Shakespeare's Bawdymust rank as one of the great Eric Partridge's most outstanding accomplishments. In it Partridge, regarded by Anthony Burgess as 'a human lexicographer, like Samuel Johnson', was able to combine his detailed knowledge of Shakespeare with his unrivalled knowledge of Elizabethan slang and innuendo. It is, as he describes it, 'a literary and psychological essay and a comprehensive glossary', which opened the window upon a long-avoided aspect of Shakespeare's plays. Shakespeare's Bawdyis a work of delight and insight that has an appeal that transcends time and class. Acclaimed by Stanley Wells, editor of The Oxford Shakespeare as 'a classic of Shakespeare scholarship', it takes its place alongside other classics with a well-deserved, if slightly cheeky, impunity. For sheer reading pleasure, Shakespeare's Bawdyis a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. This classic work fully explains the whole range of sexual, scatological language and allusion in Shakespeare's works. Consisting of an alphabetical glossary with cross-references, this book helps the modern reader to make sense of the bawdy. Foreword vii Preface xi ESSAY 1(60) Introductory 1(8) Non-Sexual Bawdy 9(4) Homosexual 13(6) Sexual 19(34) General 53(6) Valedictory 59(2) Index to Essay 61(4) Glossary 65