Test your knowledge of Shakespearean phrases

Widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, world’s renowned playwright & England’s national poet!

Yes, I’m talking of the Bard of Avon, ..William Shakespeare!!

Such is the towering contribution of Shakespeare to English language that even without reading any of his books, most of us would still be using a lot of phrases coined by him, in our daily life.

Don’t believe it?  Check this out and find out how many you know…

1.       “All the world is a stage”-  (As you like it)

2.       “Bated breath” — (The Merchant of Venice)

3.       “Be-all and the end-all” — (Macbeth)

4.       “Brave new world” — (The Tempest)

5.       “Break the ice” — (The Taming of the Shrew)

6.       “Brevity is the soul of wit” — (Hamlet)

7.       “Cold comfort” — (The Taming of the Shrew / King John)

8.       “The dogs of war” – (Julius Caesar)

9.       “Faint hearted” — (Henry VI Part I)

10.   “For goodness’ sake” — (Henry VIII)

11.   “Foregone conclusion” — (Othello)

12.   “Full circle” — (King Lear)

13.   “Give the devil his due” — (Henry IV Part I)

14.   “Good riddance” — (Troilus and Cressida)

15.   “An itchy palm” – (Julius Caesar)

16.   “Jealousy is the green-eyed monster” — (Othello)

17.   “Heart of gold” — (Henry V)

18.   “In my heart of hearts” — (Hamlet)

19.   “Knock knock! Who’s there?” — (Macbeth)

20.   “Laughing stock” — (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

21.   “Love is blind” — (The Merchant of Venice)

22.   “Milk of human kindness” — (Macbeth)

23.   “One fell swoop” — (Macbeth)

24.   “A spotless reputation” – (Richard the second)

25.   “Strange bedfellows” – (The tempest)

26.   “There is a tide in the affairs of men” – (Julius Caesar)

27.   “To be, or not to be” – (Hamlet)

28.   “A tower of strength” – (Richard the second)

29.   “Wear my heart upon my sleeve” — (Othello)

30.   “Wild-goose chase” — (Romeo and Juliet)

Compilation of some of the phrases/expressions he coined, is the humble tribute of yours truly, a much lesser mortal, to the man extraordinaire on his 400^th death anniversary! (23^rd April 2016). 

Now, let me try walking the Shakespearian talk! Tall task, truly..!!

..So, ‘in my hearts of heart’ and with the ‘bated breath’, I wait for comments from the ‘brave new world’ of social media in the not-so-‘cold comfort’ that anonymity of posting would open the flood-gates, for bouquets or brickbats on the blog! Someone just needs to ‘break the ice’ though…!! :-)

…And hope it is not a ‘wild-goose chase’ here!!! :-)  :-)