Dictionary

the lady doth protest too much en · X

Etymology

An allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet, where the line is spoken by Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. In the play, "protest" is used to mean "insist that what one is saying is true" (in this case, the Player Queen's protestations of love), not "insist that what another is saying is false."

Meanings

1. It is suspected that, because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite of what they're saying must be true.
   • In all Penelope's devotion to her husband there is an ever present sense that the lady doth protest too much. 1897, Samuel Butler, The Authoress of the Odyssey:

Forms

Deriveds

protest too much

Relateds

a hit dog will holler

Translations (14)

pt a senhora protesta muito (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · ar السَّيِّدَة تَعْتَرِضُ أَكْثَر مِن اللَّازِم (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · ru леди действительно слишком много выступает. (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · fi hän vakuutteli mielestäni liiaksi (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · cmn 此地無銀三百兩 /此地无银三百两 (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · cmn 欲蓋彌彰 /欲盖弥彰 (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · it gallina che canta ha fatto l'uovo (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · gl rosmas moito culpa tes (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · es la dama protesta mucho (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · fr la dame proteste un peu trop (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · fi se koira älähtää, johon kalikka kalahtaa (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · pl ta dama przyrzeka za wiele (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · za dieg neix mbouj miz ngaenz sam bak liengx (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true) · cy yr euog a ffy heb neb yn ei erlid (because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true)