William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is one of the most famous and influential English writers. He wrote dozens of plays and poems. But he also introduced thousands of words and phrases into the English language which are still popular today. However, today many people believe that Shakespeare may not have invented some of these words and phrases, but rather his works are the first time the words were actually written down. This does not discount the fact, however, that Shakespeare was a master of English and a huge influence on the language lasting until today.
Below are many phrases from Shakespeare. Below that list are many words we got from Shakespeare. Have a question about any of them? Just ask us!!
Phrases from Shakespeare we still use in everyday communication
- “It’s Greek to me” (Julius Caesar) – When you say, “it’s Greek to me” you are admitting that you do not know or understand something.
- “Fair play” (The Tempest) – Follow the rules, especially in competitions or sports.
- “All that glitters isn’t gold” (Merchant of Venice) – We usually use this phrase after we discover the fact that something that looks good turns out not to be that great.
- “Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve” (Othello) – To be a hopeless romantic (or be open and honest about how you feel) is to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve.
- “Break the ice” (The Taming of the Shrew) – Often when you meet someone for the first time, you “break the ice” by asking them polite questions about themselves.
- “The lady doth protest too much” (Hamlet) – If someone denies something more than once, you can say “the lady doth protest too much,” meaning you think that they feel the opposite to what they are saying.
- “Clothes make the man” (Hamlet) – Although not always true, this phrase implies that how a person dresses tells you something about who they are as a person.
- “A laughing stock” (The Merry Wives of Windsor) – To be a laughing stock is to be considered a joke by many people.
- “Too much of a good thing” (As You Like It) – It is said that “too much of a good thing” (i.e. money, love, food) is not necessarily good for you.
- “In a pickle” (The Tempest) – To be “in a pickle” is to be in trouble or a situation that you cannot easily get out of.
“All our yesterdays”— (Macbeth)
“As good luck would have it” — (The Merry Wives of Windsor)
“As merry as the day is long” — (Much Ado About Nothing / King John)
“Bated breath” — (The Merchant of Venice)
“Be-all and the end-all” — (Macbeth)
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be” — (Hamlet)
“Brave new world” — (The Tempest)
“Break the ice” — (The Taming of the Shrew)
“Brevity is the soul of wit” — (Hamlet)
“Refuse to budge an inch” — (Measure for Measure / The Taming of the Shrew)
“Cold comfort” — (The Taming of the Shrew / King John)
“Conscience does make cowards of us all” — (Hamlet)
“Crack of doom” — (Macbeth)
“Dead as a doornail” — (Henry VI Part II)
“A dish fit for the gods” — (Julius Caesar)
“Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war” — (Julius Caesar)
“Devil incarnate” — (Titus Andronicus / Henry V)
“Eaten me out of house and home” — (Henry IV Part II)
“Faint hearted” — (Henry VI Part I)
“Fancy-free” — (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
“Forever and a day” — (As You Like It)
“For goodness’ sake” — (Henry VIII)
“Foregone conclusion” — (Othello)
“Full circle” — (King Lear)
“The game is afoot” — (Henry IV Part I)
“Give the devil his due” — (Henry IV Part I)
“Good riddance” — (Troilus and Cressida)
“Jealousy is the green-eyed monster” — (Othello)
“Heart of gold” — (Henry V)
“Hoist with his own petard” — (Hamlet)
“Ill wind which blows no man to good” — (Henry IV Part II)
“In my heart of hearts” — (Hamlet)
“In my mind’s eye” — (Hamlet)
“Kill with kindness” — (The Taming of the Shrew)
“Knock knock! Who’s there?” — (Macbeth)
“Laughing stock” — (The Merry Wives of Windsor)
“Live long day” — (Julius Caesar)
“Love is blind” — (The Merchant of Venice)
“Milk of human kindness” — (Macbeth)
“More sinned against than sinning” — (King Lear)
“One fell swoop” — (Macbeth)
“Play fast and loose” — (King John)
“Set my teeth on edge” — (Henry IV Part I)
“Wear my heart upon my sleeve” — (Othello)
“Wild-goose chase” — (Romeo and Juliet)
Words that come from Shakespeare
Here are some common words that first appeared in Shakespeare’s plays and their meanings:
Auspicious – favorable; promising success; a good omen. A wedding is an example of an auspicious occasion.
Baseless – without a foundation; not based on fact. If you accuse someone of wrongdoing, make sure that you have support to back up your claim and it is not a baseless accusation.
Barefaced – shameless; without concealment or disguise. When someone tells a ‘barefaced lie’ it is not a very good one and you immediately know it is not true.
Castigate – to punish harshly. Sometimes celebrities and politicians are castigated in the press more harshly than ordinary citizens.
Clangor – a loud (clanging) sound. Ghosts are sometimes said to be followed by the loud clangor of chains.
Dexterously – skillful, especially in the use of one’s hands (or also one’s mind). A good carpenter can dexterously build a bookshelf very easily.
Dwindle – to get smaller; diminish. Often used to describe money. Many people’s savings dwindle after losing a job.
Multitudinous – a lot; a great number. You are in luck if you can say that you have a multitudinous amount of friends.
Sanctimonious – pretending to be very religious or righteous. Sometimes people who judge others harshly are sanctimonious.
Watchdog – a person or group that keeps close watch to discover wrong or illegal activity. A popular watchdog group is PETA, which exposes wrongful actions against animals.