To rub (scratch) the ELBOW

Insights

Glee and Self-Satisfaction

The gesture symbolizes a feeling of intense, often smug, pleasure or contentment. It is an outward sign of an 'itch' of delight being satisfied, as when hearing pleasing news or witnessing an event that confirms one's own biases.

Malicious Joy (Schadenfreude)

The act represents a darker form of delight, specifically the pleasure derived from witnessing conflict, chaos, or the misfortunes of others. It suggests an almost perverse 'itch' for turmoil, as seen in the quotations related to fighting dogs or 'hurlyburly innovation'.

Eager Anticipation

Beyond immediate pleasure, rubbing the elbow can signify eager anticipation of some gratifying event, often one involving conflict or disruption. It is a physical manifestation of restlessness and keen expectation.

Historical Body Language

This proverb captures a specific piece of Elizabethan and Jacobean non-verbal communication that has largely fallen out of use. Unlike a universal sign like a smile, rubbing the elbow was a culturally specific gesture indicating a kind of itchy, almost conspiratorial, delight, often at something disruptive or amusing.

Literary Characterization

Shakespeare's use of this gesture in "Love's Labour's Lost" and "1 Henry IV" demonstrates its utility as a literary device. It efficiently conveys a character's inner state—from smug satisfaction to rebellious glee—without needing explicit dialogue, adding a layer of physical and psychological realism.

Psychology of Non-Verbal Cues

The proverb highlights the psychological tendency to express internal states through physical 'tells'. The 'itch' of the elbow serves as a somatic metaphor for a psychological craving for excitement or gratification, particularly for socially frowned-upon pleasures like schadenfreude.

Rhetorical Devices

Symbolic Gesture

The physical act of rubbing the elbow serves as a metonymic or symbolic representation of an internal feeling—specifically, a kind of 'itchy' or restless pleasure and satisfaction.

Kinaesthetic Imagery

The proverb uses kinaesthetic imagery, evoking the physical sensation of scratching an itch. This powerfully connects the abstract feeling of glee or anticipation to a tangible, relatable physical action.

Synecdoche

The 'elbow' acts as a synecdoche, where a part of the body and an action performed on it represent the entire person's state of malicious or smug contentment.