Episode 37 Shakespeare's Influence on English Words - He might have invented a lot of them!

Emma's ESL English - A podcast by Emma - Tuesdays

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Today we're learning some of the vocabulary that was first captured in Shakespeare's plays. Many people think Shakespeare invented all of these words, however, these days people suspect many of the words were in common use already and Shakespeare was just the first person to write them down. You might be surprised by how normal they sound! Tomorrow we're talking about some of the phrases Shakespeare used in his plays that have become common idioms in today's English. See you then! Vocabulary Gossip (Comedy of Errors) - to talk about someone, often telling things that are not nice or even true Kissing ( Love's Labour's Lost) Rant (Hamlet) - When we get upset or frustrated and talk for a long time about the same thing without breathing much or allowing others to interrupt Traditional (Richard III) - something that has been around for a long time or is an accepted way of doing/being Worthless (The Two Gentlemen of Verona) - something that has no value Priceless (not Shakespeare's) - something that is so valuable, we can't put a price on it Inauspicious (Love's Labour's Lost) - something that is not seen as good luck or good for your future, often superstitious, omens And consequently also:Auspicious - something that is seen as very lucky or good for your future Dishearten (Henry V) - when you are disappointed about something Eventful (Love's Labour's Lost) - many things are happening Gloomy (Henry IV) - sad, depressed, dark Suspicious (Henry IV) - you think something strange is happening, or something seems wrong, somebody is acting in a strange or unusual way Additional Vocabulary Bard - traditionally a poet, storyteller and singer, Shakespeare is often referred to as a bard. There's another bard that's become famous recently, you might have come across him on Netflix... Attributed - when we tell people who wrote or said something Abridged - when we take out some parts of a play or novel so it's shorter and easier to read Scoundrel - a person (usually a man) who treats people badly and has no morals To be frank - being honest and truthful, even if we're telling something people don't want to hear (frankly is often used when we begin a sentence we intend will be honest) Intellectual - used in this way to describe someone who is seen as smart and having learned many things