Allas, a foul thyng is it, by my feith,
To seye this word, and fouler is the dede,
Whan man so drynketh of the white and rede
That of his throte he maketh his pryvee
Thurgh thilke cursed superfluitee.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Pardoner, who admits to regular drinking and downed a draft of strong ale before starting his tale, has the audacity to lecture other heavy drinkers on making a toilet of their throat. If he finds alcohol so disgusting, why does he regularly imbibe?