10 English Phrases You Didn't Know Originate from Shakespeare

Everybody knows who William Shakespeare is, but did you know that he was responsible for the invention and popularisation of over 1700 English words? That’s right, so much of the English we speak today has origins in Shakespeare’s plays and poetry, written and performed all the way back in the 17th century.

If you're ready to add some Renaissance words to your vocabulary, read on for 10 contemporary sayings that trace back to Shakespeare.

1) "It's Greek to me"

What does it mean?

"I don't understand it."

This phrase existed before it was written into the famous tragedy, Julius Caesar, but it was Shakespeare who popularised the phrase as we know it today. While we say 'It's all Greek to me' nowadays to simply mean that we don't understand something, it's believed to originate in the notes of medieval scribes copying Latin texts. When faced with a Greek quotation in the text, they would write 'Graecum est, non legitur or Graecum est, non potest legi', or 'It is Greek; it cannot be read.'

2) "Brave new world"

What does it mean?

"A new situation or way of doing something that is exciting and meant to improve people's lives."

Most people will know this simple phrase from the novel known as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, a dystopian novel centring on a dark world ruled by science and technology. The phrase was originally written in The Tempest, however, when Miranda, a young girl born and stuck on an island with her father, sees outsiders wash up ashore for the first time.

3) "Method to my madness"

What does it mean?

"There is reason behind someone's strange behaviour."

This line comes from Hamlet, although it meant something slightly different in Shakespeare's play than it does today. When Hamlet starts pretending to be mad, Polonius says 'Though this be madness, yet there is method in't'. While Hamlet appears to be speaking gibberish, Polonius observes that there is some reason behind what he is saying. There is often a very fine line between madness and insight in Shakespeare's plays, so keep that in mind next time you're feeling a little crazy!

4) "Star-crossed lovers"

What does it mean?

"Lovers who cannot be together or are fated to separate."

This phrase comes from, you guessed it, Romeo and Juliet, the most famous 'star-crossed lovers' in literature. Romeo and Juliet are destined to be pulled apart by the hatred and politics between their two conflicting families. The lovers are 'star-crossed' because, in Shakespeare's time, many believed that the positions of the stars ruled people's fates.

5) "Neither rhyme nor reason"

What does it mean?

"Something that makes no sense."

First recorded in The Comedy of Errors, this saying describes something which makes no sense either logically or poetically. The phrase existed before this in a French text around 1475, but it was Shakespeare that made the phrase an everyday part of the English language.

6) "Wild goose chase"

What does it mean?

"A search that is unsuccessful and a waste of time because the thing being searched for doesn't exist or is somewhere else."

In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Mercutio's duel is compared to a 'wild goose chase', a slang term for a kind of chaotic horse race in the 1500s. There's no solid evidence for why it was known as a goose chase, but it is thought that the horses in the game all moved in a way that resembled a flock of geese.

7) "The be-all and the end-all"

What does it mean?

"The most important part of something or justification for something."

In Macbeth, Shakespeare's shortest play, Macbeth is visited by three mysterious witches who announce that he will one day be king. This sets off a series of events leading to a murder plot against the current king. Macbeth first uses this phrase when considering the 'blow' that will end the king's life.

8) "A blinking idiot"

What does it mean?

"A stupid or ridiculous person."

In The Merchant of Venice, Arragon must choose between three caskets to win the hand of Portia. If he opens the casket with a photo of Portia then he is permitted to marry her. In this scene, however, Arragon chooses wrongly, and instead opens the casket containing what he refers to as a 'blinking idiot'. The term 'blinking' is a synonym for the colloquial 'bloody' in English, but the word could also be used here to refer to the squinting or confused expression on the person's face.

9) "Break the ice"

What does it mean?

"Doing or saying something to relieve the tension in an awkward situation or when strangers first meet."

This common phrase first appeared in reference to social situations in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. In the play, Petruchio tries to soften Katherine, a 'cold' woman who does not allow men to order her around. The word 'cold' here is key, since it is implied that Katherine is the source of the ice.

10) "Wear my heart upon my sleeve"

What does it mean?

"Showing your most intimate emotions."

The origin of this phrase is rather ironic since it comes from a character who hides everything about themself. Iago, in the tragedy of Othello, is a sneaky villain trying to damage Othello's clean reputation through trickery. In one speech, he announces that to 'wear your heart on your sleeve', or to be honest, is to let jackdaws peck at you.

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