As a self-respecting English teacher, I would be remiss if I let Shakespeare's birthday pass unheralded. So, in tribute to the Bard, on this anniversary of his birth [and his death as well, but that's neither here nor there (a phrase coined by our dear Will himself)], I offer you a list, from A to Z, of words first recorded by Shakespeare.
Advertising
Bandit
Critic
Dickens
Epileptic
Film
Gossip
Hush
Investment
Jig
Kissing
Luggage
Manager
Numb
Obscene
Puke
Quarrelsome
Rant
Shooting Star
Torture
Undress
Varied
Wild-Goose Chase
Xantippe
Yelping
Zany
And, as an added bonus, I offer you a list of some of my favorite Shakespearean insults. These are infinitely more creative (and more cutting) than the base vocabulary we have today.
"Let's meet as little as we can."
"More of your conversation would infect my brain."
"Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat."
"Away, you three-inch fool."
"Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon!"
"Thou hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows."
And now I bid you adieu. "Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you."
I'm going to have to start using some of those. :) I love my nerdy friend...
ReplyDeleteAnd I miss you too. A lot!!! We really need to get together soon. Last Friday made me really sad. I tried to make myself feel better by buying frozen pizza and cookie dough, but it didn't work.