ORLEANS

Foolish curs, that run winking

into the mouth of a Russian bear,

and have their heads crushed

like rotten APPLES.

—Henry V [Act III, sc. 7]

PORTER

These are the youths

that thunder at a playhouse,

and fight for bitten APPLES . . .

—Henry VIII [Act V, sc. 4]

FALSTAFF

My skin hangs about me like

an old lady’s loose gown; I am withered

like an old APPLE-JOHN.

—Henry IV, Pt. 1 [Act III, sc. 3]

FIRST DRAWER

What the devil hast thou brought here?

APPLE-JOHNS?

Thou knowest Sir John

cannot endure an APPLE-JOHN.

SECOND DRAWER

Thou sayest true; the prince once set a dish of

APPLE-JOHNS before him,

and told him there were five more Sir Johns;

and putting off his hat, said, I will now

take my leave of these six dry,

round, old, withered knights.

—Henry IV, Pt. 2 [Act II, sc. 4]

SHALLOW

Nay, you shall see my orchard, where,

in an arbour, we will eat

a last year’s PIPPIN of my own graffing,

with a dish of caraways . . .

—Henry IV, Pt. 2 [Act V, sc. 3]

MERCUTIO

Thy wit is a very BITTER-SWEETING;

it is a most sharp sauce.

ROMEO

And is it not well served in to a sweet goose?

—Romeo and Juliet [Act II, sc. 4]

SIR HUGH EVANS

I will make an end of my dinner.

There’s PIPPINS and cheese to come.

—Merry Wives of Windsor [Act I, sc. 2]

HOLOFERNES/PEDANT

The deer was, as you know, sanguis, in blood;

ripe as a POMEWATER,

who now hangeth like a jewel

in the ear of cælo—the sky, the welkin,

the heaven; and anon falleth

like a CRAB on the face of terra—

the soil, the land, the earth.

—Love’s Labour’s Lost [Act IV, sc. 2]

PETRUCHIO

What’s this? A sleeve? ’Tis like a demi-cannon.

What, up and down, carved like an

APPLE-TART?

—Taming of the Shrew [Act IV, sc. 3]

How like Eve’s APPLE doth thy beauty grow,

If thy sweet virtue answer not thy show!

—Sonnet XCIII

FOOL

Shal’t see thy other daughter

will use thee kindly;

for though she’s as like this as a CRAB’s

like an APPLE, yet I can tell what I can tell.

—King Lear [Act I, sc. 5]

MOTH

A wonder, master! Here’s a COSTARD

broken in a shin. . . .

MOTH

By saying that a COSTARD

was broken in a shin. . . .

DON ARMADO

How was there a COSTARD broken in a shin?

—Love’s Labour’s Lost [Act III, sc. 1]

SIR HUGH EVANS

I will knog his urinals about his knave’s

COSTARD when I have

good opportunities for the ork.

‘Pless my soul!

—Merry Wives of Windsor [Act III, sc. 1]

FIRST MURDERER

Take him over the COSTARD

with the hilts of thy sword,

and then we will chop him

in the malmsey-butt.

—Richard III [Act I, sc. 4]

EDGAR

Nay, come not near th’ old man; keep out,

che vor ye, or ise try whether

your COSTARD or my ballow be the harder.

—King Lear [Act IV, sc. 6]