bear-baiting Bear-baiting was a popular spectator sport conducted, among other places, at the Bear Garden, which was a building which looked a lot like the Globe Theater and was practically next door. The "sport" consisted of tying a bear to a stake and setting a pack of dogs on it. "Bear-baiting" is the punch-line of the unintentional joke contained in Sir Andrew's wish that he had spent as much time on learning languages as he had on fencing, dancing, and bear-baiting. Knowledge of languages, fencing, and dancing are all gentlemanly accomplishments, but spending time on bear-baiting is like spending time on mastering the art of chugging bitter beer.