"A Quaker hates a parrot"

[Garson O'Toole]

The meaning of the parrot quote might be illuminated by examining the
other items that Quakers are supposed to hate in similar
constructions. Here is a quick sample. The dates are from Google Books
and I didn't check them carefully. The books might be reprints:

[1736]
Never was Poetry under so great an Oppression as now, as full of
Phanaticisms as Religion; where every one pretends to the Spirit of
Wit, sets up a Doctrine of his own, and hates a Poet worse than a
Quaker does a Priest.

[1807]
For she abhors this monster more than space,
More than a Quaker hates a golden lace,

[1826]
Psha! I hate dogs and guns worse than a quaker hates a drum

[1896]
I hate them as a Quaker hates gunpowder

On Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 10:23 PM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "A Quaker hates a parrot"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> From "Reflections on Baroque", by Robert Harbison
>
> "Grotesque figures of speech often achieve a similar effect on a smaller
> scale. Millamant is said to hate Mirabelle more than a Quaker hates a parrot
> or a fishmonger a hard frost. It is a joke which treads near madness it its
> far-fetched irrelevance."
>
> DanG
>
> On Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 9:49 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
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>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>> Subject:      "A Quaker hates a parrot"
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> A correspondent asks:
>>
>> >In Way of the World, Witwould says that Lady Wishfort "hates
>> >Mirabell  worse than a Quaker hates a parrot or than a fishmonger
>> >hates a hard frost."
>> >I can see where a fishmonger would hate a hard frost, but why would
>> >a Quaker hate a parrot?
>> >The only reasons that occur to me are that Quakers value silence and
>> >parrots are said to be noisy, or that a parrot who spoke might
>> >repeat  words no Quaker should know.
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>>
>> Joel
>>
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