> "Villain, I say, knock me at this gate,
And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.
Grumio! My wife, my wif! Eh! wherefore knock you not?"
Grumio:
> "Hark, hark! I hear the minstrels play.
Are you provided to pay your debts?"
Petruchio:
> "Ay, where lies the catch? How much will it come to?"
Grumio:
> "Why, one, two, three, and a half, I think sir.
Can you not smell the hogs?"
Petruchio:
> "Grumio, 'tis now seven o'clock."
Grumio:
> "Ay, sir, it is so, that you have not touched bird yet.
Your falcon, man! Your hobby!"
Petruchio:
> "Either go, or send the footman forth,
And bid the dairy-woman come hither to dress us."
Grumio:
> "Do you not hear? Sirrah, leave ho! You mountain-foreigner! Go bid the dairy-woman come to dress us."
Petruchio is frustrated with Grumio for not carrying out his orders, and he accuses him of being more interested in listening to the music and smelling the hogs than in doing his job. Grumio responds by asking Petruchio if he can "smell the hogs," which is a way of saying that he is aware of the unpleasant realities of their situation. Petruchio then tells Grumio to go and fetch the dairy-woman so that she can prepare their breakfast. Grumio does not respond, and Petruchio accuses him of being a "mountain-foreigner," which is a term used to describe someone who is ignorant and uncultured.
The use of the word "frothy" in this passage is significant because it highlights the difference between Petruchio's expectations and the reality of the situation. Petruchio is expecting his servant to be obsequious and obedient, but Grumio is more interested in his own interests. This conflict between expectation and reality is a major theme in the play, and it is reflected in the use of the word "frothy" to describe Grumio's empty promises.