William Shakespeare’s.
The origin of “end all be all” comes from William Shakespeare’s 1605 play, “Macbeth.” Shakespeare uses the phrase in the following format.
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Where did the saying be all and end all come from?
The expression the be-all and end-all was coined by William Shakespeare. The phrase turns up in the play Macbeth, first produced in 1605: “If it were done, when ’tis done, then ’twere well / It were done quickly.
What does be all and end all mean in Macbeth?
The most important element or purpose
The most important element or purpose, as in Buying a house became the be-all and end-all for the newlyweds. Shakespeare used this idiom in Macbeth (1:6), where Macbeth muses that “this blow might be the be-all and the end-all” for his replacing Duncan as king. [ Late 1500s]
What is the phrase be all end all?
Definition of the be-all and end-all
: the most important part of something or the reason for something He acts as if making money is the be-all and end-all of human existence.
Is the phrase end all and be all or be all and end all?
The phrase “What is the be all and end all,” comes from the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. The “be all and end all” is the final or most critical element of something.
What is crack doom?
crack of doom in American English
1. the signal that announces the Day of Judgment. 2. the end of the world; doomsday.
What does dead as a doornail mean?
Totally or assuredly dead
Totally or assuredly dead; also finished. For example, The cop announced that the body in the dumpster was dead as a doornail, or The radicalism she professed in her adolescence is now dead as a dodo, or The Equal Rights Amendment appears to be dead as a herring.
How do you use end all be all in a sentence?
Example sentences
— My brother thinks he’s the be-all and end-all because he’s the quarterback of his football team but I think he’s a jerk. — Fancy iPhones are the be-all and end-all for my kids but I simply can’t afford to buy them. — My husband’s Mercedes coupe is his be-all and end-all.
What does its not the end all be all mean?
not the only thing that is important in a particular situation.
What is the meaning of the world is my oyster?
What does it mean? Using the context of the example above, the phrase “the world is your oyster” means that you can achieve anything you wish in life or go anywhere because you have the opportunity or ability to do so.
What does fair play mean in Shakespeare?
“Fair play” is a short phrase that Shakespeare was very fond of as he used it three times in his plays. When we use the phrase today it’s in the context of human behaviour – the fair and honest treatment of people, or in sport – playing in accordance with the rules, not cheating or having an unfair advantage.
Who says what will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?
What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom? To his despair, the witches reveal that Banquo (a threat to Macbeth’s royal lineage) will start a line of kingship so far that – Macbeth exaggerates – will extend to the ‘crack of doom’.
Where are the Cracks of Doom?
The Sammath Naur (“Chambers of Fire”), located high up in the mountain’s cone, were made by the Dark Lord Sauron in the Second Age. They comprised a tunnel leading to an interior platform with molten lava below it, known as the Cracks of Doom. It was here Sauron forged the One Ring during the Second Age.
Why do they say dead as a doorknob?
The term dead as a doornail was used in the 1500s by William Shakespeare, and in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in 1843. It is thought that the phrase dead as a doornail comes from the manner of securing doornails that were hammered into a door by clenching them.
What does dead as a doorknob mean?
Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead
(simile) Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead. I tried the flashlight, but the battery was as dead as a doorknob.
What is meant by dead as a dodo?
Definition of (as) dead as a dodo
informal, chiefly British. —used to stress that someone or something is dead The old captain was dead as a dodo. —often used figuratively The negotiations are as dead as a dodo.
Why do they say clear as a bell?
Pure as the sound of a bell; also, readily understood. For example, Did you understand the message I left you? —Yes, clear as a bell. This simile, which alludes to the bell’s clarity owing to lack of overtones, was already a proverb in John Ray’s English Proverbs (1670).
What does Diamond in the Ruff mean?
Definition of diamond in the rough
: one having exceptional qualities or potential but lacking refinement or polish.
What does Foot in Mouth mean?
Say something foolish, embarrassing, or tactless. For example, Jane put her foot in her mouth when she called him by her first husband’s name. This notion is sometimes put as having foot-in-mouth disease, as in He has a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease, always making some tactless remark.
Where does good riddance come from?
“Good Riddance”
Meaning, to happily get rid of anything deemed worthless, this phrase originated in Shakespeare’s 1609 play “Troilus and Cressida.” The idiom was so durable, it even became the name of a popular Green Day song in 1997.
What is foul play Shakespeare?
dishonest or unfair
“Foul play” here simply means that the women have been dishonest or unfair in how they treated the guys. Once Shakespeare created “foul play,” he couldn’t stop using it. He used it again in Henry IV Part I, Hamlet, Pericles, and The Tempest.