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Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shakespeare's 'creative spellings' gave us these 10 words we still can't live without
William Shakespeare, born in 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon, England, didn't simply use language as a tool to tell tales, he wielded it like a master craftsman, shaping it to fit his vision. In fact, his name appears in various spellings across historical records, each reflecting the fluidity of language during that time. The English language in the 16th century wasn't standardised like it is today. People often wrote as they spoke, and spelling was a matter of personal choice. For an ordinary student struggling to get their English spelling right, it was a remarkable time to be alive. Or, if you were a wordsmith like Shakespeare, it offered endless possibilities to bend and meld words into unique contexts and usages. Shakespeare was no ordinary writer, his plays have shaped English literature, and so have his words. Even centuries after his death, they remain indispensable to the English language. Imagine what it would be like today if students were free to play with language in the way Shakespeare did. In modern classrooms, a paper full of such "creative spelling" would likely be defaced with red ink. Yet, what might be deemed 'creative spellings' or even 'mistakes' in a modern classroom, are precisely what have left a lasting legacy, one that both students and linguists continue to rever. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Green Card Lottery Registration Now Open americ24 Undo 1. Eyeball (Henry VI, Part 1) Believe it or not, the word "eyeball" was Shakespeare's invention. Before his time, people simply used "eye," but he introduced "eyeball" to specifically describe the spherical structure of the eye. Was this intentional word-smithing or merely a quirky choice in the heat of dramatic expression? Perhaps both, but the result was a word we simply cannot imagine living without today. 2. Bedroom (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Imagine a world without the word "bedroom." Shakespeare combined the straightforward words "bed" and "room" in A Midsummer Night's Dream to give us the term we now use to describe our most personal space. Whether this was a grammatical "mistake" or an act of linguistic invention, this creative leap has certainly stood the test of time. 3. Swagger (Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream) Shakespeare didn't just write about kings and battles, he gave us an attitude. In Henry V, he coined "swagger", a word originally describing an arrogant strut. Today, it's evolved into a term for effortless confidence. Was it a playful jab at bravado or a stroke of linguistic genius? Either way, Shakespeare's "swagger" has strutted its way into modern slang. 4. Dwindle (Henry IV, Part 1, Macbeth) Why use a plain word when Shakespeare could shrink it into something new? In Macbeth, he conjured "dwindle", a poetic verb for slowly fading away. Did he mishear an older term, or was this a sly contraction? Whatever the case, this haunting word has dwindled its way into everyday speech. 5. Jaded (Henry VI, Part 2) "Jaded", that feeling of being thoroughly worn out or exhausted, first appeared in Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2 . In this instance, Shakespeare didn't "misspell" anything; he introduced a fresh way of describing fatigue. By blending words and meaning, Shakespeare created a term that perfectly captured the weary, worn-out feeling we still experience today. 6. Green-Eyed (The Merchant of Venice, Othello) Shakespeare loved vivid imagery, and few phrases stick like "green-eyed monster" (jealousy) from Othello. While "green-eyed" itself wasn't entirely new, his dramatic personification turned it into a timeless expression. A playful twist on color and emotion? Absolutely. A "mistake"? Hardly, just another example of Shakespeare painting with words. 7. Bedazzled (The Taming of the Shrew) Shakespeare possessed an incredible ability to conjure vivid, eye-catching imagery with his words. In The Taming of the Shrew , he coined "bedazzled', a word meaning to impress someone with overwhelming beauty or brilliance. What may have seemed like a playful misstep in his writing led to a dazzling, enduring term. 8. Sanctimonious (The Tempest) Who doesn't know a sanctimonious person, someone who presents themselves as morally superior, often in a rather hypocritical way? Shakespeare gave us this word in The Tempest . Was it a "spelling mistake," or was it an inspired bit of wordplay that added layers of irony to his characterisations? In any case, the term became essential for describing pretentious piety, and it's now commonplace in our vocabulary. 