• “All that glitters is not gold” (The Merchant of Venice)
    Meaning: Appearances can be deceiving; not everything that looks valuable is actually valuable.
  • “Break the ice” (The Taming of the Shrew)
    Meaning: To initiate social interaction or conversation, especially in a stiff or formal setting.
  • “Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve” (Othello)
    Meaning: To openly display one’s emotions or feelings.
  • “Wild goose chase” (Romeo and Juliet)
    Meaning: A foolish and hopeless pursuit of something unattainable.
  • “The green-eyed monster” (Othello)
    Meaning: Jealousy personified.
  • “In a pickle” (The Tempest)
    Meaning: In a difficult or uncomfortable situation.
  • “Foregone conclusion” (Othello)
    Meaning: An inevitable result; a predetermined outcome.
  • “The be-all and end-all” (Macbeth)
    Meaning: The most important or essential factor; the central or crucial element.
  • “Brave new world” (The Tempest)
    Meaning: A new and hopeful period in history resulting from major changes in society.
  • “Eaten me out of house and home” (Henry IV, Part II)
    Meaning: To consume all of someone’s food or resources.
  • “Neither rhyme nor reason” (As You Like It)
    Meaning: Without logic or sense.
  • “Mum’s the word” (Henry VI, Part II)
    Meaning: Keep quiet; don’t say anything about this.
  • “The world is my oyster” (The Merry Wives of Windsor)
    Meaning: One has the ability and opportunity to profit from the world as one pleases.
  • “Knock knock! Who’s there?” (Macbeth)
    Meaning: The start of a common joke format.
  • “Dead as a doornail” (Henry VI, Part II)
    Meaning: Completely and utterly dead.