Backare,¹ quoth MORTIMER to his sow

Insights

Rebuking Presumption

The proverb serves as a colorful and humorous rebuke to someone who is being overly arrogant, presumptuous, or forward. It's a way of telling them to 'back off' and know their place.

Mocking Pretentiousness

It illustrates the comical effect of using inappropriately grandiose or formal language for a mundane or lowly subject, thereby mocking pretentiousness itself.

Assertion of Dominance

The phrase can be used to assert dominance or re-establish control in a situation where a subordinate is overstepping their boundaries, framed as a folksy, almost theatrical, command.

Linguistic Fashion and Slang

The proverb's humor derives from the use of 'Backare,' a mock-Latin slang term for 'back up,' popular in Elizabethan England. This linguistic playfulness reflects a culture where even common speech could be embellished with classical pretensions for comedic effect.

Literary Resonance

Referenced by Shakespeare in 'The Taming of the Shrew,' the phrase is used to rebuke someone who is being too 'forward' or presumptuous. This literary context solidifies its meaning as a sharp, colloquial put-down.

Social Hierarchy

The act of a human, Mortimer, correcting a sow, an animal often symbolizing baseness or stubbornness, serves as a social allegory. It humorously reinforces a social hierarchy, reminding an inferior to know their place.

Psychology of Reprimand

Psychologically, the proverb offers a socially acceptable, humorous way to check arrogance. The comical image of a man scolding his pig disarms the aggression of the reprimand, making the correction more palatable.

Rhetorical Devices

Juxtaposition

The core of the proverb is the humorous juxtaposition of a pretentious, mock-Latin command ('Backare') with a common, lowly animal (a sow).

Archaism and Slang

The use of the archaic slang 'Backare' makes the phrase distinctive and memorable, rooting it in a specific historical-linguistic context of playful language.

Reported Speech (Quoth)

The proverb is framed as a direct quotation, creating a miniature narrative scene that makes the abstract idea of a reprimand more vivid and concrete.