They say that English language is forever in Shakespeare’s debt for his contribution to the English language. However, the jury is still out on how many words and phrases can actually be attributed to his genius completely, and how many he borrowed from other linguistic virtuosos himself.

Many of the expressions which are associated with Shakespeare might not be the product of his own creativity. Even though he wrote them down in his plays and other works, they may have already been in use during the period in which he lived. But it can be claimed that he was the first person to write the expressions down, such as the one we borrowed for the title.

The article looks into the many sayings, idioms and phrases that Shakespeare “invented” that are still in common usage today. It’s unlikely that native English speakers (and not only native speakers) go through a day without using one or more Shakespeare sayings in one way or another, without even thinking about it.

Ice has been broken

“Break the ice” is a well-known phrase that Mr William Shakes-it-all wrote in his 1590 play The Taming of the Shrew. It means to overcome a socially awkward situation or to do some small thing before the real business takes place.

Digging through the many works of Shakespeare and their lexical splendours is pure joy to a true logophile and surely contributes to the expansion of vocabulary. And as it turns out, the Bard and his entourage of plays are actually a good idea for a quiz.

Question 1

“All the world’s a stage” is the well-known opening line from a monologue in a pastoral comedy As you like it, which was first published in 1623. But what is the second line of this famous monologue by a character named Jaques?

A) And one man in his time plays many parts,
B) And all the men and women merely players;
C) And shining morning face, creeping like snail,
D) Full of wise saws and modern instances; and so he plays his part.

Question 2

“Brevity is the soul of wit” was spoken by a character Polonius in Shakespeare’s perhaps most renowned play, Hamlet. It might not be common knowledge that we owe this idiom to the genius of Mr Shakespeare, but it is nevertheless widely used and well known. But what does it mean?

A) one can be witty without being tall,
B) one can run long distances without getting tired if they can outsmart the other runners
C) one can say a lot more by using the minimum words to convey a thought
D) being short is better than being smart

Question 3

Complete the missing part of the following expression used as a way of saying that the speaker does not understand something said or written. That’s _____________ to me. Though the phrase might according to some sources be a translation of a Latin phrase, it is widely believed that it originates from medieval writings. It also appears in his 1599 play Julius Caesar.

A) Spanish
B) Greek
C) Dutch
D) Danish

Question 4

“All that glitters is not gold” says a line in Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, suggesting that things that seem appealing on the surface are often deceptive. That’s reminds us of the following slang expression from the 1990s and that inspired pickup lines and punch lines, which is used to indicate something very special, great and awesome.

A) All that and a cup of tea.
B) All that and a slice of bread.
C) All that and a jar of pickles.
D) All that and a bag of chips.

Question 5

The meaning of the widely known expression “on a wild-goose chase” is to waste time for something we have a little chance of finding. But do you know which Shakespeare’s play made it popular?

A) Macbeth
B) Othello
C) Richard III
D) Romeo and Juliet

Question 6

The very commonly used adjective admirable that describes something that deserves respect or admiration is also attributed to Shakespeare. It is part of the ingenious monologue by Prince Hamlet to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

What piece of work is a man, how noble in reason,
how infinite in faculties, in form and moving,
how express and admirable in action, how like an angel in apprehension,
how like a god!

Excellent piece of writing, no doubt. But which of the following is not a synonym of admirable?

A) humdrum
B) exquisite
C) laudable
D) hunky-dory

Question 7

Nothing compares to Mr Shakespeare. And just like he enjoyed “playing a joke” with words, there are numerous modern puns and one-liners containing rhymes and words from his plays that are made about him as well. Such as:

When Shakespeare got his writing pencils confused, he wondered if it was 2B or not 2B.

If Shakespeare ever made breakfast, he would always make a Hamlet.

If Shakespeare was to write a prequel to Hamlet, what would it be entitled? Piglet. (Then a sequel to it would possibly be Riblet). A heteropalindrome (word which is also a word when spelled backwards) of hamlet, however, is:

A) a variation of a female name
B) a head piece word by pirates
C) a garden tool
D) popular 1970s music genre 

Fair play

“Fair play” is another widely-used phrase, which was coined by the author, who used it in several of his plays; such as The Tempest from 1610. The phrase is not common only in English language but has surpassed borders and has its counterparts in many languages. It refers to the commitment to respect the rules and treat everyone equally and in good spirit, and encourages a positive attitude of everyone involved.

Another thing Mr S. taught us, is that “too much of a good thing” (from As You Like It) can be detrimental, so we best end the quiz right here. The only thing left is to reveal the correct answers. See below (or between the questions by clicking "+ Leemeta, help me!").

1B, 2C, 3B, 4D, 5D, 6A, 7A