venom, dear

   This is a purely Shakespearean vocative, occurring in Twelfth Night (3:ii). It is addressed by Sir Toby Belch to Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who has just announced: ‘No, faith, I’ll not stay a jot longer.’ Sir Toby says: ‘Thy reason, dear venom; give thy reason.’ The term is presumably inspired by Sir Andrew’s mood at the time. He is feeling venomous, or embittered, because he has just seen Maria being pleasant to a young man in the orchard, though she treats Sir Andrew himself with disdain.