Shakespeare's Influence on English

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published October 14, 2006 at 7:00 AM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

Get ready to brush up your Shakespeare! Richard and Martha discuss the many words and phrases introduced into English by the Bard of Avon. Plus, resident Quizzicist Greg Pliska introduces the Verbivor

Get ready to brush up your Shakespeare! Richard and Martha discuss the many words and phrases introduced into English by the Bard of Avon. Some of the 1700 words that didn't appear in print before Shakespeare include auspicious, bedroom, courtship, dexterously, dwindle, frugal, generous, gloomy, hurry, lonely, and majestic.

And our resident Quizzicist Greg Pliska introduces the Verbivores to Shakespeare’s lesser-known (for good reason) contemporary, William Snakespeare. He’s featured in a Verbivore Challenge that will hark back to the Bard’s works, but with one very small, but significant, difference.