Old Sayings We Still Use Today!

We find it so interesting to know where certain sayings, parochialisms, come from and thought we would share some of our findings. These happen to all be derived from that famous bard, William Shakespeare!

Wild Goose Chase

Inspired by the erratic flying patterns of the bird, a goose chase was a game where riders trained their horses to conduct a series of difficult maneuvers, which others had to copy. Sort of like a game of HORSE, but with actual horses. In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio mentions, “Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done.” Knowing how things turn out for the Mercutio and the young lovers, it makes sense that this phrase refers to a fruitless and complex (if not tragic) game of pursuit.

Break the Ice

You can also blame Shakespeare for dreaded ice breaker games. In The Taming of the Shrew, Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) comments, “If it be so, sir, that you are the man must stead us all, and me amongst the rest, and if you break the ice and do this feat, achieve the elder, set the younger free for our access.” In other words, kudos to protagonist Petruchio for breaking the ice to free up the maiden Bianca for the other suitors.

Green-Eyed Monster

This phrase, referring to jealousy, first popped up in Othello, where envy is the main characters’ undoing. As Othello’s frenemy Iago sagely warns: “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

It’s All Greek to Me

Not sure what’s going on? Apparently neither did Roman Casca in Julius Caesar, when he said, “But those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me.”

Kill With Kindness

Modern musicians have found great inspiration in Shakespeare’s turns of phrase. Before Selena Gomez crooned about killing ’em with kindness, so did Petruchio when describing his tactics to win over the prickly Katherine with a dollop of “headstrong humor” in Taming of the Shrew.

Now, go forth into the weekend and be sure to use these sayings, knowing now, if you did not before, exactly from whence they came!

Have a wonderful one!