Common Colloquial Terms That Originated With Shakespeare

An animated Digg tutorial shows how common colloquial terms used in modern times originated from various soliloquies in works by William Shakespeare. Among the most famous are “breaking the ice” (The Taming of the Shrew), “wild goose chase” (Romeo and Juliet), “out of the jaws of death” (Twelfth Night), “naked truth” (Love’s Labor’s Lost), and “knock-knock jokes” (Macbeth), just to name a few.

You might already know that Shakespeare came up with such famous phrases as “star-crossed lovers” and “much ado about nothing.” But did you also know that the immortal bard came up with everyday terms we all use everyday

Everyday Terms Coined By Shakespeare
Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.