Happy Birthday William Shakespeare!

Did you know that Shakespeare invented over 1500 English words?  Some of these words include: eyeball, alligator, generous, frugal, hurry, and lonely.

He also coined some popular phrases such as:

  • “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 questions about themselves.
  • “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.
    (http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/word-lists/list-of-words-and-phrases-shakespeare-invented.html)

Are you in amazement?  The word “amazement” was also first introduced by Shakespeare!

For a list of some more words introduced into the English language by Shakespeare, visit: http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-words/

 

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