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13 Common Phrases That You Probably Didn’t Know Were Invented By Shakespeare

A great writer’s work never dies

Still Penguins Seldom Waddle
8 min readAug 11, 2022
Photo by Camille Brodard on Unsplash

EEven if you haven’t read any of William Shakespeare’s works (shame on you!), you have most definitely heard of him. I’m sure you know that the English poet and playwright is credited with writing some of the most famous plays in history. Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and Hamlet are among his most acclaimed.

However, you may not be aware that his works are filled with idioms of his creation that are still widely used today. Shakespeare’s talent and imagination graced us with many common expressions.

“As good luck would have it”

Origin: The Merry Wives of Windsor

Shakespeare coined the phrase “as good luck would have it” to convey a positive change in life caused by pure chance. It has been shortened to “as luck would have it” in many circles, but still expresses good fortune.

The phrase was introduced in 1600 with the publication of The Merry Wives of Windsor. Character Falstaff stated,

“You shall hear. As good luck would have it, comes in one Mistress Page; gives intelligence of Ford’s approach; and, in…

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Still Penguins Seldom Waddle
Still Penguins Seldom Waddle

Written by Still Penguins Seldom Waddle

Working mom who uses her curiosity to fuel the curiosities of others ~ Writes mostly history and true crime

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