Shakespeare’s impact on the English language has been enormous.

Not only did he

coin new words and new meanings for old words, but he also used many expressions
that have become part of our everyday speech. Here are a few examples.
EXPRESSION AND SOURCE MEANING
Eat out of house and home (Henry VI, Eat so much that it makes the provider
Part 2) poor
For ever and a day (The Taming of the Indefinitely; with no end in sight
Shrew)
Give the devil his due (Henry IV, Part 1) Recognize an opponent's achievement
Greek to me (Julius Caesar) Completely unintelligible to me
Green-eyed monster (Othello) Jealousy
In a pickle (The Tempest) In trouble
In stitches (Twelfth Night) Laughing so hard it hurts
Lay it on with a trowel (As You Like It) Flatter excessively
Makes your hair stand on end (Hamlet) Really frightens you
The milk of human kindness (Macbeth) Compassion
A plague on both your houses (Romeo I’m fed up with both sides (in an
and Juliet) argument)
Wear your heart upon your sleeve Show your love to all
(Othello)
Won’t budge an inch (The Taming of the Will not give in; stands firm
Shrew)

From the list above, choose 1 phrase you find interesting or have heard before. Then
complete the following questions.
1. Give a summary of the play the phrase is from. (You may find this on the internet
and put the summary in your own words. Do not copy and paste straight from
the internet.)

2. Have you heard this phrase before? If so, describe what happened when it was
said.

3. Give an original scenario you might use the phrase for.