On his famous tour of America Oscar Wilde was the guest of honour at the home of two wealthy New England brothers, one nuttier than a fruit cake, the other fruitier than a nut cake. Oscar, a relative on my mother´s side, famously pin holed a distinguished professor of English Literature at this evening gathering. Here is how the story unfolds...

¨Let´s play a game¨, announced Oscar to the circle of admirers. ¨We each quote Shakespeare and each try to guess the play¨, casting his smile around the group.

¨Here goes then, shall I begin?¨ Smiles and nods of approval sent him on his way....

¨Thou art naught but a weed and I shall pluck thee out, ¨ proclaimed Oscar with a pointing finger and a snatching flourish of his hand.

Oscar grinned like an imp and in hopeful expectation raised his eyebrows to the amused but blank audience. He was going to wait till he got a response, right or wrong.

The professor´s jaw contracted and his clean shaven face flushed from pink to red. He shifted sideways to slip out of the circle but Oscar tapped him on the shoulder saying ¨Now sir, we know YOU must have the answer.

¨Well¨, swallowed the professor, trying to smile, and not wanting the attention, ¨I , well, I, ah, confess I have never heard that quote before, though it certainly has a dramatic ring to it.¨

¨Quite right my new friend¨, beamed Oscar as he swung his gloved hand across the man´s shoulder and squeezed it fraternally, ¨I just made it up this moment.¨

They all laughed a second time when various versions appeared in the morning papers.