Five Words We Owe to William Shakespeare

Five words we owe to William Shakespeare




It's a given that one of your main woes as a teenager was trying to understand the Shakespearean language. As contemporary English language speakers, it can be difficult to get our head around Shakespeare's terms. That being said, you might be surprised to know that many of the words and phrases we use today originated from Shakespeare's plays.

Here, Derrick Gask, artistic programme manager, shares his top five words and expressions that originated from the Bard himself.


Break the ice

Not many people know that the phrase break the ice was first used to describe a social gesture in one of Shakespeare's plays. In The Taming of the Shrew, Tranio says that Petruchio needs to break the ice with Katherina before he can woo her.

Shakespeare chose this particular phrase because Katherina's character was cold and hard to crack. Petruchio needed to break through the ice to reach Katherina's heart. In the end, Petruchio's plan worked and the two married towards the end of the play.

The meaning of this phrase hasn't changed much compared to how we use it today, although it is no longer used in connotation with a person's character. If you break the ice in a room, you remove any tension, so everyone feels comfortable getting to know each other.


Mum's the word

This phrase is commonly used when someone is staying quiet. It originated from Shakespeare's 1592 play, Henry VI, part 2. When the Duke's servant, Hume is paid to help Eleanor find a witch, he tells the audience, "seal up your lips and give no words but mum."

This is because the audience is already aware that Cardinal and Suffolk have paid him to kill the Duke's wife. Today, mum's the word is commonly used when a person is sworn to secrecy.


Swagger

The word swagger was first used in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The first definition of the word is behaving in an insolent or arrogant manner. If someone has swagger, they display dominance over others, which has some relevance to how the word is used today.

Today, the word swagger is often used to describe someone who is well dressed and displays an often unfounded level of confidence.


Wild goose chase

The phrase wild goose chase first appeared in Romeo and Juliet, in 1592. Our understanding of the term today differs to Shakespeare's. Back then the meaning waws more literal and a wild goose chase was a chase in which horses followed a lead horse at a set distance, mimicking wild geese flying in formation.

Nowadays, the phrase refers to the undertaking of a task that will probably prove to be pointless.


Green-eyed monster

The notion that jealousy has green-eyes is probably older than Shakespeare, but it first appeared in print in his 1604 play, Othello.

Throughout the play, the most obvious jealousy is portrayed by Othello. As the play progresses, Othello grows increasingly jealous towards Cassio and Desdemona. During the play, Iago warns Othello that his jealousy is dangerous, by saying, "O beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."

One of the best ways to make sense of the Shakespearean language is to watch modern iterations of his plays, such as the ones Stafford Gatehouse Theatre organises every year during Stafford Festival Shakespeare.


From June 23 to July 9, 2016, Stafford Festival Shakespeare will be showing its own production of Othello at Stafford Castle. If your friends and family have already purchased tickets, don’t be jealous, you can still get yours today.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.staffordfestivalshakespeare.com/ or by calling Stafford Gatehouse Theatre's box office on 01785 619080.