Posted by Keith Rennie on December 02, 2004
In Reply to: Macedon and Monmouth posted by Smokey Stover on November 24, 2004
: : : : Does anyone know where the saying "As different as Macedon and Monmouth" originated from?
: : :
: : : I've found it! It's from Shakespeare's Henry V.
: : Thanks for posting and letting us know.
: Pardon me for being a dunce, but lacking a copy at hand of Henry V, I don't know whether there's any significance in this choice of place names. Is it just that both start with M, but are very far apart geographically? SS
Fortunately I downloaded a free complete shakespeare onto my palm and found it at once. It's not arbitrary, it occurs in the context of a very funny discussion between Fluellen and Captain Gower on Alexander the great (whom because of his Welsh accent he calls Alexander the Pig)and the King ("Harry of Monmouth) and they go into detailed comparisons.