John Gay
John Gay
John Gaywas an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera, a ballad opera. The characters, including Captain Macheath and Polly Peachum, became household names...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth30 June 1685
fox hand steal steals
A fox may steal your hens, sir, / . . . If lawyer's hand is fee'd sir, / He steals your whole estate.
lily
Adieu! she cries; and waved her lily hand.
country govern ought people
The people who own the country ought to govern it
cards deserve far goes green home meaningful path permanent send status
It goes very far in recognizing that you can't send (the undocumented) home and that they do deserve permanent status and a path to citizenship. But there have to be enough green cards there for this to be a meaningful opportunity.
alive man nor rear sad taught wonder
Our Polly is a sad slut! nor heeds what we have taught her. / I wonder any man alive will ever rear a daughter!
far fondly hills
If with me you'll fondly stray, / Over the hills and far away.
assume ignorance pride
By ignorance is pride increased; Those most assume who know the least
last practice ready start study stunk tape time weeks worked
I'll study the tape and see. It's the things we've worked on the last two weeks. We've had enough practice time the last two weeks to start over and be ready to play a new season. We just stunk it up.
dear depends poor rope
For on the rope that hangs my dear / Depends poor Polly's life.
maid plays simple
How, like a moth, the simple maid / Still plays about the flame!
dear happy neither tease thus word
How happy could I be with either, / Were t'other dear charmer away! / But while ye thus tease me together, / To neither a word will I say.
break cheating father handsome hath lectures morality mother pitied pleasure
How the mother is to be pitied who hath handsome daughters! Locks, bolts, bars, and lectures of morality are nothing to them: they break through them all. They have as much pleasure in cheating a father and mother, as in cheating at cards.
both love sexes whatever
The coquettes of both sexes are self-lovers, and that is a love no other whatever can dispossess
lawyers meanings please twist words
I know you lawyers can, with ease, twist words and meanings as you please