The use of the scold’s bridle continued in this way till as late as 1856, even though it should have ended the very first time this conversation happened: ‘Why have you got your wife in that muzzle, Kenneth?’ ‘She said I’d been mistreating her.’ ‘I don’t want to be rude, Kenneth, as you strike me as a dangerous fucking psychopath, but you are sort of leading her about town in a horse muzzle so maybe she’s got a point?’