9. Grovel (Henry VI, Part II) To "grovel" means to lower oneself in humility or submission. Shakespeare employed this term in Henry VI, Part II , and it quickly caught on as a way to describe extreme humility. Whether it was a slip of the pen or deliberate wordplay, "grovel" remains in the language as a perfect descriptor of humbling oneself to an exaggerated degree. 10. Gloomy (Titus Andronicus) When Shakespeare used 'gloomy' in Titus Andronicus, he coined a term that would encapsulate dark moods and weather for centuries to come. His play was filled with tragedy and dark themes, and 'gloomy' perfectly captured that atmosphere. This evocative coinage gave us an indispensable way to describe emotional despair and dreariness. A legacy, an idol, a sea of language awaiting words to come alive If Shakespeare's legacy outshines that of many of his contemporaries, it is well deserved. The way he seized the opportunity to blend artistry with language gave him the freedom to invent words that the existing vocabulary simply couldn't hold. Shakespeare didn't just command language as if it were his own; he reshaped it forever, leaving behind a linguistic legacy for generations to come. So, next time you're at a loss for words, why not channel the lost spirit of Shakespeare? Embrace your creativity, let language be what it was always meant to be: a tool for creation, communication, persuasion, and making an impact that, like Shakespeare's, endures. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Call The Midwife star details 'panic attacks' as she recalls emergency C-section
Call The Midwife actor Jennifer Kirby took to her Instagram page to share a mirror selfie that showcased her c-section scar Call The Midwife star Jennifer Kirby welcomed her baby with partner Robert Gilbert via emergency caesarean section last year. The actress took to her Instagram page to share a bathroom mirror selfie taken while rocking a cropped button-up shirt and black underwear as she revealed her c-section scar. "One emergency caesarean, many crying sessions, a few panic attacks, infinite love, one glorious little baby, and one whole year. Thank you @ and thank you little body for all you've endured and all you've done. I won't take you for granted again," she captioned the honest post and tagged her actor partner. Fans and friends immediately took to the comment section to praise the couple as one user wrote: "Beautiful lady. I have a similar scar too from my c-section with my second. Just amazes me how utterly fabulous our bodies are." Another posted: "Congrats on one year! Amazing achievement. After 2 sections I find it interesting how our bodies keep changing for a long time." "Nurse Valerie would have been proud of you. still miss you in ctmw, but life moves on and you have a whole new world. nothing better," one fan commented as they shared their love for her Call The Midwife character. Jennifer and Robert, known for his role in Killing Eve, first met when they starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Henry V a decade ago. She played Nurse Valerie on Call The Midwife between 2017 and 2020. Revealing the news of her exit, she said on Twitter /X: "After four joyful years spend with Call the Midwife, I have decided to say goodbye to Nonnatus, Val and the wonderful cast, crew and production team. "The programme is truly a national treasure, and it will always be a huge honour for me to have been a part of something so wonderful. 'I can't wait to keep watching our beloved Nonnatus from the other side of the screen. Long live Call the Midwife. So long, chicks." Jennifer's first major role was as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice over 10 years ago. She also starred in Teddy and The Recruiting Officer. She even received a Commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards for her 2014 role as Lady Percy in Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and for the Royal Shakespeare Company she was also Katherine in Henry V. In 2021, she starred as Dr Gillian Nicholls in Endeavour.
