Another find from the downstairs library: a book called "The Encyclopedia of Misinformation". It's a great book detailing all sorts of wrong thing people believe in. I was a bit suspicious of this book, because often books of this sort are full of misinformation themselves. However, from the misinformation it lists that I already knew was misinformation, it seemed correct and well researched.
Except for one entry, on the phrase "Get thee to a nunnery" in Shakespeare. The book claims that nunnery in Shakespeare's time meant a house of prostitution, and that people mistakingly believe that it really means a convent. That sounded highly dubious to me. I mean, obviously a nunnery is a convent, it seems very straightforward. So I just googled around on this, and found out that I'm not the only one who thinks so. According to that link, while nunnery sometimes meant a house of prostitution, it usually means a convent. Shakespeare scholars agree that convent is the meaning that Shakespeare was after.
I'm surprised that the Encyclopedia of Misinformation got this wrong. It had an excellent article about how the whole Shakespeare authorship discussion is bullshit, and how there is overwhelming evidence that Shakespeare wrote the works that today bear his name.
So now you know, dear readers. The only debunkings you can trust are the one endorsed by this blog.
Posted by ahyatt at April 11, 2006 06:49 AM