line

[The nomenclature of this post's title implies that it is part of a series, and it is indeed intended to be. I'd like to toss short phrases and witticisms into the fray that readers might be able to pull out of their proverbial hats when the right situations arise, thus impressing their friends/friends' friends... Why else do we study Shakespeare except to quote it and appear well-informed? ]

I should leave grazing, were I of your flock,
And only live by gazing.
(WT.IV.4.109-110)

In The Winter’s Tale, Camillo, an older man, says this to Perdita, a beautiful young farm-girl-who-is-secretly-a-princess, and means it more as a compliment than a come-on, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it that way. It’s not a line that can really stand on its own; in the context of the play Perdita has just given Camillo flowers, so grazing has some relevance. I think your only opportunity to use this line and score points with a fine girl would be to use it after they’ve suggested “adding you to their flock of admirers” or that you “get in line to be with them” or something similar. Turn that playful insult into Shakespearean flattery and you’ll be on your way to making the “most dreamy guys I’ve ever hung out with” list!