He will have the last WORD though he talk bilk for it

Meaning & Analysis

A person is so determined to have the final say in an argument that they will resort to speaking nonsense ('bilk,' an archaic word for 'nothing') just to ensure they are the last one to speak.

Insights

Empty Victories

The proverb symbolizes the folly of prioritizing the appearance of winning over substance. Achieving the 'last word' is a hollow victory if it is accomplished by abandoning reason and speaking nonsense.

Pride and Obstinacy

It serves as a metaphor for extreme stubbornness and pride. The individual's ego is so invested in not losing that they will sacrifice coherence and credibility merely to avoid conceding the final point.

Communication Breakdown

The act of 'talking bilk' represents a complete breakdown in productive communication. When the goal shifts from mutual understanding to simply not being the last to speak, meaningful dialogue has ended.

Linguistic History

The proverb's use of the archaic word 'bilk', meaning 'nothing', offers a window into historical slang. Ben Jonson's 1640 quotation is particularly notable as it explicitly defines the word, suggesting it was not in common parlance and adding a layer of self-aware commentary on language itself.

Psychology of Stubbornness

Psychologically, the proverb captures the compulsive need for control and the ego-driven desire to win an argument at any cost. This behavior reveals a deep-seated insecurity where conceding the final point is perceived as a significant personal defeat, regardless of the actual substance of the discussion.

Social Commentary

This proverb critiques a universally recognized and frustrating social behavior. By highlighting the absurdity of sacrificing sense for a hollow victory, it validates the common experience of dealing with individuals who prioritize argumentative dominance over meaningful dialogue.

Gendered Stereotypes

The cross-reference to 'Women will have the last word' (W722) is culturally significant. It points to a pervasive gender stereotype, suggesting that while this proverb uses a male pronoun, the trait was often specifically and perhaps pejoratively associated with women.

Rhetorical Devices

Archaism

The use of the archaic word 'bilk' firmly roots the proverb in its historical context and adds a distinctive, slightly obscure flavor that highlights the meaninglessness of the speech.

Juxtaposition

The proverb juxtaposes the desire for a position of power (having the 'last word') with the utter meaninglessness of the content ('bilk'), effectively highlighting the absurdity of the behavior.

Hyperbole

The idea of knowingly speaking 'nothing' is a form of hyperbole that exaggerates the person's irrational commitment to winning the argument, thus emphasizing their foolishness.

stubbornnessprideargumentcommunicationnonsensevictory

Analyzed with gemini-2.5-pro on August 16, 2025

Transcription

Quotations

Hee will ha' the last word, though he talke Bilke for't. —Bilke? what's that? —Why nothing, a word signifying Nothing; and borrow'd here to express nothing.

— 1640, JONSON, Tale Tub, I i 60

*Bilke, i.e. nothing.

— 1678, RAY, p. 228

Cross References

W722 Women will have the last word.

Related Proverbs

Y16 One YEAR a nurse and seven years the worse (a daw¹) 91.8%W450 Huge (High) WINDS blow on high hills 91.7%B300 It were well for your little BELLY if your guts were out 91.5%M542 MEN are made of clay but women are made of men 91.4%W310 Where there is WHISPERING there is lying 91.2%H517 He has a HOLE under his nose that all his money runs into 91.1%B190 If the BED could tell all it knows it would put many to the blush 91.0%T128 Give a THING and take a thing, that is the devil's gold ring 90.9%S567 He that has more SMOCKS than shirts in a bucking¹ had need be a man of good forelooking 90.8%H546 He has bought HONEY too dear who hurts his hands in the getting of it 90.8%M1208 The MOTHER-IN-LAW does not remember that she has been a daughter-in-law 90.8%W720 WOMEN weep and sicken when they list 90.7%H384 Take HEED of wind that comes in at a hole and a reconciled enemy 90.7%W423 Let this WIND overblow 90.7%M176 He that swears till no MAN trust him, he that lies till no man believe him, he that borrows till no man will lend him, let him go where no man knows him 90.6%M1312 He looks (stands) like MUMCHANCE (Mumhazard), who was hanged for saying nothing 90.6%M868 A MELTETH¹ of meat is the best gift ever a man gave 90.6%C840 CROSSES are ladders that do lead to heaven 90.5%M446 The blind MAN's wife needs no painting 90.5%H83 Lay thy HAND on thy heart and speak the truth 90.5%

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