Language

‘Wild goose chase’ and other everyday phrases you didn’t know came from Shakespeare

He wrote those old plays, yes, but did you know that you’re likely quoting him a lot more than you think.

Sports-lover turned journalist, born and bred in Scotland, with a passion for football (soccer). He’s also a keen follower of NFL, NBA, golf and tennis, among others, and always has an eye on the latest in science, tech and current affairs. As Managing Editor at AS USA, uses background in operations and marketing to drive improvements for reader satisfaction.

Update: May 28th, 2025 12:56 EDT

For some, he’s the man who had them forced to learn text with some very dubious sounding English at school. But since then, most of us have dropped a Shakespeare line or two into conversation... very possibly without even knowing it.

If you’ve ever found yourself “in a pickle,” or shrugged and said, “It’s all Greek to me,” congratulations – you’ve been quoting a 16th-century playwright in your casual small talk. William Shakespeare didn’t just shape theater, he practically gave modern English a linguistic makeover.

Shakespeare’s influence on English

While the man behind Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet didn’t invent the English language, he certainly left fingerprints all over it. Scholars estimate he coined or popularized over 1,700 words and countless phrases that still show up in your group chats, work emails, and bad dates.

So, where does his ‘wild goose chase’ come in?

Today, it’s shorthand for a pointless errand, tracking down the wrong lead, wasting time chasing something that doesn’t exist. But back in the 16th century, a ‘wild goose chase’ referred to a type of erratic horse race, where riders followed a lead horse at set intervals – much like the unpredictable flight of geese in formation. Shakespeare gave the metaphor its first recorded literary use in Romeo and Juliet, when Mercutio teases Romeo with: “Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done.”

So yes, Shakespeare seems to be the original guy making jokes about people wasting time.

What other Shakespeare phrases do we use?

Ever needed to “break the ice” with a new acquaintance? That’s from The Taming of the Shrew. Do you know someone with a “heart of gold”? That’s from Henry V. Wondered if that person you’ve accused “protests too much”? Well, that line’s in Hamlet. Even the phrase “wear my heart upon my sleeve” – now a staple of pop lyrics and dating profiles – comes straight out of Othello, as does those jealous “green-eyed monsters”.

What makes this more impressive is that many of these phrases feel native to English today. We rarely pause to think we’re quoting literature... let alone something penned in Elizabethan England. And while there is much we are unclear about from his life and works – as Bill Bryson wonderfully dissects – we have lots to hold onto.

More language enrichment from Shakespeare

“Lie low”

Modern meaning: To stay out of sight or avoid attention.

First used in: Much Ado About Nothing (Act V, Scene 1)

Original context: It referred to avoiding conflict or detection—still the case now.

“Heart of hearts”

Modern meaning: One’s innermost core or truest feelings.

First used in: Hamlet (Act III, Scene 2)

Original context: Hamlet says, “In my heart of heart,” suggesting a deeper layer of emotional truth.

“Come what may”

Modern meaning: No matter what happens.

First used in: Macbeth (Act I, Scene 3)

Original context: Macbeth declares he’ll accept whatever fate brings.

“Faint-hearted”

Modern meaning: Cowardly or lacking courage.

First used in: Henry VI, Part 1 (Act IV, Scene 1)

Original context: Used as an insult to challenge someone’s bravery.

“Laughing stock”

Modern meaning: Someone widely ridiculed.

First used in: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act III, Scene 1)

Original context: Slender fears being made a public joke.

“Send him packing”

Modern meaning: To dismiss someone abruptly.

First used in: Henry IV, Part 1 (Act II, Scene 4)

Original context: Falstaff uses it while describing a fight.

“Cold comfort”

Modern meaning: A small or inadequate consolation.

First used in: The Taming of the Shrew (Act IV, Scene 1)

Original context: Grumio complains about being offered minimal sympathy.

“The game is up”

Modern meaning: The scheme has been exposed.

First used in: Cymbeline (Act III, Scene 3)

Original context: Spoken when a plot is revealed.

“Dead as a doornail”

Modern meaning: Completely dead or finished.

First used in: Henry VI, Part 2 (Act IV, Scene 10)

Original context: Cade declares someone he’s killed is “dead as a doornail.”

“Knock knock! Who’s there?”

Modern meaning: A standard opener for a joke.

First used in: Macbeth (Act II, Scene 3)

Original context: The Porter delivers a dark comic routine pretending to be the gatekeeper to hell. It’s not a joke… yet.