--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any…" description: "\"Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/william-shakespeare-4_familiar_give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unpr_1941937.jpg" --- # Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportioned… ![“Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/william-shakespeare-4_familiar_give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unpr_1941937.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/william-shakespeare-4_familiar_give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unpr_1941937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/william-shakespeare-4_familiar_give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unpr_1941937.jpg) > “Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar.” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He advises restraint in speech and thought, urging refinement without crudeness. **In simple terms:** Speak and think carefully, avoid vulgarity. Key Takeaway Cultivate refined expression. Themes communication self-control refinement etiquette Mood thoughtful educational Type advice literary When to use this quote - public speaking - writing - social media - personal interactions Key Concepts literature psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance refinement and honesty? - When is bluntness appropriate? A Different Perspective Over‑refinement can hinder authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Familiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familiar/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Polonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polonius/) [Thou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou/) [Thou Familiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-familiar-2387087/) [Thoughts Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-tongue-3100580/) [Thy Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-thoughts-432308/) [Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tongue/) [Unproportioned Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unproportioned-thought-3100579/) [Vulgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulgar/) ## Related quotes > [“Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar; Those friends thou hast, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unproportioned-thought-his-act-be-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“And these few precepts in thy memory Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/and-these-few-precepts-in-thy-memory-look-thou-character-give-thy/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Give thy thoughts no tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/be-thou-familiar-but-by-no-means-vulgar/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“I do believe you think what now you speak, but what we do determine oft we break. Purpose is but the slave to memory,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-do-believe-you-think-what-now-you-speak-but-what-we-do-determine/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Who are you? Tell me for more certainty. Albeit, I'll swear that I do know your tongue. Lorenzo: Lorenzo, and thy love. Jessica: Lorenzo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/who-are-you-tell-me-for-more-certainty-albeit-i-ll-swear-that-i-do/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Where is Polonius? HAMLET In heaven. Send hither to see. If your messenger find him not there, seek him i' th' other place yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/where-is-polonius-hamlet-in-heaven-send-hither-to-see-if-your/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-from-this-time-forth-my-thoughts-be-bloody-or-be-nothing-worth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Neither a borrower nor a lender be, for loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/neither-a-borrower-nor-a-lender-be-for-loan-oft-loses-both-itself-and-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“More grief to hide than hate to utter love. Polonius, Hamlet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/more-grief-to-hide-than-hate-to-utter-love-polonius-hamlet/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“such wanton, wild, and usual slips/ As are companions noted and most known/ To youth and liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/such-wanton-wild-and-usual-slips-as-are-companions-noted-and-most/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [This is the very ecstasy of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/this-is-the-very-ecstasy-of-love/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Lord Polonius: What do you read, my lord? Hamlet: Words, words, words. Lord Polonius: What is the matter, my lord? Hamlet: Between who? Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/lord-polonius-what-do-you-read-my-lord-hamlet-words-words-words-lord/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I will be brief. Your noble son is mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-will-be-brief-your-noble-son-is-mad/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-loved-ophelia-forty-thousand-brothers-could-not-with-all-their/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More Familiar quotes > [ There was another reason \[she\] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-books-whenever-they-went-away/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Photography's potential as a great image-maker and communicator is really no different from the same potential in the best poetry where familiar, everyday words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-caponigro/photography-s-potential-as-a-great-image-maker-and-communicator-is/) [Paul Caponigro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-caponigro/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [This kind of horror has become all too familiar to us. As parents, Cindy and I offer our prayers to the memory of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/this-kind-of-horror-has-become-all-too-familiar-to-us-as-parents/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Any creative process is about being in a territory which isn't secure, isn't necessarily familiar, and isn't convenient in any sort of way. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/any-creative-process-is-about-being-in-a-territory-which-isn-t-secure/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [I don't look to play people that are familiar. I look to play people that are different, challenge, unknown, foreign, and therefore scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/i-don-t-look-to-play-people-that-are-familiar-i-look-to-play-people/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [My pet peeve is hearing a knock on the bathroom door followed by the familiar words, 'What are you doing in there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-scalf-linamen/my-pet-peeve-is-hearing-a-knock-on-the-bathroom-door-followed-by-the/) [Karen Scalf Linamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-scalf-linamen/) > [The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grump-looking old man with a great deal of a long gray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-barman-sidled-toward-them-out-of-a-back-room-he-was-a-grump/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Television is a thing that people get very familiar with. They want to hear your voice in their head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-wayans-jr/television-is-a-thing-that-people-get-very-familiar-with-they-want-to/) [Damon Wayans, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-wayans-jr/) > [It's truly gratifying to see my films reach beyond a familiar public, to get a chance to move new audiences. It's nuts. It's extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-audiard/it-s-truly-gratifying-to-see-my-films-reach-beyond-a-familiar-public/) [Jacques Audiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-audiard/) > [When I was in high school, I was a bad singer. I mean, all my early acting was musical theater, and my first ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-claflin/when-i-was-in-high-school-i-was-a-bad-singer-i-mean-all-my-early/) [Sam Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-claflin/) > [Fella’s a genius. Best ever by a distance in my life time. Never really saw Pele… Souness, Gullit, Venables and now Rooney agree Messi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-lineker/fella-s-a-genius-best-ever-by-a-distance-in-my-life-time-never-really/) [Gary Lineker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-lineker/) > [Sometimes all it takes is a tiny shift of perspective to see something familiar in a totally new light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/sometimes-all-it-takes-is-a-tiny-shift-of-perspective-to-see/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) [Browse all 1,916 Familiar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familiar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unproportioned-thought-his-act-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Familiar" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unproportioned-thought-his-act-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/william-shakespeare-4_familiar_give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unpr_1941937.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/william-shakespeare-4_familiar_give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unpr_1941937.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/william-shakespeare-4_familiar_give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unpr_1941937.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar.” — William Shakespeare", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Shakespeare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unproportioned-thought-his-act-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/give-thy-thoughts-no-tongue-nor-any-unproportioned-thought-his-act-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```