Whilst out shopping today I overheard someone using the phrase: "It's Greek to me" and it got me going. Just where did it orginate from? Did a little research when I came in and found these. Sorry if this is a bit long. I got 'hooked.' It's usually attributed to William Shakespeare, in Julius Caesar: "Those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me". But virtually the same phrase had been used the year before (1600) by another Elizabethan playwright, Thomas Dekker: "I'll be sworn he knows not so much as one character of the tongue. Why, then it's Greek to him". Actually, the phrase is older than both of them: it comes from a Medieval Latin proverb "Graecum est; non potest legi" (It is Greek; it cannot be read). Both the Latin and the English meant then just what the phrase does now, to refer to something that is unintelligible. As an aside, the Spanish version of this proverb is "hablar en griego", which is commonly said to be the origin of the word gringo, so somebody who is called a gringo is literally accused of speaking Greek and hence being unintelligible. (Michael Quinion, World Wide Words) Well, blow me down with a feather!!! Then I found this: It first appeared in a newspaper article by Bernard Levin years ago before the cited booked was published. I think it's brilliant: If you cannot understand my argument, and declare "It's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought, if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool's paradise - why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then - to give the devil his due - if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I were dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then - by Jove! O Lord! Tut, tut! for goodness' sake! what the dickens! but me no buts - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare. (Bernard Levin. From The Story of English. Robert McCrum, William Cran and Robert MacNeil. Viking: 1986). And if the above is corrrectly transcribed, then it's one heck of a long sentence! Hope that didn't bore you all to tears but I do soooooooo enjoy the English language.
I can't believe all of those phrases come from Shakespeare! Truly gobsmacked! <- uh-oh I hope that wasn't Shakesphere as well It's funny how you normally don't stop to think what the phrases we use mean, even though some of them seem to make no sense whatsoever. Amazing stuff Eileen. From an Irish perspective we sometimes use the 'occasional' swear word and one word that fascinates me is the word 'f**k' (bear with me this has a point ). It fascinates me because it is the only word I can think of that can function as a noun, verb and adjective all in the space of one sentence i.e. (apologies in advance) "the f**king f**ker's f**ked"
