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Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk

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Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk

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Book by Jane Sutcliffe

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When Jane Sutcliffe sets out to write a book about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, in her own words, she runs into a problem: Will's words keep popping up all over the place! What's an author to do? After all, Will is responsible for such familiar phrases as "what's done is done" and "too much of a good thing." He even helped turn "household words" into household words.

But, Jane embraces her dilemma, writing about Shakespeare, his plays, and his famous phrases with glee. After all, what better words are there to use to write about the greatest writer in the English language than his very own? As readers will discover, "the long and the short of it" is this: Will changed the English language forever.

Backmatter includes an author's note, a bibliography, and a timeline.

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When Jane Sutcliffe sets out to write a book about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, in her own words, she runs into a problem: Will's words keep popping up all over the place! What's an author to do? After all, Will is responsible for such familiar phrases as "what's done is done" and "too much of a good thing."

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Interview with Jane Sutcliffe, Author of Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk

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Interview with Jane Sutcliffe, Author of Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk

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Welcome today to author Jane Sutcliffe, who, as luck would have it, graciously agreed to answer some questions about writing for children. Jane has written over two dozen non-fiction books for young readers, and is an experienced presenter. Her school visit program titled How I Found Out My Teacher's Shoe Size: Research Skills For Young Students is one I'd like to see myself!

And now, without further pomp and circumstance, I give you Ms. Sutcliffe:

Nancy: Most authors will tell you that they always knew they wanted to be a writer. But that was not the case for you! What other hats have you worn on your way to becoming a writer? Which previous job do you think was the most helpful/instrumental in steering you towards writing?

Jane: Oh, I agree that I always wanted to be a writer. I just didn't know that that's

what I wanted to be. So I did other things. For a time I was lucky enough to be a stay-at-home

mom to my two growing boys. It was not only my all-time favorite job, it was an education. We

read lots of books together and we had a great library story time in our town, so I was introduced to some wonderful children's books. Thanks to my sons, I got a mini-education in great children's literature. That's when I decided-I want to write, too!

Nancy: How did your first publishing contract come about? What was your primary emotion

when you held a book with your name on it for the first time?

Jane: I knew that I wanted to write nonfiction and I had an idea for a biography, so I sent the manuscript to Lerner [Lerner Publishing Group - one of the nation's largest independently owned children's publishers]. The editor rejected it saying that they already had a book coming out on that person. But she liked my writing style and suggested I might want to write for a new biography series for early readers.

My first book was Babe Didrikson Zaharias: All-Around Athlete, published in 2000. What was

that like? Well, it's like your first baby. You send out announcements and pass it around for

everyone to admire! By the way, I dedicated the book to my sons, because they were the start of

Nancy: Some people think of biographies as big, chunky volumes of work, yet you have written

several for early readers. Who would you say is your 'favorite' person you've researched

Jane: I think whether a biography is a big chunky work or a simple picture book, it

still has to be true to the subject. That's the challenge of writing for children, and the fun!

Probably my favorite subject to research was John Adams. He kept a diary his whole life and

wrote a good deal about his thoughts and deeds, so it made it easy for me to paint an accurate

picture of him and stay true to his character.

Nancy: What has been the farthest you've traveled to do research? So much is available to us at

the click of a mouse, but there has to be some fun to be had in immersing yourself in a

Jane: When I was researching The White House is Burning: August 24, 1814, I

used journals and diaries extensively. I was fortunate that the majority of it was available in

digital format. But there is something so personal in holding the real journal and seeing that

person's handwriting. There is something about seeing history in person that just gives me

goosebumps. When I traveled to Washington to do some research on the book, I was able to go to the White House to see the actual burn marks left by British soldiers in 1814. That was pretty

cool!

Nancy: Your latest book has an intriguing title: Will's Words, How William Shakespeare Changed

the Way You Talk. What was your inspiration for this book, and what was the most

interesting thing you learned in the researching and writing of it? Did you come away with

Jane: The original idea came from Alyssa Mito Pusey, my editor at Charlesbridge, who simply wanted a Shakespeare book since 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. I knew I didn't want to write a traditional biography since we really don't know much about his life. I decided to concentrate on the many Shakespearian words and phrases that have become so familiar to us, even though we may not recognize them as originating with Shakespeare-phrases like "the long and the short of it," "with bated breath," and "for goodness' sake." (The man turned "household words" into household words-how cool is that?) I thought it would be fun to weave these words and phrases into a story about Will Shakespeare and the Globe. And to keep the whole book from being too serious (what with its being about William Shakespeare and all), I kept the tone light and funny, and a little punny. One result is a book I'm pretty proud of. Unfortunately another is that I've become an obnoxious Shakespeare-phrase-know-it-all, and you can barely get out a "seen better days" without my pointing out, "That's Shakespeare!" I just can't help it, "for goodness' sake." But I guess "what's done is done." Sorry, is that "too much of a good thing?"

Well, Jane, as Mae West said, "too much of a good thing can be wonderful."

