Geoffrey Chaucer, celebrated as the father of English literature, greatly influenced the English language with his works like The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer’s innovative expressions have stood the test of time. In this article, we explore 35 medieval phrases invented by Chaucer, including many that are still used today. Discover the origins and lasting impact of these expressions, showcasing Chaucer’s enduring literary legacy.
Through Thick and Thin
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “And forth with wehee, thurgh thikke and thurgh thenne.”
To Wet One’s Whistle
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “So was hir joly whistle wel ywet.”
Piping Hot
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “And wafres, pipyng hot out of the gleede.”
To Hang in the Balance
Found in the short poem Womanly Noblesse: “Considryng eke how I hange in balaunce.”
The Olive (Branch) of Peace
Found in The Parliament of Fowls: “The olyve of pes.”
Better Hold One’s Tongue than Speak
Found in The Parliament of Fowls: “But bet is that a wyghtes tonge reste, Than entermeten hym of such doinge. Of which he neyther rede can ne synge.”
Also found in The Canterbury Tales: “Bettre holde thy tonge stille than for to speke.”
Absence Drives One from the Heart
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Absence of hire shal dryve hire out of herte.”
As Busy as a Bee
Found twice in The Canterbury Tales: “Lo, lyk a bisy bee, withouten gilè” and “For ay as bisy as bees Been they, us sely men for to Deceyve.”
As Sweet as Apples
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Hir mouth was Sweete as . . . hoord of apples leyd in hey or heeth.”
Not Worth an Old Shoe
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “The clerk, whan he is oold, and may noght do Of Venus Werkes worth his olde sho.”
To Twinkle Like a Star
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “His eyen twynkled in his heed aryght, As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.”
Adder (Serpent) in the bosom
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Lyk to the naddre in bosom sly untrewe.”
Advisement is Good
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Avysement is good byfore the nede.”
All is for the Best
Found three times in The Canterbury Tales: “But yet, nafors, al
sal be for the beste,” and “Al is for the beste,” and “I woot wel Clerkes wol seyn as hem leste. By argumentz, that al is for the beste.”
He that Despises All Displeases All
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “He that al despiseth, al displeseth,” as seith the book.”
A Wicked Appetite Comes Before Sickness
From the poem Fortune: “Wikke appetyt comth ay before syknesse.”
As Fat as a Whale
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Fat as a whale.”
To Hold April from Rain
Found in Anelida and Arcite: “I myghte as wel holde Aperill fro reyn. As holde yow, to make yow be stidfast.”
As Cold as Ashes
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “So woodly that he lyk was to biholde, The . . . asshen . . . colde.”
To be like an Ass
Found in Boece: “He lyveth as an asse.”
Take No Counsel of a Fool
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “For Salomon seith, “Taak no conseil of a fool.”
Cupid (Love) is Blind
Found in The House of Fame: “Hys blynde nevew Cupido”
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “And blynd he (Cupido was, as it is often seene.”
In One Ear and Out the Other
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Oon ere it herde, at tothir out it wente.”
Everything has a Beginning
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “For every thyng, a gynnyng hath it nede Er al be wrought, withowten any drede.”
Lesser of Two Evils
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Of harmes two, the lesse is for to chese.”
The Fruit of Every Tale is to be Said
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “The fruyt of every tale is for to seye.”
As Pale as a Ghost
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “He was nat pale as a forpyned goost.”
Strike while the Iron is Hot
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Pandare, which that stood hire faste by, Felte iren hoot, and he bygan to smyte.
Also found in The Canterbury Tales: “Right so as, whil that iren is hoot, men sholden Smyte.”
Love at First Sight
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “This was a sodeyn love; how myght it be That she so lightly loved Troilus, Right for the flrste syghte, ye, parde?”
The New Love Chases out the Old
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “And ek, as writ Zanzis, that was ful wys, “The newe love out chaceth ofte the olde,”
As Clear as the Moonlight
Found in The Romaunt of the Rose: “And clere as the mone lyght.”
As Dark as Pitch
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Derk was the nyght as pich.”
As Fresh as the Summer’s Day
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “May, As fressh as is the brighte someres day.”
To Make a Virtue out of Necessity
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Thanne is it wysdom, as it thynketh me. To maken vertu of necessitee.”
Found twice in Troilus and Criseyde: “Thus maketh vertu of necessite By pacience,” and “That I made vertu of necessitee.”
Suffer your Wife’s Tongue
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Suffre thy wyves tonge, as Catoun bit.”
These phrases, and many more by Geoffrey Chaucer, can be found in Proverbs, Sentences, and Proverbial Phrases From English Writings mainly before 1500, by Bartlett Jere Whitting.
