folly (n.)
- absurdity
- absurdness
- asininity
- blunder
- buffoonery
- crankiness
- craziness
- daftness
- dumbness
- eccentricity
- error
- fatuity
- fatuousness
- fluff
- foolery
- foolishness
- frivolity
- frivolousness
- gaffe
- giddiness
- goof
- idiocy
- imbecility
- imprudence
- inanity
- indiscretion
- ineptitude
- insanity
- irrationality
- lunacy
- madness
- mindlessness
- mistake
- nonsense
- obtuseness
- queerness
- rashness
- senselessness
- silliness
- stolidity
- stolidness
- stupidity
- thoughtlessness
- triviality
- weirdness
Answer a fool according to his folly.
The common curse of mankind,—folly and ignorance.
Eye Nature's walks, shoot folly as it flies,
And catch the manners living as they rise;
Laugh where we must, be candid where we can,
But vindicate the ways of God to man.
Whether the charmer sinner it or saint it,
If folly grow romantic, I must paint it.
Where lives the man that has not tried
How mirth can into folly glide,
And folly into sin!
My only books
Were woman's looks,—
And folly's all they 've taught me.
The picture placed the busts between
Adds to the thought much strength;
Wisdom and Wit are little seen,
But Folly's at full length.
Folly loves the martyrdom of fame.
Where lives the man that has not tried
How mirth can into folly glide,
And folly into sin!
Plato says, "'T is to no purpose for a sober man to knock at the door of the Muses;" and Aristotle says "that no excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of folly."
The best plan is, as the common proverb has it, to profit by the folly of others.
Sweet bird, that shun'st the noise of folly,
Most musical, most melancholy!
Nor mourn the unalterable Days
That Genius goes and Folly stays.
Daughter of Jove, relentless power,
Thou tamer of the human breast,
Whose iron scourge and tort'ring hour
The bad affright, afflict the best!
When lovely woman stoops to folly,
And finds too late that men betray,
What charm can soothe her melancholy?
What art can wash her guilt away?
