Note to Romeo and Juliet, 2.4.132: "No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a lenten pie"


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Romeo and Juliet,
Act 2, Scene 4, line 132.
hare: hare, wild rabbit, with a pun on "whore."

lenten pie: Mercutio is thinking of what, in the U.S.A. now (C.E. 2015), is referred to as a "pot pie," a stew of meat, vegetables, and sauce in a pie crust. During Lent, such a pie should contain no meat, but Lent lasts at least forty days, and so someone might put a bit of hare in the lenten pie.

Lenten pie