Comparisons are Odorous
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
So says Dogberry. (Much Ado About Nothing, iii, 5.) We own your verses are melodious, But then comparisons are odious.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Comparisons are Odorous” mean?
So says Dogberry. (Much Ado About Nothing, iii, 5.) We own your verses are melodious, But then comparisons are odious.
Is “Comparisons are Odorous” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.