Scottish Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Call The Midwife's Jennifer Kirby gives birth to first child with Killing Eve actor Robert Gilbert - and keeps it secret for MONTHS
The star has been open about suffering with panic attacks baby joy Call The Midwife's Jennifer Kirby gives birth to first child with Killing Eve actor Robert Gilbert – and keeps it secret Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CALL The Midwife star Jennifer Kirby has announced that she and Killing Eve actor Robert Gilbert welcomed their baby into the world - but kept the news quiet. Actress Jennifer shared the happy news on social media and explained how she had to have an emergency C-section in December. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 1 Call The Midwife star Jennifer Kirby has revealed she gave birth to her first child via emergency caesarean section Credit: instagram/@furkirbs The BBC Nurse Valerie Dyer star showed off her scars in a candid selfie showing off the realities of child birth and praising her body for all its hard work. The 36-year-old shared the moving picture with fans, stood in front of a mirror wearing a floral black shirt and black underwear. She showed off her labour war wounds with pride and looked happy and content in the behind-the-scenes snap. The period drama star told followers: "One emergency caesarean, many crying sessions, a few panic attacks, infinite love, one glorious little baby and one whole year." She added: "Thank you little body for all you've endured and all you've done. "I won't take you for granted again." Fans commented: "Nurse Valerie would have been proud of you." A second added: "Beautiful." A third agreed: "Beautiful lady. I have a similar scar too from my C-section with my second. Just amazes me how utterly fabulous our bodies are." Jennifer and Killing Eve actor Robert met when they both starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Henry V in 2015. BBC releases first trailer for Call the Midwife Christmas special 2017 The raven-haired beauty played Nurse Valerie on Call The Midwife from 2017 until 2020. She proudly left the award-winning period drama after four seasons as it was time to 'move on'. She took to X to reveal the news and wrote: 'After four joyful years spend with Call the Midwife, I have decided to say goodbye to Nonnatus, Val and the wonderful cast, crew and production team. "The programme is truly a national treasure, and it will always be a huge honour for me to have been a part of something so wonderful. 'I can't wait to keep watching our beloved Nonnatus from the other side of the screen. Long live Call the Midwife. So long, chicks." Call the Midwife is a BBC drama series about a group of midwives working in the east end of London in the 1950s and 1960s. They are based at the fictional nursing convent Nonnatus House in Poplar district carrying out nursing and midwife duties. The show is based on the memoirs of the same name by Jennifer Worth.
The Irish Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Call The Midwife's Jennifer Kirby gives birth to first child with Killing Eve actor Robert Gilbert – and keeps it secret
CALL The Midwife star Jennifer Kirby has announced that she and Killing Eve actor Robert Gilbert welcomed their baby into the world - but kept the news quiet. 1 Call The Midwife star Jennifer Kirby has revealed she gave birth to her first child via emergency caesarean section Credit: instagram/@furkirbs showed off her scars in a candid selfie showing off the realities of child birth and praising her body for all its hard work. The 36-year-old shared the moving picture with fans, stood in front of a mirror wearing a floral black shirt and black underwear. She showed off her labour war wounds with pride and looked happy and content in the behind-the-scenes snap. The period drama star told followers: "One emergency caesarean, many crying sessions, a few panic attacks, infinite love, one glorious little baby and one whole year." Read more She added: "Thank you little body for all you've endured and all you've done. "I won't take you for granted again." Fans commented: "Nurse Valerie would have been proud of you." A second added: "Beautiful." Most read in News TV A third agreed: "Beautiful lady. I have a similar scar too from my C-section with my second. Just amazes me how utterly fabulous our bodies are." Jennifer and Killing Eve actor Robert met when they both starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Henry V in 2015. BBC releases first trailer for Call the Midwife Christmas special 2017 The raven-haired beauty played Nurse Valerie on Call The Midwife from 2017 until 2020. She proudly left the award-winning period drama after four seasons as it was time to 'move on'. She took to X to reveal the news and wrote: 'After four joyful years spend with Call the Midwife , I have decided to say goodbye to Nonnatus, Val and the wonderful cast, crew and production team. "The programme is truly a national treasure, and it will always be a huge honour for me to have been a part of something so wonderful. 'I can't wait to keep watching our beloved Nonnatus from the other side of the screen. Long live Call the Midwife. So long, chicks." Call the Midwife is a BBC drama series about a group of midwives working in the east end of London in the 1950s and 1960s. They are based at the fictional nursing convent Nonnatus House in Poplar district carrying out nursing and midwife duties. The show is based on the memoirs of the same name by Jennifer Worth.
