Do you know your Language?

[nacktman]

Which of the following phrases are modern ones and which were originated by William Shakespeare during Elizabethan times ...

in a pickle
too much of a good thing
good riddance
it's Greek to me
seen better days
won't budge an inch
beat it
you've got me in stitches
lie low
not so hot
get my drift?
neither here nor there
for goodness' sake
wear your heart on your sleeve
playing fast and loose

Think you know your language?!

[BlobbyBob]

I love the English language and always find myself defending it (either to Americans who mis-spell half of the words) or on message boards where people are sloppy and use txt speak, but when it comes to etymology I'm always curious, but if I tried to go through this list I'd undoubtedly just be guessing, and get many wrong.

Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if this was a trick; perhaps they all originated during Elizabethan times.

[nacktman]

Originally posted by BlobbyBob:
Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if this was a trick; perhaps they all originated during Elizabethan times.

No, not all originated in Elizabethan times, Bob.
Oh, and it isn't we Americans that mis-spell English words, either!

[usmc1]

Originally posted by nacktman:
Which of the following phrases are modern ones and which were originated by William Shakespeare during Elizabethan times ...

in a pickle
too much of a good thing
good riddance
it's Greek to me
seen better days
won't budge an inch*
beat it*
you've got me in stitches
lie low
not so hot*
get my drift?*
neither here nor there
for goodness' sake
wear your heart on your sleeve
playing fast and loose

Think you know your language?!

Merely wild-assed guessing, half way though my first cuppa, I've marked with an asterisk (*) the phrases I believe are not Shakespeare's. But, without a full cup of Joe in me:
My mind is troubled, like a fountain stirred,
And I myself see not the bottom of it.

I seem to recall having uttered or heard uttered most of them on stage at one time or another.

But, if one wanted to take the time, one could parse the meter. If it ain't iambic pentameter, it ain't Willie Boy.

Me, I'm too lazy for that, I'll leave that to the hand-washers.

[nudebushwalker]

'nacktman' may not misspell his English words, but unfortunately the majority of your compatriots do, just judging by what can be witnessed anytime on any blog or forum anywhere on the web, or in American newspapers.
Also, often American contributors to the web seem to be the laziest writers, as well..
Some Aussies and Poms may be a bit slack at times, but they're not a scratch on you Yanks.
http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/cool4.gif

[Baron Lake]

except for the one by michael jackson, I havn't a clue.

b.l.

[nacktman]

It seems that this has a few stumped.
Where are all the English majors?

The fact is ALL, but two of the phrases were coined by William Shakespeare.

Now, can you guess which two?

[nimrod]

Only being able to speek American, the English language eludes me. I do not know if it is a learning disability, but I personally have a difficult time spelling at times. I will often look in the dictionary and find that I am way off. There are times when I spell out a word and it does not look right so I look it up and it is, and I question if the dictionary has it right. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/goofy.gif

To answer the question at hand, with some reasoning, and then just guessing; playing fast and loose and not so hot?

[alfredr]

I had thought BlobbyBob was referring to the differences in spelling between British and American English, but as Bushwalker points out there are plenty of us who can't even spell words our way properly.

On the internet, however, many errors can be from poor typing or proofreading, or something getting past even if you do proofread, so I don't make a big deal about errors in posts like this. It is supposed to be instant communication, isn't it?

If you type slowly and then proofread, it takes a long time just to write a couple of short paragraphs. I usually feel I have taken way too long to say something and then when I look at it, it seems I haven't said enough to explain what I'm trying to say.

I'm guessing "beat it" and "not so hot" aren't Shakespeare, but then as I type them out, I almost think I hear them coming from him. I DON'T KNOW!!

[usmc1]

Using Firefox allows me to catch my most gregarious misspells. And even the egregious ones, too. But what nothing catches are misused words!

But, so what. Nattering about spelling is the flip side of a clean desk, a sure sign of a disturbed mind!

"Let the botcher mend it."

[nacktman]

O.K. Alfredr got them right, 'Beat it' and 'Not so hot' aren't Shakespeare's.

But, I admit it. Bobblybob was right from the get go ... it was a trick question.

None of the phrases are of modern origin. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/bonk.gif

'Beat it' and 'Not so hot' were in common use long before Shakespeare came along... with the same connotations as they have today.