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Worksheets

Shakespeare Phrases

Total questions: 18

Worksheet time: 9mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

“Wild-goose chase” comes from Romeo and Juliet.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

a goose hunt

b)

a useless search

c)

a competitive sport

d)

a fun enterprise

2.

“Set my teeth on edge” comes from Henry IV Part I.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

a toothache

b)

to bite hard on something

c)

to really irritate

d)

be firm and unyielding

3.

“One fell swoop” comes from Macbeth

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

all at once

b)

a type of hair style

c)

quickly downhill

d)

someone sweeping

4.

“Laughing stock” comes from The Merry Wives of Windsor.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

a compilation of jokes

b)

a comedian

c)

an audience at a comedian's show

d)

someone who is mocked

5.

"Eaten out of house and home" comes from Henry IV.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

to buy someone's home

b)

use up all of someone’s food and resources

c)

to have an infestation of pests

d)

eat until you are full

6.

"Too much of a good thing" comes from As You Like It.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

an excessive amount of something that is otherwise good

b)

having presents showered on you

c)

having enough money in the bank and not knowing what to do with it

d)

not knowing what to do with all you have

7.

"A heart of gold" comes from Henry V.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

a locket

b)

the richest man in town

c)

a kind-hearted, genuinely good person

d)

a person who is a shining example of pride

8.

"Lie low" comes from Much Ado About Nothing.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

take the lowest bunk

b)

tell horrible lies; deceive

c)

speak softly

d)

stay out of sight; avoid attention

9.

"Not slept one wink" comes from Cymbeline.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

stayed awake all night

b)

slept with one eye open

c)

won a staring contest

d)

slept with both eyes open

10.

"Foregone conclusion" comes from Othello.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

a decision that one made in the past

b)

an obvious or inevitable result

c)

a decision one will make in the future

d)

a badly written conclusion

11.

"Send him packing" comes from Henry IV.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

kick someone out

b)

go on a trip

c)

pack someone's luggage

d)

send someone a package

12.

"Vanish into thin air" comes from Othello.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

go on a hot air balloon ride

b)

fly into the open sky

c)

completely disappear without a trace

d)

evaporate

13.

"There's method in my madness" comes from Hamlet.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

Yes, I'm crazy; what of it?

b)

We're all mad here.

c)

Stop the insanity.

d)

There is a purpose to what I'm doing, even though you think it's crazy

14.

"All of a sudden" comes from The Taming of the Shrew.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

quickly and without warning

b)

all at once

c)

done deceptively

d)

eventually

15.

"Spotless reputation" comes from Richard II.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

one who is flawless, honest, and decent

b)

dishes that are spotlessly clean

c)

a perfectly clear sky

d)

perfect skin

16.

"Full circle" comes from King Lear.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

to go in circles with no purpose

b)

the entire earth

c)

to return to the beginning or original state

d)

completely contained

17.

“Forever and a day” comes from As You Like It.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

for a very long time

b)

seemingly unending

c)

the day after tomorrow

d)

just until tomorrow

18.

“The green-eyed monster” comes from Othello.

We use this phrase today to mean:

a)

emeralds

b)

our hidden secrets

c)

the monster under your bed

d)

jealousy