Saturday, April 21, 2012

Sayings from Hamlet that've made it into English

As we all know, Hamlet is an unexhaustible source of witty phrases and profound expressions, but here's a list of phrases from the play that the language we speak today still retains (I've compiled this list with the help of a) my memory, b) the text of the play ("the play is the thing") and c) Wikipedia. In some cases I'm not sure if the phrase was already widely used in Shakespeare's day, or if he made it popular.) Feel free to add more!

*"mind's eye"

*"primrose path"

*"neither a borrower nor a lender be"

*"to thine own self be true"

*"giving more light than heat"

*"to the manner born"

*"more honoured in the breach than the observance"

*"there are more things in heaven and earth, ..."

*"brevity is the soul of wit"

*"method in madness"

*"an old man is twice a child"

*"every dog has its day"

*"hide fox and all after" which is now known as "hide and seek". People played hide and seek even in the 17th century, it's quite bizarre!

-- Idil

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