The British Library provides a detailed description of one of its most noted items – first edition of William Shakespeare’s collected world – The First Folio – was nine hundred pages and contained 36 of his plays. It was published on 1623, only seven years after Shakespeare died. John Heminge and Henry Condell, (friends and principal actors in Shakespeare’s plays) helped to edit the collection for printing, and were responsible for system we use to categorise Shakespeare’s plays, The categories they put the plays into were comedies, histories and tragedies. Five copies of the First Folio are currently owned by the British Library while another copy recently sold at action for $9.99m (£7.6m).
Meanwhile, in the 21st century, 497 years after the First Folio’s publication , Shakespeare coined many original phrases and expressions, which we still use today, whether or not we know of the Shakespearean origins of these phrases/expressions. I have complied another collection of some of the most recognisable expressions coined by William Shakespeare, which we still use today in conversation.
1. “Lie low” – Much Ado About Nothing. Translation: Stay out of sight and bid your time.
2. “Mums the word” – Henry VI Part 2. Translation: Stay silent, keep your lips sealed.
3. “Seen better days” – Sir Thomas More and As You Like It. Translation: Describing something that is worn out.
4. “Fight fire with fire” – King John. Translation: Using the same tactics as your opponent to beat them at their own game, even if you play dirty.
5. “Foregone conclusion” – Othello. Translation: A result that is able to be predicted with complete certainty.
6. “Send him packing” – Henry VI. Translation: To make someone leave.
7. “For goodness sake” – Henry VIII. Translation: This phrase is used to express how surprise or annoyed someone is by something or someone.
8. “The game is up” – Cymbeline. Translation: It’s modern meaning refers to how ‘all is lost’.
9. “Good riddance” – Troilus and Cressida Translation: You’re happy to get rid of someone or happy to get rid of something useless/bad.
10. “Such stuff as dreams are made on” – The Tempest. Translation: It refers to things in life that we can only dream of being/having.
11. “All of a sudden” – The Taming of the Shrew Translation: something happens abruptly.
12. “Forever and a day” – As You Like It. Translation: For something to last a long time or be endless.
13. “Fair play” – The Tempest. Translation: Equal treatment/justice or it is acceptable to go after something like a job, it’s anyone’s chance.
14. “Live long day” – Julius Caesar Translation: This is used when something seems to take a long time.
15. “The game is afoot” – Henry VI. Translation: Something has started, the game has begun.
the girl and the city of books 
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