Tis But A Flesh Wound

Meaning

What does Tis But A Flesh Wound mean?

Tis but a flesh wound (also known as tis but a scratch or  just a flesh wound) are memorable quotes uttered by the Black Knight character during a scene of the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The infamous scene shows the Black Knight refusing to give up the duel he fights despite the fact that he systematically gets dismembered by his opponent.

His lines have made the scene a memorable part of the movie, and also inspired people of the internet to use it as catchphrases, as well as reaction memes in situations where somebody tries to belittle the trouble they got themselves into.

Origin

What's the origin of Tis But A Flesh Wound?

Monty Python and the Holy Grail premiered in the United Kingdom in 1975. The scene that features tis but a flesh wound features King Arthur, who is challenged by the Black Knight upon trying to cross a bridge..

Arthur cuts the knight’s arm off, but instead of yielding, the knight utters “‘Tis but a scratch” and proceeds to attack Arthur. After he loses his other arm he says “Just a flesh wound,” and tries to deal some damage without any remaining upper-body limbs, just by hopping on his legs and trying to head-butt Arthur.

Over time, this scene became the most well-recognized in pop-culture, and it remains frequently quoted in the mainstream media to this day

Spread & Usage

How did Tis But A Flesh Wound spread?

The catchphrases, aside from being frequently quoted in the mainstream media, spread through artworks and memes across the internet, with  One of the earliest meme variants being demotivational posters.

In 2008, an artist called Gary Brookins published his comic segment, that mixed tis but a flesh wound with the theme of a political dispute between Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama,  using the quotes, as well as the aesthetics of the scene.

In 2018 On August 21st, 2018, the YouTube channel big boss uploaded a remix of the scene, that they edited to appear as if it was taken out of the game Fallout: New Vegas.

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External resources

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