Romeo Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo to
be or not to be that is the question yes
these quotes are of course from
Shakespeare's plays but they're not
particularly useful in day-to-day
English there's not really a way that
you can use Romeo Romeo wherefore art
thou Romeo
in a way that's very practical that's
going to help you communicate in English
despite the fact that Shakespeare's
plays were written over 400 years ago
you can still hear and use many of his
idioms expressions and phrases today in
fact many of these expressions you may
already know but might not have realized
were actually Shakespearean so if you
would like to broaden your vocabulary
learn a little bit more about British
history and of course William
Shakespeare one of our most famous
playwrights then this lesson is really
going to be well hopefully interesting
welcome back to love English I'm Layla
and today it's all about William
Shakespeare so let's test your English
how many of these phrases expressions
and idioms do you already know and did
you realize that any of them were
actually coined meaning created by
William Shakespeare himself number one
do you have seen better days
have seen better days this essentially
means that something is old worn out
really you shouldn't be using it anymore
it's in poor condition wow that jacket
you're wearing has seen better days you
could really do with a new one number
two too much of a good thing too much of
a good thing meaning even something
really good in excess too much of it can
be bad for you wow that chocolate cake
was delicious but I couldn't eat anymore
too much of a good thing number three
neither rhyme nor reason neither rhyme
nor reason in this case we're actually
talking about there being no logic to
something basically it doesn't make
sense there's no common sense here I've
looked over the documents several times
but there really is no rhyme or reason
to it
I can't understand it at all number four
I haven't slept a wink I haven't slept a
wink this okay is a wink when you put
one eye together very bad wink but when
we talk about not sleeping a wink it
means you haven't slept
so you're extremely tired I didn't sleep
a wink last night because the neighbors
were having a party number five you have
to be cruel to be kind you have to be
cruel to be kind
meaning tough love in truthful harsh is
often very good for somebody and it
might upset them but in the long run
they will benefit so for example I had
to tell her the dress didn't fit I had
to be cruel to be kind
number six and of course with this
expression you can hear that
Shakespearean language the clothes
maketh the man you could say make but
often we do say maketh the clothes
maketh the man there's a lot of sounds
there so it might be tricky to get your
tongue around that but essentially it
says the way you dress will give a good
impression that people often judge you
based on how you dress so it's not very
nice maybe in that way but essentially
you might say to somebody it's important
to look smart for the interview clothes
maker for man number seven in my heart
of hearts in my heart of hearts in my
inner most true deep feelings and
thoughts so for example in your heart of
hearts do you really think your
boyfriend is right for you number eight
flesh and blood flesh and blood and you
would usually say my flesh and blood
this essentially means your family the
people you are actually related to
through blood there's nothing more
important than flesh and blood there
isn't anything I wouldn't do for my
family number nine to be eaten out of
house and home
if somebody eats you out of house and
home you can probably guess it means
they've got a pretty big appetite my son
is always so hungry he ate me out of
house and home last week number 10 a
lovely expression when you find
something a little bit confusing it's
all Greek
to me meaning basically it's like a
foreign language and you can't
understand it at all of course unless
you are Greek then you should be able to
understand it but it's not necessarily
referring to a language you could be
talking about an instruction manual for
example trying to understand the IKEA
instructions to put furniture together
oh it's all Greek to me number 11 to be
made of sterner stuff to be made of
sterner stuff to be strong determined to
overcome trials so for example I was
ready to give up but not Sabra she's
made of sterner stuff she kept us going
number 12 the be-all and end-all the
Beall and end-all meaning the most
important thing the ultimate goal or aim
it really isn't the be-all and end-all
to go to the party tomorrow night I'd
rather stay home and watch TV we often
use it in the negative form to express
that something isn't really as important
as someone might think it is having the
most fashionable clothes is not the
be-all and end-all number 13 and I'm
sure you've heard of this expression the
green-eyed monster the green-eyed
monster and in this case we're talking
about someone being jealous I think
she's got a little bit of the green-eyed
monster after seeing you get that
promotion I saw how she was looking over
here
number 14 what's done is done what's
done is done meaning you cannot change
something that has happened and of
course usually it's bad she decided that
she wanted to break up with him and then
changed her mind but what's done is done
number 15 to be a foregone conclusion
for something to be a foregone
conclusion this means it's an inevitable
result basically a result that is
obvious before it happens
so for example the election seemed to be
a foregone conclusion number 16 to wear
your heart on your sleeve if you wear
