23 Apr 1564 A.D. William Shakespeare Born and Dies on St. George’s Day. 450th Anniversary in 2014--50 everyday phrases that came from the Bard
23 Apr 1564 A.D. William
Shakespeare Born and Dies on St. George’s Day. 450th Anniversary in
2014--50 everyday phrases that came from the Bard.
Denham, Jess.
“William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday: 50 everyday phrase
that came from the Bard.” The Independent. 23 Apr 2014. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/william-shakespeares-450th-birthday-50-everyday-phrases-that-came-from-the-bard-9275254.html . Accessed 23
Apr 2014.
William Shakespeare's 450th
birthday: 50 everyday phrases that came from the Bard
William Shakespeare's influence on
English culture is still strongly felt today, from his plays on stage to words
we use everyday
From 'in a pickle' to 'good riddance'
the Bard's legacy is still very much present
Happy 450th birthday William Shakespeare. Your plays are
still the pinnacle, your poetry among the finest and many phrases you coined
are still in wide usage.
Sixth formers who loathe the name Hamlet, apologies, but
there is just no escaping the Bard. His influence on the English language has
stood the test of time thus far, with little sign of relenting.
Echelons of British culture aside, even those who
"don't do Shakespeare" speak his words in their daily lives. Most of
us will have quoted the playwright thousands of times without knowing it.
Ever been "in a pickle" or had "too much
of a good thing"? Perhaps friends have "eaten (you) out of house and
home" or had you "in stitches" over a joke.
These are just a handful of well-used sayings that come
courtesy of Shakespeare (see below for more).
It is often not clear whether a word or phrase was
already in existence in Shakespeare's lifetime or if he invented it. Regardless,
his plays often provide us with the earliest use of many.
More words and phrases coined by the
Bard
- "For goodness sake" - Henry VIII
- "Neither here not there" - Othello
- "Mum's the word" - Henry VI, Part II
- "Eaten out of house and home" - Henry IV,
Part II
- "Rant" - Hamlet
- "Knock knock! Who's there?" - Macbeth
- "All's well that ends well" - All's Well
That Ends Well
- "With bated breath" - The Merchant of
Venice
- "A wild goose chase" - Romeo and Juliet
- "Assassination" - Macbeth
- "Too much of a good thing" - As You Like
It
- "A heart of gold" - Henry V
- "Such stuff as dreams are made on" - The
Tempest
- "Fashionable" - Troilus and Cressida
- "What the dickens" - The
Merry Wives of Windsor
- "Puking" - As You Like It
- "Lie low" - Much Ado About Nothing
- "Dead as a doornail" - Henry
VI, Part II
- "Not slept one wink" - Cymbeline
- "Foregone conclusion" - Othello
- "The world's mine oyster" - The Merry
Wives of Windsor
- "Obscene" - Love's Labour's Lost
- "Bedazzled" - The Taming of the Shrew
- "In stitches" - Twelfth Night
- "Addiction" - Othello
- "Naked truth" - Love's
Labour's Lost
- "Faint-hearted" - Henry VI, Part I
- "Send him packing" - Henry
IV
- "Vanish into thin air" - Othello
- "Swagger" - Henry V
- "Own flesh and blood" - Hamlet
- "Truth will out" - The Merchant of Venice
- "Zany" - Love's Labour's Lost
- "Give the devil his due" - Henry
IV, Part I
- "There's method in my
madness" - Hamlet
- "Salad days" - Antony and Cleopatra
- "Wear your heart on your sleeve" - Othello
- "Spotless reputation" - Richard II
- "Full circle" - King Lear
- "There's the rub" - Hamlet
- "All of a sudden" - The Taming of the
Shrew
- "Come what, come may" - Macbeth
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