WILL'S WORDS, HOW WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE CHANGED THE WAY YOU TALK will be released on March 22, 2016. To pre-order, consider doing so at your favorite bookstore or on Indiebound.

For more information on author Jane Sutcliffe and her informative and entertaining books, including Stone Giant: Michelangelo's David And How He Came to Be (Charlesbridge) visit her website at: www.janesutcliffe.com

Thanks for sharing the short and long of it, Jane! All's well that ends well.

This entry was posted in Author Interview, Chapter Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Non-Fiction, Parenting, Picture Books, Writing and tagged Biographies. Bookmark the permalink.

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WILL'S WORDS: Interview with children's author Jane Sutcliffe

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Welcome today to author Jane Sutcliffe, who, as luck would have it, graciously agreed to answer some questions about writing for children. Jane has written over two dozen non-fiction books for young readers, and is an experienced presenter. Her school visit program titled How I Found Out My Teacher's Shoe Size: Research Skills For Young Students...

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I knew him, Horatio

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Quiz

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Which Shakespeare Character are You? | Quiz | Shakespeare Uncovered | PBS

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Answer all 7 questions to find out which Shakespeare character has a lot in common with you.

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45 Everyday Phrases Coined by Shakespeare

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45 Everyday Phrases Coined by Shakespeare

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April 23rd is generally considered to be a good day to celebrate the birth of England's greatest poet and playwright, William Shakespeare. This is partly because there are no records of his birth-although he was baptized on April 26-and partly because he died on April 23 (and April 23 is St. George's day, patron saint of England), so there is a pleasing, almost poetic symmetry about the way the dates line up.

Today is the 450th anniversary of the day Shakespeare was (possibly) born, and in tribute to his astonishing contribution to the English language, it's time to for a challenge. One that will suit all comers, faint-hearted (1) or not.

Below there are 45 common expressions that were either coined by Shakespeare or popularized by him (at this vertiginous historical remove, it's hard to be certain what was created and what was pinched from his immediate surroundings). All you have to do, if you truly love the Bard, is work just five of them into your everyday conversations throughout this live-long day (2).

That's all, just five and then you'll be fancy free (3). And because brevity is the soul of wit (4), we've stuck to the short ones.

The game is afoot (5! See? Easy.):

"All our yesterdays"- ( Macbeth)

"As good luck would have it" - ( The Merry Wives of Windsor)

"As merry as the day is long" - ( Much Ado About Nothing / King John)

"Bated breath" - ( The Merchant of Venice)

"Be-all and the end-all" - ( Macbeth)

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be" - ( Hamlet)

"Brave new world" - ( The Tempest)

"Break the ice" - ( The Taming of the Shrew)

"Brevity is the soul of wit" - ( Hamlet)

"Refuse to budge an inch" - ( Measure for Measure / The Taming of the Shrew)

"Cold comfort" - ( The Taming of the Shrew / King John)

"Conscience does make cowards of us all" - ( Hamlet)

"Crack of doom" - ( Macbeth)

"Dead as a doornail" - ( Henry VI Part II)

"A dish fit for the gods" - ( Julius Caesar)

"Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war" - ( Julius Caesar)

"Devil incarnate" - ( Titus Andronicus / Henry V)

"Eaten me out of house and home" - ( Henry IV Part II)

"Faint hearted" - ( Henry VI Part I)

"Fancy-free" - ( A Midsummer Night's Dream)

"Forever and a day" - ( As You Like It)

"For goodness' sake" - ( Henry VIII)

"Foregone conclusion" - ( Othello)

"Full circle" - ( King Lear)

"The game is afoot" - ( Henry IV Part I)

"Give the devil his due" - ( Henry IV Part I)

"Good riddance" - ( Troilus and Cressida)

"Jealousy is the green-eyed monster" - ( Othello)

"Heart of gold" - ( Henry V)

"Hoist with his own petard" - ( Hamlet)

"Ill wind which blows no man to good" - ( Henry IV Part II)

"In my heart of hearts" - ( Hamlet)

"In my mind's eye" - ( Hamlet)

"Kill with kindness" - ( The Taming of the Shrew)

"Knock knock! Who's there?" - ( Macbeth)

"Laughing stock" - ( The Merry Wives of Windsor)

"Live long day" - ( Julius Caesar)

"Love is blind" - ( The Merchant of Venice)

"Milk of human kindness" - ( Macbeth)

"More sinned against than sinning" - ( King Lear)

"One fell swoop" - ( Macbeth)

"Play fast and loose" - ( King John)

"Set my teeth on edge" - ( Henry IV Part I)

"Wear my heart upon my sleeve" - ( Othello)

"Wild-goose chase" - ( Romeo and Juliet)

See more:
Fraser's Phrases: "What The Dickens"
10 Old British Slang Terms That Deserve A Revival
Five Tiny U.S. Phrases With Opposite Meanings In The U.K.
10 Irish Slang Terms Americans Should Adopt

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45 Everyday Phrases Coined By Shakespeare | BBC America

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April 23rd is generally considered to be a good day to celebrate the birth of England's greatest poet and playwright, William Shakespeare. This is partly because there are no records of his birth-although he was baptized on April 26-and partly because he died on April 23 (and April 23 is St.

