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All Site ContentRomeo and JulietAct 2Scene 4
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"stop in my tale, against the hair"
Innuendo
Act 2,
Scene 4
Lines 77-83

An explanation of Mercutio’s sexual innuendo in Act 2, Scene 4 of myShakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Mercutio

Why, is not this better now than groaning for love? Now art
thou sociable, now art thou Romeo, now art thou what thou
art by art as well as by nature; for this drivelling love is like
a great natural that runs, lolling, up and down to hide his
bauble in a hole.

Benvolio

Stop there, stop there!

Mercutio

Thou desirest me to stop in my tale against the hair.

 Mercutio accuses Benvolio of wanting him to "stop" his "tale against the hair", against his inclination. But there is also a sexual innuendo in this phrase.  The "tale" is a term for the male genitalia, to "stop" evokes the image of a stopper being placed in the hole of a cask of ale, and the "hair" refers to the female genitalia.