10 everyday words and phrases you never knew came from William Shakespeare
It's almost 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare.
The English language owes a great debt to him for inventing over 1700 of our common words.
Independent UK listed out 60 common words we use nowadays that can be credited to the playright.
It is not clear whether these words or phrases were already in existence in Shakespeare’s lifetime or if he invented it but regardless, his plays often provide us with the earliest recorded use of many.
If you ever doubt the relevance of Shakespeare in 2016, Here are 10 well-used sayings that come courtesy of the Bard:
- “Swagger” - Henry V
- “Rant” - Hamlet
- “All of a sudden” - The Taming of the Shrew
- “There's method in my madness” - Hamlet
- "Fancy-free” - A Midsummer Night's Dream
- “Lie low” - Much Ado About Nothing
- “Foregone conclusion” - Othello
- “A sorry sight” - Macbeth
- “For goodness sake” - Henry VIII
- “Good riddance” - The Merchant of Venice
- “What's done is done” - Macbeth
- “Devil incarnate” - Titus Andronicus
- “Knock knock! Who's there?” - Macbeth
- “Jaded” - King Henry VI
- “A heart of gold” - Henry V
- “Bedazzled” - The Taming of the Shrew
- “Faint-hearted” - Henry VI, Part I
- “Vanish into thin air” - Othello
- “Swagger” - Henry V
Check out other words here