This (Thus) bit the MARE by the thumb

Insights

Irrelevance and Non-Sequitur

The proverb is used to dismiss a statement or argument as being completely irrelevant, illogical, or nonsensical. It is the proverbial equivalent of saying, 'That has nothing to do with the matter at hand.'

Expression of Confusion

The phrase can be used to signify a situation of total confusion or a complete breakdown in communication. Its absurdity mirrors a state where logic no longer applies.

Sarcastic Retort

It functions as a witty or sarcastic retort to something foolish. By responding with an impossible statement, the speaker implies the original comment was equally ridiculous.

Historical Context

Appearing in John Heywood's 1546 collection, this proverb is an example of a Tudor-era nonsensical retort or 'catchphrase'. Its purpose was likely to dismiss an irrelevant or foolish statement with a witty, albeit absurd, comeback, functioning as a conversational stop sign.

Lost Narrative

The proverb feels like a fragment of a lost folk tale or fable. Such phrases often originate from stories familiar to the original audience, and without that narrative context, the expression becomes enigmatic and its specific meaning is lost to time.

Psychological Insight

Psychologically, deploying a nonsensical phrase in conversation is a method of derailing a logical argument by refusing to engage with its premises. It's a verbal tactic to dismiss another's point as unworthy of a serious reply.

Rhetorical Devices

Absurdism

The central feature is its use of an absurd, impossible image—a horse possessing a thumb—to create a nonsensical statement whose meaning is purely idiomatic.

Idiom

The phrase is entirely idiomatic, meaning its interpretation is not based on the literal meaning of its words but on a culturally understood, though now obscure, convention.

Bizarre Imagery

The specific and strange visual of a mare biting a thumb, however illogical, makes the expression memorable and impactful as a sharp, dismissive comment.