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Words Shakespeare Invented
The English language owes a great debt to Shakespeare. He invented over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising words wholly original. Below is a list of a few of the words Shakespeare coined or adapted, hyperlinked to the play and scene from which it comes. When the word appears in multiple plays, the link will take you to the play in which it first appears. For a more in-depth look at Shakespeare's coined words, please click here.

** Please note that the table below gives both a sample of words Shakespeare coined and words he adapted. For example, "elbow" was a noun before Shakespeare, but he turned it into a verb. There are many books on the subject and etymological dictionaries if you want a list of only words coined. **

For more words that Shakespeare coined please see the Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language by Dr. Ernest Klein (1966) or Shakespeare-lexicon: A Complete Dictionary of All the English Words, Phrases and Constructions in the Works of the Poet by Alexander Schmidt (1902). For words Shakespeare used only once, please see The Once Used Words in Shakespeare by James Davie Butler (1886).
How to cite this article:
Mabillard, Amanda.Words Shakespeare Invented. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html >.

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More Resources

Shakespeare's Reputation in Elizabethan England
Quotations About William Shakespeare
Portraits of Shakespeare

Shakespeare's Sexuality
Shakespeare's Boss: The Master of Revels
Hamlet Essays and Study Guide

Macbeth Essays and Study Guide
Othello Essays and Study Guide
Romeo and Juliet Essays and Study Guide
Julius Caesar Essays and Study Guide

Top 10 Shakespeare Plays
Shakespeare's Metaphors and Similes
Shakespeare's Blank Verse
Elements of Comedy

How many plays did Shakespeare write?
Shakespeare Timeline
Edward Alleyn (Actor)
William Kempe (Actor)

What is Tragic Irony?
Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy

Did You Know?
Shakespeare was familiar with seven foreign languages and often quoted them directly in his plays. His vocabulary was the largest of any writer, at over twenty-four thousand words. According to James Davie Butler, "the total vocabulary of Milton's poetical remains is more nearly seventeen than eighteen thousand (17,377); and that of Homer, including the hymns as well as both Iliad and Odyssey, is scarcely nine thousand. Five thousand eight hundred and sixty words exhaust the vocabulary of Dante's Divina Comedia." ( The Once Used Words in Shakespeare)

More to Explore
The Chronology of Shakespeare's Plays
Establishing the Order of the Plays
Settings of Shakespeare's Plays by Location
Historical Settings of Shakespeare's Plays by Date

Shakespeare in Old English?
Shakespeare's Influence on Other Writers
Daily Life in Shakespeare's London

Life in Stratford (structures and guilds)
Life in Stratford (trades, laws, furniture, hygiene)
Stratford School Days: What Did Shakespeare Read?

Games in Shakespeare's England [A-L]
Games in Shakespeare's England [M-Z]
An Elizabethan Christmas
Clothing in Elizabethan England

Queen Elizabeth: Shakespeare's Patron
King James I of England: Shakespeare's Patron
The Earl of Southampton: Shakespeare's Patron
Going to a Play in Elizabethan London

Ben Jonson and the Decline of the Drama
Publishing in Elizabethan England
Shakespeare's Audience
Religion in Shakespeare's England

Alchemy and Astrology in Shakespeare's Day
Entertainment in Elizabethan England
London's First Public Playhouse

Shakespeare's Boss
Shakespeare's Audience
Shakespeare Hits the Big Time

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The English language owes a great debt to Shakespeare. He invented over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising words wholly original.

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Dis like the Bard!

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The opening shows the Globe Theatre and how a play would be presented in Shakespeare's Time

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This is the opening of the 1944 Olivier film. Leslie Banks is the actor. Three lines have been cut. Here is the entire Prologue. O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention, A kingdom for a stage, princes to act And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!

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William Shakespeare's Birthday is April 23

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William Shakespeare's Birthday is April 23

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Happy Birthday!

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The Birth of William Shakespeare

The font in which William Shakespeare was baptised, Holy Trinity Church.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in April 1564. The exact date of his birth is not recorded, but it is most often celebrated around the world on 23 April.

Shakespeare's baptism is recorded in the Parish Register at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon on Wednesday 26 April 1564. Baptisms typically took place within three days of a new arrival, and parents were instructed by the Prayer Book to ensure that their children were baptised no later than the first Sunday after birth. This means that it's unlikely that Shakespeare was born any earlier than the previous Sunday, 23 April. Given that three days would be a reasonable interval between birth and baptism, 23 April has therefore come to be celebrated as his birthday.

Shakespeare also died on 23 April; in 1616, when he was 52 years of age.

'Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. '
- Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 5

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William Shakespeare's birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April.

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From Kiss Me, Kate! (1953)

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Brush Up Your Shakespeare (Kiss Me, Kate! - 1953)