Definitely worth a read for the Bard's birthday.
Many expressions now taken for granted in English first appeared in Shakespeare's works, including 'elbow room', 'love letter', 'marriage bed', 'puppy dog', 'skim milk', 'wild goose chase' and 'what the dickens'.
I also had no idea that, in the Middle East, Shakespeare has long been thought of as an Arab. Sheikh al-Subair, indeed.
From the
Guardian Unlimited.
posted by Prof. Hex at 6:49 PM