The National
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Scotland has a rich history of music composers
Back in the 1940s and 50s, Muir Mathieson (1911-73) won the Boult and Leverhulme scholarships, was music director to the government Army, Navy and Air Force film units in the Second World War, and was later music director to J Arthur Rank Organisation and responsible for music for Odd Man Out and The Woman in the Hall. Mathieson often returned to Scotland and in 1961 became director of Grampian TV. Marcus Dods (1918-84) was assistant to Mathieson, working on Laurence Olivier's seminal film versions of Henry V and Hamlet and moving on to Far From the Madding Crowd and Death on the Nile. More recently, Kathleen Wallfisch supervised music for Napoleon and Gladiator 2. As a composer, Craig Armstrong's many awards include a Bafta for Romeo + Juliet; a Golden Globe for Moulin Rouge, which also won a Bafta; a Grammy for Love Actually; and an Ivor Novello Award for The Quiet American. His atmospheric track Escape has been widely used as entrance music for a variety of teams and sports. Craig Armstrong Patrick Doyle is another leading Scottish composer of film music. He has worked with Kenneth Branagh on many occasions, notably for Henry V and Hamlet, as well as for the outstanding 1995 film of Sense and Sensibility for which Doyle received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. Patrick Doyle His music for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is impressive for its variety, ranging from the sombre Black Lake to the almost ridiculous but absolutely disarming Hogwarts March. Scottish idiom influenced Doyle's music for Brave, the first Disney film to feature music lyrics in Gaelic, including Doyle's setting of A' Mhadainn Bhan Uasal. Lorne Balfe has made a name for himself as a film composer, with Mission: Impossible – Fallout and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. Much of Balfe's work has been in collaboration with other composers and includes a number of scores for short films and video games. Balfe also composes under the name Oswin Mackintosh. Not being a film music composer, all I can add to this hall of fame are a few anecdotes from behind the recording scenes. READ MORE: 'One to remember': Glasgow Jazz Festival showcases more than 200 artists The nearest I got to composing a complete original score for a film was for a 'permanent' exhibition at Bannockburn, commemorating the victorious battle of 1314 during Scotland's Wars of Independence. I was commissioned by the National Trust for Scotland to compose an orchestral evocation for an exhibition which opened on the site in 1972. For the exhibition itself, there was commentary to which the music was timed, read by the splendid Tom Fleming with whom I was to work many years later. The room had at its centre a circular relief plan of the battle site highlighting the various actions with red and blue lights representing the opposing armies, plus images projected onto the walls. It was designed by Paterson Associates and they did a fine job. Of course, it has all long since been superseded. The recording itself was a historic one. It was made in Abbey Road Studio One with Geoff Emerick of Beatles fame as producer/sound engineer, with The London Session Orchestra – a gathering of the top session players, many of them soloists in their own right, all under the eagle eye of the fixer, the redoubtable Sidney Sax, who led. The leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Hugh Bean, was on the second desk – that's how high the standard was. My brother-in-law, Peter Lloyd, principal flute in the LSO, was principal flute for the recording and had helped me get in contact with Sid. I had had very little time in which to write the music – less than a month to compose and record 18 minutes of orchestral music, so I came into the studio with full score and parts, not having slept for three days. Geoff Emerick introduced himself, explained the microphone layout in the studio and the sound desk with more faders than you could count and, while the orchestra was trying out sections, asked was the balance alright? I remember tentatively wondering, 'Might we have a bit more ...'But I never finished the sentence because he turned on me and said: 'You don't ask me can I do something.' I had never been in a situation like this before and I was dismayed – that is until he chose to break his artfully timed pause with: 'You tell me what you want and I do it.' And so he did. Brilliantly. That same recording, though derived from a 7.5ips copy of the master is still of outstanding quality. The orchestra played out of its skins, the brass risking all, and it was all rehearsed and recorded in six hours, under the energetic and efficient baton of 'the bionic carrot', as he was affectionately known, the red-headed Christopher Seaman. Many taunting comments about the Scots came my way from the mostly English and almost entirely male musicians. I can't remember whether Chris Seaman explained what Bannockburn was about but they got the message. They also came back to me with a lot of appreciation, outstanding musicianship, and encouragement to write more. The orchestra was so good that all my top trumpet Cs and orchestral imaginings were brought vibrantly to life. When it came to the actual exhibition, the music did its job but was soon forgotten. However, 2014 was the 700th anniversary of the battle and also the year of the Scottish