25 Shakespeare Phrases We Use Today
Ever told a friend to “break the ice” or chased a “wild-goose”? Those are Shakespeare phrases we use today. The Bard coined or popularised hundreds of English expressions that slip into daily speech. Below are 25 favourites, each with the play and scene where it first appeared, plus a plain-English explanation. If you enjoy these Shakespeare phrases we use today, be sure to check our wider roundup of Shakespeare sayings.
Why We Still Say These Shakespeare Phrases Today
Printing presses spread his plays across England, school curricula kept them alive and Hollywood revived them for new audiences. Because Shakespeare wrote when English was expanding rapidly, many Shakespeare phrases we use today filled lexical gaps and simply stuck.
The 25 Shakespeare Phrases We Use Today
Break the ice
― The Taming of the Shrew, 1.2
Gremio hopes someone else will “break the ice” with fiery Kate so he can woo Bianca. Today it means easing social awkwardness.
Wild-goose chase
― Romeo and Juliet, 2.4
Mercutio teases Romeo about a pointless “wild-goose chase”, now any futile pursuit.
Green-eyed monster
― Othello, 3.3
Iago warns Othello that jealousy is a “green-eyed monster” that mocks the meat it feeds on.
In a pickle
― The Tempest, 5.1
Alonso asks a drunken Trinculo if he is “in such a pickle”. Now it means in trouble.
Knock knock, who’s there?
― Macbeth, 2.3
The Porter’s comic riff becomes the ancestor of every knock-knock joke.
Heart of gold
― Henry V, 4.1
Pistol praises King Henry, disguised as a soldier, as having a “heart of gold”.
Swagger
― A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 3.1
Puck warns actors not to “swagger” in the forest. The verb soon meant walking with style.
Full circle
― King Lear, 5.3
Edmund admits events have come “full circle”. We use it when things return to their start.
Vanish into thin air
― Othello, 3.1
The Clown jokes that musicians have “vanished into thin air”. Modern English kept the magical feel.
Love is blind
― The Merchant of Venice, 2.6
Jessica says lovers are blind to each other’s faults, a maxim still cited today.
Wear my heart upon my sleeve
― Othello, 1.1
Iago claims he won’t “wear [his] heart upon [his] sleeve”. Now it means showing feelings openly.
Star-crossed lovers
― Romeo and Juliet, Prologue
The chorus labels Romeo and Juliet “star-crossed lovers”. We use it for doomed romance.
Sow wild oats
― Henry IV Part 2, 5.3
Falstaff jokes about sowing “wild oats”, a euphemism for youthful fling that survives intact.
Break the news
― Henry IV Part 2, 1.1
Northumberland asks Lord Bardolph to “break… the news” of war. We still “break news” today.
Cold-blooded
― King John, 3.1
Salisbury calls King John “cold-blooded”. It now describes merciless acts.
The game is afoot
― Henry V, 3.1
Henry rallies troops with “the game’s afoot”. Conan Doyle later gave it to Sherlock Holmes.
Too much of a good thing
― As You Like It, 4.1
Rosalind quips that even joy can be excessive. The phrase warns of overindulgence.
Bedazzled
― The Taming of the Shrew, 4.5
Katherina says her eyes are “bedazzled”, now dazzled by brilliance or sparkle.
Off with his head
― Richard III, 3.4
Richard orders Hastings’ execution with “Off with his head”. Modern speakers use it jokingly.
Kill with kindness
― The Taming of the Shrew, 4.1
Petruchio plans to “kill a wife with kindness”, now doing harm through excessive helpfulness.
Seen better days
― As You Like It, 2.7
Duke Senior welcomes Rosalind’s troupe who have “seen better days”, still used for worn items.
Send him packing
― Henry IV Part 1, 2.4
Falstaff vows to “send him packing”. We use it for dismissing someone abruptly.
Good riddance
― Troilus and Cressida, 2.1
Thersites wishes “good riddance” to Calchas. Modern speakers say it when glad something is gone.
Lie low
― Much Ado About Nothing, 5.1
Don Pedro advises Leonato to “lie low”. Today it means keep out of sight until trouble passes.
How Shakespeare’s Language Shaped Modern English
Scholars credit Shakespeare with inventing or popularising more than 1,700 words. His readiness to turn nouns into verbs, add prefixes or coin compounds energised Early Modern English. Printers reissued his plays, schoolmasters taught them and audiences quoted them, ensuring many Shakespeare phrases we use today became everyday idioms.
FAQs About Shakespeare Phrases We Use Today
- Did Shakespeare really invent all these phrases? Some existed earlier, but his plays gave them mass exposure (OED Blog).
- How many words did Shakespeare coin? Estimates range from 1,700 to 2,000.
- Which play contributes the most idioms? Henry IV and As You Like It are top contenders.
Sources and Further Reading
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Loved these Shakespeare phrases we use today? Browse even more classic lines in our popular roundup
“Sayings From Shakespeare” and keep your language Bard-bright.