The 25 best Shakespearean insults: "Thou cream-faced loon"

Bill Shakespeare was famous for his fruity insults – here are just some of the best. And if you do choose to use these on colleagues, siblings, pets, mortal enemies, don't blame us for the consequences…

1. 

   1. Pox

   from 'The Tempest'

2. 

   2. Knave

   from 'All's Well That Ends Well'

3. 

   3. Strangers

   from 'As You Like It'

4. 

   4. Three inch

   from 'The Taming of the Shrew'

5. 

   5. February

   from 'Much Ado About Nothing'

7. 

   6. Paper

   from 'Henry IV, Part ii'

8. 

   7. Maypole

   from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

9. 

   8. Lily-liver'd

   from 'Macbeth'

10. 

    9. Carbuncle

    from 'King Lear'

11. 

    10. Scullion

    from 'Henry IV Part ii'

13. 

    11. Spherical

    from 'The Comedy of Errors'

14. 

    12. Coxcomb

    from 'Twelfth Night'

15. 

    13. Scambling

    from 'Much Ado About Nothing'

16. 

    14. Weasel

    from 'Henry IV Part i'

17. 

    15. Minion

    from 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona'

19. 

    16. Promise-breaker

    from 'All's Well that Ends Well'

20. 

    17. Infect my eyes

    from 'Richard III'

21. 

    18. Stewed prune

    from 'Henry IV Part i'

22. 

    19. Lack of wit

    from 'Hamlet'

23. 

    20. Loon

    from 'Macbeth'

25. 

    21. Football player

    from 'King Lear'

26. 

    22. Butter

    from 'Henry IV Part ii'

27. 

    23. Fat guts

    from 'Henry IV Part i'

28. 

    24. Barbermonger

    from 'King Lear'

29. 

    25. Nut-hook

    form 'Henry IV, Part ii'

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