Like most of us, you would have learnt about William Shakespeare at school? Studied a couple of his plays? Romeo and Juliet? Othello? The Tempest? Or my personal favourite, A Midsummer Night's Dream?
But what about when you finish school, is he still relevant? Is he still an important part of your everyday life and speech?
Me being the word-nerd that I am, I found is so exciting when I learned just how many idioms we still use today without any idea that we are in fact quoting Shakespeare. Every time I hear someone saying 'it's all Greek to me' or ' I'm in a pickle' it's like a little win for the geeks, word nerds and literature lovers everywhere.
These are my favourite, and probably some of the most common...
"Heart on your sleeve" - Othello.
"Green eyed monster" - Othello.
"Wild Goose chase" - Romeo & Juliet.
"Break the ice" - Taming of the Shrew.
Did you know how much of our language we owe to Shakespeare?
Yes, it's amazing how much the Bard of Avon has influenced our language and through that probably our thinking as well. I wonder about other cultures, other languages, who or what have been their major influences?
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