The term "
nothing" was (in the
Shakespearean day) a word to represent the
female genitalia; a
slang for it, if you will. There are many silent
references to it in many of
Shakespeare's
plays. For instance take
Act 3, scene two of
Hamlet, in
Hamlet and
Orphelia's
dialogue:
HAMLET: I mean, my head upon your
lap?
OPHELIA: Ay, my lord.
HAMLET: Do you think I meant
country matters?
OPHELIA: I think nothing, my lord.
HAMLET: That's a fair thought to lie between
maids' legs.
OPHELIA: What is, my lord?
HAMLET:
Nothing.
If you know what the play "
Much Ado About Nothing" is actually about, the title is quite
a play on words. Mr. Shakespeare certainly was
crafty in weaving those
references into casual
conversation. There are many instances, especially in his many
odes, where the
reference is quite clear.
With how often it is rumored that men think about
sex, it is quite truthful to reply to "
What were you thinking about?" with a
coy "
Oh, nothing."