your heart on your sleeve
then you are a very open kind but easily
hurt person you easily expose your
feelings you're vulnerable
she's very easily hurt as she wears her
heart on her sleeve meaning it isn't
protected by your chest
number 17 all that glitters isn't gold
all that glitters isn't gold this is a
little bit like the expression the grass
isn't always greener
basically meaning things are not always
as good as they appear from the outside
after being cheated on by many handsome
men she realized that all that glittered
probably wasn't gold number 18 a
blinking idiot essentially it's calling
someone stupid of course so be careful
how you use it and certainly directing
it towards people not the best idea
but a blinking idiot is essentially
someone that's a fool stupid you gave
the kids chocolate before dinner or you
blinking idiot number 19 the world is
your oyster the world is your oyster
meaning you can achieve whatever you
want in life when you learn a second
language the world is your oyster jobs
and travel becomes so much easier number
20 a tower of strength if someone is a
tower of strength it means that they are
strong and they support you you can rely
on them so for example when I was
feeling really ill and down she was a
tower of strength she really supported
me
number 21 a wild goose chase now a goose
is that bird essentially when you say
you feel like you're on a wild goose
chase or you're on a wild goose chase
you feel like something is unattainable
you're searching for something that
cannot be found for example it was a
complete wild goose chase looking for
the ingredients for that dish I could
not find them in any shop number 22 to
break the ice
yes I'm sure you've heard this
expression before and it is in fact
Shakespearean so when you try to break
the ice you try to make an awkward
situation feel more relaxed and calm
basically to relax social tension
usually when you meet someone for the
first time so when I went on a date the
other week I tried to break the ice by
telling a joke it almost worked
number 23 to vanish into thin air to
vanish into thin air when something
vanishes into thin air it essentially
disappears where did that chocolate go
it seems to have vanished into thin air
hmm number 24 neither here nor there
neither here nor there essentially this
means it is of no importance or
relevance her age is neither here nor
there is she able to do the job that's
what we need to know number 25
mums the word mums the word basically
you say this when you agree and tell
someone you're going to keep that secret
she didn't want to tell anybody about
her pregnancy too soon mum's the word 26
with bated breath and usually we say I
waited with bated breath
meaning you held your breath to see what
was going to happen
basically you're anxious nervous worried
but in an excited way so she waited with
bated breath to see if he was going to
propose number twenty-seven to have a
heart of gold quite simply this is
referring to somebody who is very kind
and thoughtful
she bought ran some soup when I was
feeling sick she really does have a
heart of gold
number 28 dead as a doornail dead as a
doornail now essentially this means that
something is completely dead the folks
on the side of the motorway Wow really
looked dead as a doornail essentially
very dead completely dead but there
really isn't a part dead so I don't
really understand that expression but
you will still commonly hear it dead as
a doornail number twenty nine to be in
stitches now what this is is when you're
laughing so hard that really your
stomach starts to hurt
so sabra often has me in stitches of
laughter when she tells me some of her
jokes or does some of her accents
meaning we laugh a lot to the point it
hurts number 30
faint hearted faint-hearted someone
that's faint-hearted is usually not very
brave and scared of taking risks so
going on that crazy ride at the theme
park is not for the faint-hearted you
really might feel sick afterwards number
31 to send him packing or send someone
packing means sending them away telling
them to leave to get out he was so rude
at the party that I sent him packing
there is
no way I'm having him talk to my friends
like that 32 the truth will out the
truth will out essentially the truth
will eventually be told it will
eventually reveal itself you believe the
truth will be discovered
I'm sure she's cheating on her boyfriend
but you know what I'm gonna say nothing
because the truth will eventually out
number 33 one that I would often use
there's a method in my madness there's a
method in my madness meaning people
might not understand the crazy things
you're doing but there's a reason a
logical reason behind your behavior or
actions don't worry I know what I'm
doing there is a method in my madness to
lie low to lie low meaning you want to
go unnoticed to basically avoid people
seeing you around too much you did what
your mom's car you crashed it you really
need to lie low until this is all over
and finally come what may come what may
essentially whatever happens come what
may I will be at the party tonight
don't worry even if the weather's
terrible I'll be there it's always good
to know that come what may whatever
happens your job is safe and there we
have it expressions coined by William
Shakespeare that we really do commonly
use in day to day English how many of
those expressions did you already know
comment and have a go at using these
expressions try putting them into a
context that you can understand
personalize the language to help you
remember it thank you very much for
watching I hope you'll be watching the
next lesson come what may
