Gaudy Night - Explanation of The Novel's Title

Explanation of The Novel's Title

"Gaudy" derives from the Latin gaudium and Old French gaudie, meaning "merry-making" or "enjoyment". A college gaudy is a meeting for former members. The phrase "gaudy night" is taken from Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra:

Let's have one other gaudy night: call to me / All my sad captains; fill our bowls once more / Let's mock the midnight bell. —Antony and Cleopatra, Act III scene 11 line 182

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