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20 April 2011

Quean

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No, not "queen." Quean.

You'll see this word pop up from time to time in the language of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. A quean is a disreputable, upstart, boisterous, impudent woman. The term is also synonymous with "prostitute."

Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time by Bronzino, c. 1546
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A true quean always knows how to stir up maximum trouble. Even if she's a nun.

From Holbein's Danse Macabre, "The Nun"
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To be a quean is to be brazen. It's a derogatory term, but there have always been women who managed to wear it well.
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9 comments:

  1. joanne leeApril 20, 2011 at 1:46 PM

    You learn something new every day!

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  2. Crystal CollierApril 20, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    I have a book of old rude and obnoxious English. I bet this word is in there. =)

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  3. Luanne G. SmithApril 20, 2011 at 2:51 PM

    Don't forget she's a Big Bag of Trouble. :P

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  4. Elizabeth TwistApril 20, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    I sense a punk song waiting to be written, L.G.

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  5. Elizabeth TwistApril 20, 2011 at 3:16 PM

    @Joanne: I hope so!

    @Crystal: I bet it is. That book would be an awesome basis for the A-Z blogfest.

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  6. jkraus8464April 20, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    So to be queanly is not necessarily a royal attribute. Just change one letter and the queen becomes obscene. Interesting.

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  7. TrishaApril 20, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    Having not read any Shakespeare, I've missed this until now! :)

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  8. KM NalleApril 20, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    I learned another new word today! I'm enjoying all the Q posts!

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  9. DafeenahApril 20, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    A new Q word. I am certain if I would have seen this I would have just thought it a typo or something. Thanks for the info.

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