The Homophobe Doth Protest too Much, Methinks

Firm Like a Midshipman Braced for Ramming from Behind, Freddie Prepares to Give a Sermon

Someone will probably think that I misparaphrased the title line. I didn't. The misquote is "Methinks the lady doth protest too much.". And while we today tend to use the quote to mean that someone is implying the negative so frequently and forcefully that we are inclined to believe the opposite of them, the word 'protest' in Shakespeare's time meant something a little different. Pro is to put forth or come before. Testari, the parent word of testify, meant just that. Combining the two, we get a meaning of 'protest' to signify putting forth ones testimony. The Lady stated her case too vigorously.  Shakespeare's protest was a positive assertion, while today it signifies a negative assertion. Another misconception is that testify and testicle are related, and that Romans used to swear oaths by clutching the other persons testicles. This really wasn't the case. The practice seems to stem from the Bible.