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- “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.