• “All that glitters is not gold” (The Merchant of Venice)
  Meaning: Appearances can be deceiving; not everything that looks valuable is actually valuable.
• “Break the ice” (The Taming of the Shrew)
  Meaning: To initiate social interaction or conversation, especially in a stiff or formal setting.
• “Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve” (Othello)
  Meaning: To openly display one’s emotions or feelings.
• “Wild goose chase” (Romeo and Juliet)
  Meaning: A foolish and hopeless pursuit of something unattainable.
• “The green-eyed monster” (Othello)
  Meaning: Jealousy personified.
• “In a pickle” (The Tempest)
  Meaning: In a difficult or uncomfortable situation.
• “Foregone conclusion” (Othello)
  Meaning: An inevitable result; a predetermined outcome.
• “The be-all and end-all” (Macbeth)
  Meaning: The most important or essential factor; the central or crucial element.
• “Brave new world” (The Tempest)
  Meaning: A new and hopeful period in history resulting from major changes in society.
• “Eaten me out of house and home” (Henry IV, Part II)
  Meaning: To consume all of someone’s food or resources.
• “Neither rhyme nor reason” (As You Like It)
  Meaning: Without logic or sense.
• “Mum’s the word” (Henry VI, Part II)
  Meaning: Keep quiet; don’t say anything about this.
• “The world is my oyster” (The Merry Wives of Windsor)
  Meaning: One has the ability and opportunity to profit from the world as one pleases.
• “Knock knock! Who’s there?” (Macbeth)
  Meaning: The start of a common joke format.
• “Dead as a doornail” (Henry VI, Part II)
  Meaning: Completely and utterly dead.