independence referendum. I issued the piece on CD and one reviewer wrote that I'd 'bnockburne bloody good at writing film music'. I'm glad I didn't go down that road. I've seen just enough of the Hollywood musical sausage machine, hugely impressive as it is, to realise that innovation and personality are liable to be subsumed by commercial imperatives and technology. The composer has a dedicated studio, sound desk, sound library, assistant with adjacent studio, and both studios furnished with grand pianos and anything relevant you might think of – but of the real world, a bunch of flowers might be the only evidence. Real? What has reality got to do with it? When I was paid £300 for musical advice for Braveheart all – yes, all – of my recommendations were ignored. I was told, 'The Japanese expect bagpipes', despite there being no evidence of their use in Scotland in the days of Wallace. Mel Gibson in Braveheart Braveheart Braveheart's wife is buried to the sound of 19th-century Irish uilleann pipes, the equivalent of bringing on Wallace in a tuxedo. Jesus wept. I hope I was not credited. I asked not to be. It was a different matter with The Eagle. The composer was the delightful Atli Örvasson and he took all my recommendations seriously, attended the recording sessions in Edinburgh and made good use of some remarkable work by Allan MacDonald (voice and pipes), Simon O'Dwyer (voice and Bronze Age horns), and Bill Taylor (clàrsach). I added my two bits worth of throat singing and Bronze Age horn playing and Atli integrated our disparate efforts into his score with both skill and respect. We all attended the pre-release cast showing in London at which we realised the truth of cinema credits – namely that the musicians are kept to the last. Simon's wife, Maria, leant over to me after some 10 minutes of credits including drivers, tea ladies and runners, to bet that they would credit the rat eaten halfway through the film, before they got to us. The music was excellent, and we thought well of the film, though it never hit the big time. My son-in-law, Tommy Gormley, was first assistant director and was never more impressive than when in the depths of a red sandstone gorge, the sides of which were draped with natural mosses and overhung by mature trees. READ MORE: Scottish island at centre of campaign to tackle ocean plastic pollution The river was flowing fast and the Seal People, mostly stuntmen from Hungary and wonderfully made up in blue woad, assaulted the Scots Highland stuntmen, all dressed as beleaguered Romans, in mid-stream. Both sides, after some initial thrusts and parries, ended up with great respect for each other, and some hair-raising feats were performed – men leaping over shield walls, and swords and spears flashing and stabbing in a thoroughly confined and very slippy rocky river bed, as the rain filtered down through the leaves in a fine mist, and the light from a vast overhead lantern, strung across the gorge some 50ft up, cast a surreal glow over what was already a wildly surreal scene. Actors lay dead in cold water for another take, cables were concealed under damp leaves, and Tommy stood in the middle of it all as people spent an endless amount of time getting everything ready. 'Does anybody here want to make a film?' he shouted, and somehow the preparations were complete and shooting could begin. My contribution as music adviser to Outlander was brief but significant. They were looking for a Gaelic song for the start of the 1745 Rising, a song brimming with confidence, even militaristic. Still from Outlander I suggested Moch Sa Mhadainn and An Fhideag Airgid. They chose the former, having already used the latter. The background was perfect historically, especially in a Highland setting. I sent them a transcription and an old recording of James Campbell of Kintail, native Gaelic singer but classically trained as well. Campbell sings Moch Sa Mhadainn quite slowly, but the song can certainly be delivered faster. 'Early in the morning as I awaken Great is my joy and hearty laughter Since I've heard of the Prince's coming To the land of Clanranald.' There are chorus and solo sections and it would have been natural for mounted or marching Highlanders to join in the chorus at the very least. Griogair Labhruidh recorded it for the film, with a group of male Gaelic singers picked by my colleague at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Decker Forrest. Griogair LabhruidhGriogair was powerful and, being also profoundly engaged with the tradition, helped the other singers with niceties of regional Gaelic pronunciation. Bear McCreary produced down the line from LA, with myself as intermediary with the performers at Nick Turner and Mary Ann Kennedy's Watercolour studios in Ardgour, where you only had to look out of the window and you were in the set for real. David Cameron asked for, and was granted, the postponement of the screening of Outlander until after the 2014 referendum, fearful of a Braveheart effect. Jesus wept again. Bear's music based on Moch Sa Mhadainn features in season two and he has built it up imaginatively; Griogair's singing is spine-chilling, and the male voices were excellent. As with The Eagle, I'm proud to be in the credits and don't resent the mission creep for which Bear graciously upped my fee. Nor do I resent the long, long drive home to Skye in the dark, having missed the last ferry at Corran. This is the Highlands: real enough, but they were never meant to come easy.
