Shakespeare's Coined Words Now Common Currency

While William Shakespeare died many years ago, the English playwright and poet lives on not only through his writings, but through the words and sayings attributed to him that still color the English language today. So whether you are "fashionable" or "sanctimonious," thank Shakespeare, who coined the terms.

Shakespeare is called the greatest author in the English language not only because his works are in English, but also for his profound and lasting impact on the language itself. Shakespeare coined over 1,500 words by  himself. (Some estimate this number to be closer to 10,000 words!)

Here's a collection of well-known quotations that are associated with Shakespeare:

• Eaten out of house and home
• Pomp and circumstance
• Full circle
• The makings of
• Method in the madness
• Neither rhyme nor reason
• One fell swoop
• Seen better days
• It smells to heaven
• A sorry sight
• A spotless reputation
• Sweets to the sweet
• In my heart of hearts
• All that glitters is not gold

Try the Shakespeare dictionary.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada

Does God control the weather? Some have concluded that suffering and natural disasters occur because they are beyond God's control. This is incorrect. God has indeed established certain laws and principles that govern nature, but he remains sovereign over these laws. Psalm 148:8 declares that storms “do his bidding.” He is in control, and has His reasons for all kinds of weather, both fair and stormy. Throughout time, God has divinely directed weather and that has often changed the course of history.

A great example of this is the story about the Spanish Armada…

Over four centuries ago, Philip II of Spain set out to rule the world. His goal was to reunite all of Christianity under the Catholic faith, and also under Spanish control. Philip was a heartless leader who had earlier supported the harsh measures of the Spanish Inquisition. He did not get along well with either Britain or Holland. When the Netherlands declared their independence from Spain in 1588, Philip sailed north with an “invincible” Armada of 130 warships and 30,000 men. Then, while far from home, bad weather hit the fleet. With no port available the ships were forced to anchor at sea. The smaller British fleet under Sir Francis Drake than harassed the Spanish by releasing flaming “tar ships” among the anchored fleet. The Spanish Armada fled north through the English Channel and around the coast of Scotland, where continued fierce storms, which have come to be know as the Protestant Wind,  pushed the fleet onto the rocky shores. Only half of the original Spanish fleet finally limped back home. The battle was over, the English had won!

Queen Elizabeth and her people were jubilant. No more were they a second rate sea power, for they had conquered the fleet of the mighty Spanish Empire. A thanksgiving service was held at St. Paul's Cathedral for the delivery of the country, and a medal was struck with the words "God blew and they were scattered" inscribed on it. They believed that the storm that had besieged the Spanish ships was no ordinary storm, but the work of God.