In Love With Shakespeare's Words Quiz

Answer: Worthless person

The word egg is derived from the Old English æg, which combined with the Old Norse and became egg. It came into use in approximately 1500. Shakespeare's expression is used as an insult to describe someone who is a hatchling, who barely knows anything, is totally defenseless, as well as worthless.

Taken from "Macbeth" Act 4 Scene 2, "What you egg!" was used as a insult. It insinuates that a person is a fledgling. MacDuff has escaped to England, but Macbeth has sent an assassin squad to his home. Lady MacDuff's young son takes offense when one of the murderers calls his father a traitor. The murderer then cries "What you egg!", and murders him.

Answer: Enough

Enow is from the Old English "genog", which means sufficient in quantity or number. When used as an adverb is means sufficiently for the purpose, or good enough.

"If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour". This passage is from the St. Crispin's Day speech in "Henry V" Act 4 Scene 3. Henry V is trying to give a speech to boost morale among the members of his outnumbered army, which is preparing to fight the French in the Battle of Agincourt.

Answer: Therefore

Ergo is a Latin word that means therefore, in consequence of, or for that reason. The most famous use of the word, "cogito, ergo sum" is credited to philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650), and means, "I think, therefore I am".

In "All's Well that Ends Well" Act 1 Scene 3, we find this quote by Shakespeare: "He that comforts my wife is the cherisher of my flesh and blood; he that cherishes my flesh and blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my flesh and blood is my friend; ergo, he that kisses my wife is my friend". The Fool Lavatch is having a discussion with the Countess regarding his desire to get married, as he needs her permission to do so. He uses this twisted analogy to say that he is okay with his wife kissing another man because that will give him more time to relax! Yikes!

Answer: Gladly

Fain is from the Old English "fægen" or "fagen", which means glad, cheerful, or happy.

In "Romeo and Juliet" Act 2 Scene 4 Nurse is speaking to Romeo when she says, "O, there is a nobleman in town, one Paris, that would fain lay knife abroad...." She has met with Romeo to talk about his marriage plans to Juliet, and is telling him that Paris wants to marry Juliet as well, and will gladly kill to do so.

Answer: Frick

Said to be very commonly used in Ireland today, fecks can be either positive in tone or negative. As "fect", "feic", or "fek", it was taken from the Scottish "effeck", which became effect. From the 1400s on, it was used to value quantity. Over time, however, it is said that the Irish added it on to any sentence - without insult - to get a certain point across.

From "The Winter's Tale" Act 1 Scene 2 we see these words: "I'fecks, Why, that's my bawcock", meaning "Goodness (or some equivalent minced oath), there's my little chickadee (fine fellow)". King Leontes says this before a conversation with his young son, Mamillius. He doubts his wife's fidelity and throws her in prison, while wondering if Mamillius is his son. Mamillius, however, becomes so distraught over his mother's imprisonment, he dies during the course of the play, leaving his father without a male heir.

Answer: Be gone

Shakespeare used the phrase to say be gone or beat it!

"Get out of my sight" or "Get away from me." If you are familiar with many Shakespeare plays, you might notice that he uses it frequently, for instance in "Twelfth Night" Act 1 Scene 5 when the Lady Olivia tells the fool Feste, "Go to. You are a dry fool" when he displeases her.

In "Macbeth" Act 5 Scene 1, when the sleep-walking Lady Macbeth gives her famous "out, damned spot" speech as the Doctor and Gentlewoman watch, the Doctor tells the Gentlewoman, "Go to, go to; you have known what you should not".

Answer: Thank you

Gramercy is derived from the Old French "grant-merci" or "gran merci" for many thanks. The modern word "merci" is a shortened way of saying gramercy.

In "The Taming of the Shrew" Act 1 Scene 1, Tranio gives advice to his Master, Lucentio, about falling in love at first sight with the younger daughter, Bianca, after hearing the girl's father say that she cannot marry until her ill-tempered older sister does. Tranio agrees to disguise himself as Lucentio so that he can secretly court Bianca, and Lucentio replies, "Gramercies, lad. Go forward".

Answer: Hurry

The word hie is derived from the Old English "hīgian", which means to strive or to hasten. It was a popular term with writers beginning in the sixteenth century, although it appears that the term was used since the 1100s.

In "Romeo and Juliet", Act 2 Scene 5, Nurse tells Juliet, "hie you hence to Friar Laurence's cell", after she has arranged for Juliet to meet Romeo there. This means that Juliet urgently needs to hurry!

Answer: Secretly

The use of the term hugger-mugger, or huggermugger, dates to the 1520s, possibly from the Middle English "mukre", which means to conceal. It means to do something secretly or privately.

Hugger-mugger", sometimes expressed as "huggermugger," was a common word in Shakespeare's time. Shakespeare used it in "Hamlet". In Act 4 Scene 5, after Hamlet has killed Polonius, Polonius is secretly buried. King Claudius admits that might have been a mistake: "We have done but greenly, In hugger-mugger to inter him", as there will surely be questions about the situation.

Answer: Commotion

The term hurly-burly, or hurlyburly, dates to the 1530s, and was used to describe some sort of commotion or tumult. The earliest known use is in John Skelton's play "Magnyfycence", which was presented at Henry VIII's court in 1519. The origin of the term itself is not clear; however, some sources credit it to the Vikings.

Shakespeare used it in "Macbeth" Act 1 Scene 1 in a conversations between the witches:

"First Witch
When shall we three meet again -
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Second Witch
When the hurlyburly's done,
When the battle's lost, and won".