I think many would be surprised at how large a number of English idioms have their source in the literary works of William Shakespeare.  A key driver of the longevity of these sayings is how cleverly constructed they are.

From the play ” The Merry Wives of Windsor” the lines,  “Why, then the world is my oyster,   Which I with sword will open. (2.2.3-4), Pistol to Falstaff”  have come to mean, I can do whatever I want in this world.

The use of an Oyster , from which, with a little effort, a pearl might be found is a very clever way to make this point.

Here is a brief list of some of the more well known sayings from Shakespeare’s works.  This is not a complete list, intended just to give a flavor of how prolific he was in this space.

• A fools paridise
• A foregone conclusion
• A horse, a horse, my Kingdom for a horse
• A sea change
• A sorry sight
• As dead as a doornail
• At one fell swoop
• Beware the ides of March
• As pure as the driven snow
• Et tu Brute
• Fancy free
• Eaten out of house and home
• What a piece of work is man
• Woe is me

I took this small sample from a list of 162 common sayings atributed to the Bard.  While I did not recognize all of them the majority struck me as very well known.

The beauty of these, as you can see from the examples, is how with just a few brief words, Shakespeare is able to create a clear and. compelling image which contains a strong, clear message.

And for me, a long and fruitful life awaits, the world is my oyster.