A-Z of Shakespeare – Z

A zany was a Fool or a jester’s assistant, a bit like a clown.

A-Z of Shakespeare – Y

The word yoke is used to mean servitude.

Unfortunately there is no entry for X in the Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary so we are moving on straight to W!

To commemorate National Shakespeare Day, we are sharing an interesting extract from the Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary.

A viola da gamba, played between the legs like a modern cello.

Warning! Don’t read in the meaning of ‘a poorly dressed boy’.

Warning! Don’t read in the meaning of ‘teaching’.

Slug-a-bed means lazy-bones! It can also be spelled ‘slug-abed’.

Shakespeare uses rehearse to mean utter.

Quietus is a noun that means release.