I.unsalted, insipid.
I. Lit.: “amurcā insulsā perfundunt sulcos,” Col. 2, 9: “gula,” that longs for tasteless things, Cic. Att. 13, 31, 4. — Comp.: “cibus insulsior,” Hier. Ep. 22, 40.—
II. Trop.
A. Bungling, awkward: “Tyndaris illa bipennem insulsam et fatuam dextra laevaque tenebat,” Juv. 6, 658.—
B. Tasteless, insipid, silly, absurd: “non insulsum huic ingeniumst,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 79: “est etiam in verbo positum non insulsum genus (ridiculi),” Cic. de Or. 2, 64: “multa (in sermone) nec illitterata, nec insulsa esse videntur,” id. Fam. 9, 16: “adulescens,” id. Cael. 29: “acuti, nec insulsi hominis sententia,” id. Tusc. 1, 8.—Sup.: “insulsissimus homo,” Cat. 17, 12.—As subst.: insulsae , ārum, f. (sc mulieres), silly creatures, Cic. Att. 9, 10, 2. — Adv.: insulsē , tastelessly, insipidly, foolishly, absurdly: “aliquid facere,” Cic. Att. 15, 4: “insulse, arroganter dicere,” id. ib. 5, 10: “non insulse interpretari,” not amiss, not badly, id. de Or. 2, 54.—Comp.: “nihil potest dici insulsius,” Gell. 16, 12.—Sup.: “haec etiam addit insulsissime,” Gell. 12, 2, 6.
