VOC: Shakespeare extra

It’s Greek to me.

I don’t understand a word of it

an eyesore

something that is very ugly, especially when surrounded by nice things

salad days

youthful time, accompanied by the inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence or indiscretion that one associates with a young person

a laughing stock

someone who has done something so silly that people have no respect for him

to stand on ceremony

to worry about the formal rules of polite behaviour

by Jove!

old-fashioned expression used to express surprise or to stress something

to be tongue-tied

unable to talk in a relaxed way because you feel nervous or embarassed

a tower of strength

someone who gives you a lot of help, sympathy and support when you are in trouble

hoodwinked

to trick someone in a clever way so that you can get an advantage for yourself

to be in a pickle

to be in a very difficult situation and not know what to do

to torture

martelen

plague

pest

anachronism

anachronisme

muse

muze, inspiratiebron

quill

(pennen)veer

poet-dramatist

dichter-toneelschrijver

playwright

toneelschrijver

to derive

afleiden

brief

kort

to christen

dopen

merely

louter

record

bewijs, verslag

infancy

kinderjaren, minderjarigheid

childhood

kindertijd, jeugd, kinderjaren

due to

te wijten aan

reputedly

vermeend

precipitate

bespoedigen, versnellen

native town

geboortestad

contemporary

tijdegenoot

prefatory

voorafgaand, inleidend

accession

intrede

in addition to

daarbovenop

coat of arms

wapenschild

parish church

parochiekerk

descendant

afstammeling, nakomeling

marital

echtelijk

to be appalled

geshockeerd zijn

appalling

shockerend

a massacre

bloedbad

to rattle someone

iemand in de war brengen

to backfire

het omgekeerde effect krijgen

to be indecisive

besluiteloos zijn

indecision

besluiteloosheid

to avenge

wraak nemen

ruthless

meedogenloos

to eavesdrop

luistervinken

a calamity

ramp, onheil

to scorn

minachten

a burden

een last

to dread

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