“Is that the cook you stole from the Evans household?”
Cressida CowperPortia FeatheringtonS2 · E3 · 00:41:03
What it sounds like
She asks whether Portia’s cook used to work for the Evans household.
What it really means
“She’s accusing Portia of stealing another household’s servant, making her hospitality look dishonest and improper.”
Said today
“Is that the cook you poached from the Evanses?”
What was happening
Portia has just praised her cook’s trifle and invited the guests to try it. Cressida’s question turns the compliment into a public jab about Portia’s conduct and respectability.
CressidaIs that the cook you stole from the Evans household?
The exchange, from the subtitles · Season 2, episode 3, at 00:41:03
Stings rather a lot.
How much it hurts: 3 of 5
Barely veiled.
How well it is hidden: 2 of 5
Type of insultsarcasm, reputation, mock politeness, class and rank.
Checked by my AI judge (93% sure). Found in 1 of 3 separate AI readings of the episode. Who said it was confirmed. How this works