Click here to learn more about Geoffrey Chaucer
Top Image: British Library MS Royal 17 D. VI fol. 93v
Geoffrey Chaucer, celebrated as the father of English literature, greatly influenced the English language with his works like The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer’s innovative expressions have stood the test of time. In this article, we explore 35 medieval phrases invented by Chaucer, including many that are still used today. Discover the origins and lasting impact of these expressions, showcasing Chaucer’s enduring literary legacy.
Through Thick and Thin
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “And forth with wehee, thurgh thikke and thurgh thenne.”
To Wet One’s Whistle
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “So was hir joly whistle wel ywet.”
Piping Hot
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “And wafres, pipyng hot out of the gleede.”
To Hang in the Balance
Found in the short poem Womanly Noblesse: “Considryng eke how I hange in balaunce.”
The Olive (Branch) of Peace
Found in The Parliament of Fowls: “The olyve of pes.”
Better Hold One’s Tongue than Speak
Found in The Parliament of Fowls: “But bet is that a wyghtes tonge reste, Than entermeten hym of such doinge. Of which he neyther rede can ne synge.”
Also found in The Canterbury Tales: “Bettre holde thy tonge stille than for to speke.”
Absence Drives One from the Heart
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Absence of hire shal dryve hire out of herte.”
As Busy as a Bee
Found twice in The Canterbury Tales: “Lo, lyk a bisy bee, withouten gilè” and “For ay as bisy as bees Been they, us sely men for to Deceyve.”
As Sweet as Apples
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Hir mouth was Sweete as . . . hoord of apples leyd in hey or heeth.”
Not Worth an Old Shoe
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “The clerk, whan he is oold, and may noght do Of Venus Werkes worth his olde sho.”
To Twinkle Like a Star
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “His eyen twynkled in his heed aryght, As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.”
Adder (Serpent) in the bosom
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Lyk to the naddre in bosom sly untrewe.”
Advisement is Good
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Avysement is good byfore the nede.”
All is for the Best
Found three times in The Canterbury Tales: “But yet, nafors, al
sal be for the beste,” and “Al is for the beste,” and “I woot wel Clerkes wol seyn as hem leste. By argumentz, that al is for the beste.”
He that Despises All Displeases All
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “He that al despiseth, al displeseth,” as seith the book.”
A Wicked Appetite Comes Before Sickness
From the poem Fortune: “Wikke appetyt comth ay before syknesse.”
As Fat as a Whale
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Fat as a whale.”
To Hold April from Rain
Found in Anelida and Arcite: “I myghte as wel holde Aperill fro reyn. As holde yow, to make yow be stidfast.”
As Cold as Ashes
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “So woodly that he lyk was to biholde, The . . . asshen . . . colde.”
To be like an Ass
Found in Boece: “He lyveth as an asse.”
Take No Counsel of a Fool
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “For Salomon seith, “Taak no conseil of a fool.”
Cupid (Love) is Blind
Found in The House of Fame: “Hys blynde nevew Cupido”
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “And blynd he (Cupido was, as it is often seene.”
In One Ear and Out the Other
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Oon ere it herde, at tothir out it wente.”
Everything has a Beginning
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “For every thyng, a gynnyng hath it nede Er al be wrought, withowten any drede.”
Lesser of Two Evils
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Of harmes two, the lesse is for to chese.”
The Fruit of Every Tale is to be Said
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “The fruyt of every tale is for to seye.”
As Pale as a Ghost
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “He was nat pale as a forpyned goost.”
Strike while the Iron is Hot
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “Pandare, which that stood hire faste by, Felte iren hoot, and he bygan to smyte.
Also found in The Canterbury Tales: “Right so as, whil that iren is hoot, men sholden Smyte.”
Love at First Sight
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “This was a sodeyn love; how myght it be That she so lightly loved Troilus, Right for the flrste syghte, ye, parde?”
The New Love Chases out the Old
Found in Troilus and Criseyde: “And ek, as writ Zanzis, that was ful wys, “The newe love out chaceth ofte the olde,”
As Clear as the Moonlight
Found in The Romaunt of the Rose: “And clere as the mone lyght.”
As Dark as Pitch
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Derk was the nyght as pich.”
As Fresh as the Summer’s Day
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “May, As fressh as is the brighte someres day.”
To Make a Virtue out of Necessity
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Thanne is it wysdom, as it thynketh me. To maken vertu of necessitee.”
Found twice in Troilus and Criseyde: “Thus maketh vertu of necessite By pacience,” and “That I made vertu of necessitee.”
Suffer your Wife’s Tongue
Found in The Canterbury Tales: “Suffre thy wyves tonge, as Catoun bit.”
Click here to learn more about Geoffrey Chaucer
Top Image: British Library MS Royal 17 D. VI fol. 93v
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