This is one of thirteen cartoons in the Nick Newman's Week slide show on TimesOnline. What's really good about this feature—apart from the cartoons—is that each cartoon has an accompanying text which explains the context and a link to a related article. Here's the text for this cartoon:
The lowest interest rate in the history of the Bank of England will deter savers from depositing money and further undermine troubled banks, it was claimed after the Bank cut the cost of borrowing to 1.5 per cent. ... more
For the above cartoon, Nick has modified a well-known English proverb: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." The construction is an old-fashioned imperative. In modern English we would say: "Don't be a borrower or a lender." The joke is that Nick has added "saver" to reflect the current economic climate, which is bad for savers.
Langauge note
You borrow money from someone and lend it to someone.
Literary note
"Neither a borrower nor a lender be" is a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Proverb resources
Lesson idea
