William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday: 50 everyday phrases that came from the Bard

 
From ‘in a pickle’ to ‘good riddance’ the Bard’s legacy is still very much present

Jess Denham
The Independent [UK]
23 April 2014

Happy 450th birthday William Shakespeare. Your plays are still the pinnacle, your poetry among the finest and many phrases you coined are still in wide usage.

Sixth formers who loathe the name Hamlet, apologies, but there is just no escaping the Bard. His influence on the English language has stood the test of time thus far, with little sign of relenting.

Echelons of British culture aside, even those who “don’t do Shakespeare” speak his words in their daily lives. Most of us will have quoted the playwright thousands of times without knowing it.

Ever been “in a pickle” or had “too much of a good thing”? Perhaps friends have “eaten (you) out of house and home” or had you “in stitches” over a joke.

These are just a handful of well-used sayings that come courtesy of Shakespeare…

The article continues at The Independent.