Note to Twelfth Night, 2.3.75-76, "My lady's a Cataian, we are politicians, Malvolio's a Peg-a-Ramsey"

Editors generally agree that "Cataian" is a variant spelling of "Cathayan," which meant "a Chinese person." Editors also usually state that "Cathayan" is slang for "trickster" or "cheat." "Politicians" is glossed as "schemers, or intriguers." And "Peg-a-Ramsey" is simply identified as a term of contempt, derived from a character in a popular song. If all these terms are put together, it appears that Sir Toby, in response to being chided for his "caterwauling," is saying something like, "we are all sinners"—"Olivia is a sneak; Sir Andrew, the Clown and I are intriguers; and Malvolio is a contemptible person."

However:

• The idea that that "Cathayan" is slang for "trickster" or "cheat" is shaky. It appears have been put forward by George Steevens, a late 18th century editor of Shakespeare, but Steevens never cited any examples of such a use of the word, and no such meaning for "Cathayan" appears in The Oxford English Dictionary. Besides, there's no particular reason for Sir Toby to characterize Olivia as a trickster or a cheat.
• "Intriguer" or "schemer" isn't the only meaning of "politician." "Politician" can simply mean someone with a policy, a plan.
• The identification of "Peg-a-Ramsey" as a term of contempt is too obvious to be enlightening.

Another Reading:¹
"My lady's a Cataian" because she's famous (like the people in Cathay) for her wealth and the good government of her household; "we are politicians" because our rowdy singing is actually part of our policy of protecting Olivia against Malvolio, who is (like "Peg-a-Ramsey") a busybody, always up to something.

In support of this reading, here are some verses from the song, "Peg o' Ramsay":²

Bonny Peggy Ramsay that any man may see;
And bonny was her face, with a fair freckl'd eye;
Neat is her body made and she hath good skill,
And round are her bonny arms that work well at the mill;
With a hey trolodel, hey trolodel, hey trolodel, lill;
Bonny Peggy Ramsay that works well at the mill.

Some call her Peggy and some call her jean,
And some call her midsummer but they are all mistae'en,
O Peggy is a bonny lass and works well at the mill
For she will be quite occupied while others they lie still!
With a hey trolodel, hey trolodel, hey trolodel, lill;
Bonny Peggy Ramsay that works well at the mill.

Up goes the hopper and in goes the corn
The wheel it goes about and the stones begin to turn
The meal falls in the meal-trough and quickly does it fill,
For Peggy is a bonny lass and works well at the mill
With a hey trolodel, hey trolodel, hey trolodel, lill;
Bonny Peggy Ramsay that works well at the mill.

Bonny Peggy Ramsay that any Man may see,
And bonny was her Face, with a fair freckl'd Eye,
Neat is her Body made and she hath good Skill,
And square is her Wethergig made like a mill:
With a hey trolodel, hey trolodel, hey trolodel, lill;
Bonny Peggy Ramsay she gives well her mill.

Peggy to the Mill is gone to grind a Bowl of Mault,
The Mill it wanted Water, and was not that a fault;
Up she pull'd her Petticoats and piss'd into the Dam,
For six Days and seven Nights she made the Mill to gang;

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¹All my information is derived from Gustav Ungerer, "'My Lady's a Catayan, we are politicians, Maluolios a Peg-a-ramsie' (Twelfth Night II, iii. 77-8)," Shakespeare Survey, 32 (Cambridge: Cambridge U P, 1979), 85-104.

²The first three verses are quoted from Tom Kines, Songs from Shakespeare's Plays, and Popular Songs of Shakespeare's Time (New York: Oak Publications, 1964), 9-10.